Lead Tennessee Radio

With utilities receiving millions of dollars in funding for broadband buildouts, it’s vital that companies follow the requirements for their loans or grants. Scott Goodale tells us how JSI is encouraging utilities to use an all-hands-on-deck attitude for large projects until the job is accomplished.

Apprenticeships in broadband markets may be a great way to help solve the workforce shortage. The programs are a great alternative to a college education and offer excellent training for a future career. Craig Barber, founder and CEO of Hatbox, joins the podcast to discuss how he began working in the broadband industry as an apprentice, and what he’s doing now to support apprenticeships in the telecom industry.

The fifth round of ReConnect opened up in spring 2024. A total of 148 applications were submitted, amounting to $1.97 billion in funding requests. However, only $700 million is available for awards. At the time of recording, only 10-11 awards had been determined, but more are expected to be announced in the coming months. James Wilson and Tyler Hayes, RUS representatives for Kentucky and Tennessee respectively, join the podcast to tell us what they are seeing across the landscape and what they are expecting to occur in the future.

Leif Oveson, vice president of government affairs at NTCA, discusses the 5th Circuit Court’s decision in regards to the constitutionality to of the Universal Service Fund and what the legal process is going forward. He also discusses the BEAD program and some of the hurdles smaller broadband providers are facing in pursuing those grant and loan dollars.

The BEAD program has started rolling out, and each state has different requirements. It's like having 50 different trains, leaving 50 different stations, for 50 different destinations. Brooke Coleman, account manager at Nokia, joins the podcast to give us an update on the BEAD program from her perspective. What can broadband service providers expect during the next few years as grants are awarded and construction begins?

Tyler Campbell, executive director of the Kentucky Rural Broadband Association, joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming 2024 Fall Conference & Supplier Showcase scheduled for Oct. 21-23. You can register for the event here.

The annual TNBA Convention & Showcase will be here before we know it! What changes have been made and what can attendees expect from the 2024 convention? Charlie Boring, this year’s convention committee chair, joined the show to tell us all about it. The convention is June 4-6. Register today at www.tennesseebroadband.com/events.

National Engineers Week is Feb. 18-24. To celebrate, Matthew Boynton, engineer at BTC Fiber, joined the podcast to tell us about his journey to telecom engineering, and to help our listeners understand how engineering impacts every area of our daily lives.

Paige Shapiro, Tennessee’s federal program officer, gives our listeners a BEAD status update, including Tennessee’s required filings and an estimated timeline for the disbursement of the state’s $813 million allocation.

Connecting to homebuyers can be a difficult task for broadband marketers. Thankfully, it is a lot easier with Fiber Homes — an online service that real estate agents can use to inform their clients about houses that have fiber internet and point them directly to the local ISP for service. Kaleigh Cox, director of marketing at DxTel, tells our listeners about Fiber Homes on this podcast episode.

Students from Motlow State Community College's SkillsUSA chapter have won both national and state competitions in several categories, including telecommunications-related fields. Joe Marco, instructor at Motlow, discusses the benefits of SkillsUSA and how local broadband providers can prepare the future technical workforce of America.Joe Marco is also a cybersecurity research engineer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Lead for America’s mission is “to build a leadership force of moral, dynamic and locally rooted leaders committed to serving the communities they call home in every corner of this country.” Cadie Bergan, senior recruitment and selection manager, gives an overview of Lead for America, a nonprofit organization that connects volunteers in service opportunities across the country.

Tyler Campbell, executive director of the Kentucky Rural Broadband Association, joined the podcast to discuss the upcoming 2023 Fall Conference & Supplier Showcase from October 10-12. You can register for the event at https://www.tennesseebroadband.com/events/kta-tnba-fall-conference-supplier-showcase-2/.

When dollars budgeted for marketing were not going to be used during the early months of the pandemic, Twin Lakes decided to repurpose that money for grants in the communities they serve. Four years later, Twin Lakes has awarded a quarter of a million dollars to local organizations that make positive impacts in the community. Lea Ann Gore, marketing and sales manager, joined the show to discuss how the program works and the benefits seen through the program.

Carrie Huckeby sat down with Greg Smartt to discuss how the TNBA continues to advocate for broadband expansion in Tennessee. They also discuss some of Greg’s goals as the board president for the next year.

Lori Duncan, associate professor at the University of Tennessee, discusses how precision agriculture increases efficiency and sustainability on Tennessee’s farms. Of course, none of this would be possible without access to reliable internet!

Guy Benson, policy director in regulatory affairs at JSI, discusses the importance of broadband labels and gives guidance on how broadband providers can prepare for the FCC’s requirement of the labels in the coming year.

Laura Withers, Vice President of Strategic Communications at NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, discusses the perks of being designated as a Smart Rural Community and how members can leverage the designation to benefit their community.

Kristin Burdette, customer experience supervisor at Loretto Telecom, explains her vision to consistently deliver excellent communications to employees and the community.

Taylre Beaty, Tennessee's Broadband Director, discusses how the state can effectively use broadband grant funding to make the biggest impact in both infrastructure and adoption across the state.

Paige Shapiro, Tennessee’s federal program officer for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment and Digital Equity Program, discusses how these programs aim to ensure all people and communities have the skills, technology and capacity needed to reap the full benefits of the digital economy.

The Tennessee Business Forum encourages engagement and collaboration between the state's business leaders and national policymakers. Members of the forum come from a diverse background, which strengthens the forum's ability to facilitate conversations about national issues. Executive Director Bess McWherter and Brad Bishop of The Ingram Group joined the podcast to discuss the mission, successes and future of the forum.

4-H State Extension Specialist Dr. Daniel Collins joined the show to discuss how 4-H is training teenagers in Tennessee to help close the digital divide by teaching computer skills to adults. The teenagers will co-teach with other teenagers or 4-H agents to teach adults basic computer skills, such as internet safety, shopping online, or video calling.

The telecommunications industry is growing, and more people are needed to meet workforce needs. Shirley Brown-Harrison, a senior instructor at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Hohenwald, discusses how TCAT is preparing students for telecommunications careers. Focusing on three learning objectives, Brown-Harrison's team ensures the students are prepared for industry careers. Those objectives are: 1. Teach fundamentals and teach them well. 2. Help students develop critical-thinking skills. 3. Learn to learn.

Register for the conference at https://www.tennesseebroadband.com/events/kta-tnba-fall-conference-supplier-showcase/.

To register, please visit https://www.tennesseebroadband.com/events/tennessee-broadband-association-2022-annual-convention-showcase/.

On this special episode of Lead Tennessee Radio, Government Affairs Director Levoy Knowles takes the hot seat and is interviewed by Stephen Smith and joined by the new TNBA Executive Director, Carrie Huckeby, making her first appearance on the podcast. They talk about their new roles at the TNBA and how the necessity of splitting the role of Executive Director into two separate roles only reflects the massive growth the association has had over the years.

The Tennessee Broadband Association is proud to welcome Secretary of State Tre Hargett to “Lead Tennessee Radio.” On this episode, Levoy Knowles and Kim Adkins sit down with Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett to learn more about how leveraging the power of the internet has been essential to help more voters understand the importance of participating in the elections and making their vote count.

Chip Spann, Vice President of Engineering & Technical Services at Connected Nation, joins Levoy Knowles for the latest episode of Lead Tennessee Radio. Chip explains how Connected Nation is helping providers bring broadband services to unserved areas by facilitating the creation of a more accurate service coverage map to help fill the digital divide.

The Tennessee Broadband Association is proud to welcome Jeff Raver, founder and president of Begin to Win, to “Lead Tennessee Radio.” Jeff talks to Andy Johns directly from the TNBA conference and shares his wisdom about the five different leadership levels and which level everyone should strive to achieve.

Rod Ballard, principal at Jackson Thornton, talks about increased optimism as more funding opportunities have been propelling the expansion of fiber broadband across the nation.

The TNBA Annual Convention and Showcase begins June 1, and in this episode of Lead Tennessee Radio Levoy Knowles and Chris Townson discuss the strong speaker lineup at the upcoming event.

The Tennessee Broadband Association is proud to welcome DTC Communications Chief Executive Officer Chris Townson to “Lead Tennessee Radio.” Townson discusses how three recent grants totaling almost $5.9 million allow DTC Communications to build fiber to about 4,000 premises that have previously been unserved.

The Tennessee Broadband Association is proud to welcome State Broadband Director Crystal Ivey and Assistant Commissioner of Community and Rural Development Sammie Arnold with the Department of Economic and Community Development to the latest episode of “Lead Tennessee Radio.” They discuss Gov. Bill Lee’s $200 million pledge to expand rural broadband and the state of broadband in Tennessee.

Lisa Cope joins the Tennessee Broadband Association for the latest episode of “Lead Tennessee Radio.” In the first episode of 2021, Cope discusses the “Virtual Living Room®” project, which provides a space for veterans in Van Buren County to access telehealth appointments through the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro. The project was made possible by an FRS grant and a partnership with American Legion Post 207 in Spencer.

Tennessee State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) was Levoy Knowles’ recent guest on “Lead Tennessee Radio.” Rep. White, who has served House District 83 in the Tennessee General Assembly since 2010 and is chairman of the House Education Committee, talked about the importance of broadband as the state works to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Tennessee Broadband Association is proud to welcome Shirley Bloomfield, chief executive officer of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, to “Lead Tennessee Radio.” In this episode, Bloomfield discussed federal broadband legislation and efforts to keep rural America connected through the ongoing pandemic and beyond.

Bob Mouser is VP, General Manager Hometown Services for Ritter Communications. In this episode, Mouser discusses Ritter's work to extend broadband in its service area. He also discusses the company's response to the Covid-19 outbreak and recent severe weather.

CEO Mark Patterson discusses HTC's work to extend broadband to its service area and become one of the first rural telcos to have a 100% fiber network. Patterson also discusses the company's response to the Covid-19 outbreak and recent severe weather.

CEO Johnny McClanaha discusses NCTC's response to the Covid-19 outbreak and recent severe weather. He also discusses the company's work to extend broadband in its service area.

CEO Chris Townson discusses DTC's response to the Covid-19 outbreak and recent severe weather. He also discusses the company's work to extend broadband in its service area.

General Manager Charlie Boring discusses BTC's response to the Covid-19 outbreak and recent severe weather. He also discusses the company's work to extend broadband in its service area.

General Manager Jason Shelton discusses Loretto Telecom's response to the Covid-19 outbreak and recent severe weather. He also discusses the company's work to extend broadband in its service area.

Bruce Mottern, TDS Manager of State Government Affairs, discusses the company's response to the Covid-19 outbreak and recent severe weather. He also discusses the company's work to extend broadband in its service area.

CEO Jonathan West discusses Twin Lakes' response to the Covid-19 outbreak and recent severe weather. He also discusses the company's work to extend broadband to its service area.

President and CEO William Bradford discusses United Communications' response to the Covid-19 outbreak and recent severe weather. He also discusses the company's work to extend broadband to its service area.

CEO Bill Franklin discusses Scott County Telephone Cooperative's response to the Covid-19 outbreak. He also discusses the company's work to extend broadband to its service area.

“Lead Tennessee Radio”features Rep. Terri Lynn WeaverLancaster lawmaker discusses importance of broadband access for educationWhile speaking with Tennessee Broadband Association Executive Director Levoy Knowles for “Lead Tennessee Radio,” State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver said broadband access is vital for schools in rural Tennessee.Weaver, R-Lancaster, is a member of the Education Committee, K-12 subcommittee, Transportation Committee, and the Safety and Funding subcommittee. A singer/songwriter who was named female vocalist of the year with three No. 1 gospel songs, Weaver represents Smith, Trousdale, and parts of Dekalb and Sumner counties.On the TNBA podcast, Weaver discusses the challenges facing rural Tennessee and the importance of having access to high-speed internet and how it can improve access to quality education.Weaver is very active in her community. She is the past chairman of the Smith County Republican Party and chairman of the Smith County Independence Day Parade. She is a member of the Smith County Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and the National Rifle Association.“Lead Tennessee Radio” is a podcast produced by the Tennessee Broadband Association. The podcast is an opportunity for the people of Tennessee to hear state leaders discuss issues facing the Volunteer State. Past episodes feature state leaders such as Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville; Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge; House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland; and many more.“Our association members are close to their communities, and they understand that decisions made in Nashville impact those they serve,” Knowles says. “This podcast is a great opportunity to have conversations with those making decisions that will impact the lives of all Tennesseans.”Recent topics discussed on the podcast include broadband internet’s impact on rural development and how it can be used to improve health care in underserved areas through telemedicine.“Lead Tennessee Radio” can be found on apps such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Play. Upcoming topics will include issues that lawmakers will face in the 2020 legislative session.