Advertise on podcast: Fiber for Breakfast with Gary Bolton

Hollow-core and multi-core fiber are moving from emerging technologies to potential game changers for next-generation networks. In this technology-focused episode of Fiber for Breakfast, representatives from industry leaders such as Prysmian, Relativity Networks, Lightera, and Corning will talk with Gary Bolton, FBA’s President & CEO to break down the evolution of these innovative fiber offerings, how they differ from traditional fiber, where they can deliver the greatest value and expectations for large-scale commercial use and availability. Attendees will gain a foundational understanding of the technologies, their real-world applications, and the potential impact they could have on network performance, capacity, and the future of the fiber industry. With Special Guests:  Jason Eichenholz, Founder & CEO, Relativity Networks Jon Fitz, Director of Technical Services, Prysmian John George, Senior Director, LIghtera Nilson Gabela, Senior Global Market & Technology Development Manager for Outside Plant and Fire-Retardant Cables, Corning

Quantum networking may sound like an entirely new infrastructure challenge, but its most valuable asset is one many broadband providers already own: fiber. In this next episode, Vincent Celindro, Director of Strategic Sales & Technology of Quantum Foundry joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association and explores how municipal, rural, cooperative, commercial, and research networks can evaluate their existing infrastructure for quantum readiness. Celindro will explain how fiber type, total optical loss, route length, splice history, and aerial versus buried construction affect a network’s potential; how classical and quantum traffic can coexist on the same fiber; and why amplifier huts and other facilities may become strategic quantum nodes. The discussion will also examine the operational changes quantum networking introduces for the NOC and the evolution from trusted relay nodes available today to quantum repeaters emerging for the future. With Special Guest:  Vincent Celindro, Director of Strategic Sales & Technology, Quantum Foundry

As BEAD moves from planning into deployment, the program is entering a new phase with important implications for broadband infrastructure and the communities it will serve. In this milestone 300th episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, is joined by Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator, to discuss BEAD’s progress, evolution and long-term impact. They’ll explore early deployment, public-private investment, recent program changes, American-made infrastructure, and efforts to address locations missed in initial awards. This conversation will also examine how broadband can enable AI, quantum computing, data centers and other emerging technologies as the industry looks toward what comes next. With Special Guest:  Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Arkansas is moving from broadband planning and funding to putting infrastructure in the ground—and its approach is attracting national attention. Join the next episode of Fiber for Breakfast as Glen Howie, Director of the Arkansas Broadband Office, talks with Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, about the state’s progress and what lies ahead. Glen will share updates on BEAD deployment, Arkansas’s innovative approach to reaching hard-to-serve locations, and how broadband infrastructure is driving economic opportunity. The conversation will also explore middle-mile infrastructure, network resiliency, technology choices, and the state’s vision for delivering lasting benefits to communities. With Special Guest:  Glen Howie, Director of the Arkansas Broadband Office

With all 50 states now having approved BEAD Final Proposals, the program is moving from planning to execution—but the process is far from settled. Carol Mattey, former FCC official, broadband and policy expert, and principal of Mattey Consulting, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to examine what happens when selected providers withdraw, states need to adjust awards, and new unserved locations emerge. They’ll explore NTIA’s latest changes, the flexibility states have to redirect funding and select replacement providers, and what these evolving rules mean for broadband providers, state broadband offices and communities waiting for service. With Special Guest:  Carol Mattey, Founding Member and Principal, Mattey Consulting

Three decades after helping shape the vision for America’s broadband future, Blair Levin, (formerly FCC Chief of Staff (’93-97) and Executive Director of the 2010 National Broadband Plan) and with over two decades of advising institutional investors about telecommunications policy, joins Fiber for Breakfast for a candid look at how far the industry has come – and how far it still has to go. Joining Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, Levin will reflect on the evolution of broadband infrastructure, the lessons learned along the way, and the forces reshaping the industry today. From fiber expansion and the challenges of connecting every community to the emergence of AI, hyperscalers, low-earth orbit satellites (LEOs), and next-generation networks, this conversation will explore what has changed, what hasn’t, and what the industry must do next to build the connectivity America will need for the future.

What happens when major broadband grants wind down? Revati Prasad, Executive Director of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to explore the future role of state broadband offices and the challenges of sustaining capacity for mapping, oversight, affordability and digital opportunity. Drawing on additional research with State Broadband Officers, Revati will also share findings from Benton’s ISP focus groups examining the practical barriers to deployment—including permitting, workforce, supply chain and state-provider coordination—and the solutions that can accelerate broadband buildout while maintaining accountability and consumer protections. With Special Guest:  Revati Prasad, Executive Director of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

When Jordan Arnold became Director of the Washington State Broadband Office in January 2026, the state was on the cusp of a major broadband milestone. Just weeks later, Washington received federal approval for its final BEAD proposal, unlocking more than $1 billion in investment for broadband expansion. Now, almost nine months into her role, Jordan joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to discuss how Washington’s broadband strategy is taking shape and what this early implementation phase is revealing. From moving BEAD from approval to implementation to addressing the realities of deploying resilient networks in a state increasingly impacted by wildfires and other natural disasters, Jordan will share the challenges, solutions, and lessons emerging along the way. How can Washington build networks that not only connect communities, but keep them connected when they need communications most? With Special Guest: Jordan Arnold, Washington State Broadband Director

In this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, sits down with Gaurav Juneja, CEO of Fidium, to discuss the company’s next phase as a fiber-first operator. With a network spanning more than 76,000 fiber route miles, Juneja shares how Fidium is accelerating expansion, enhancing customer experience, and leveraging new capital strategies to scale. The conversation also explores Fidium’s push into wholesale and data center connectivity, its rural market advantage, and what these moves signal for the telecom landscape as competition intensifies and fiber investment surges. With Special Guest: Gaurav Juneja, CEO, Fidium

AI has moved beyond experimentation for forward-looking fiber providers. The real question is no longer whether AI can automate tasks. It is how organizations can leverage it securely and at scale to operate with greater consistency, confidence, and predictability, so providers of any size can compete and win across residential, business, MDU, and community markets. In this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Michael Weening, CEO of Calix, joins Gary Bolton, President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to discuss how providers are building secure agentic workflows and evolving the operating model required to compete and win in the AI era. The conversation will explore how providers are achieving early wins by scaling expertise, accelerating differentiated subscriber experiences, creating new capacity for growth, and delivering more predictable business outcomes. With Special Guest: Michael Weening, President & CEO, Calix

EPB has evolved from a leading municipal utility to a national model for advanced fiber optic infrastructure – and is now focused on establishing Chattanooga as a hub for quantum technology. As the operator of the world's fastest community-wide internet since 2010, EPB's leadership in establishing commercially available quantum networking and computing is contributing to solutions from cybersecurity to grid optimization today. On the next episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Janet Rehberg, President & CEO-Elect of EPB, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to discuss how EPB is leveraging its fiber network to lead the next wave of innovation in quantum networking, computing, and the future of connected communities. With Special Guest: Janet Rehberg, President & CEO-Elect, EPB

As fiber networks mature, the challenge is no longer just deployment – it’s maximizing value, differentiation, and long-term scalability. In this episode, Darren Farnan, General Manager of United Fiber joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association to explore how providers can deliver ARPU growth through deeper residential and commercial service adoption, while enhancing customer satisfaction. Darren will share how United Fiber is competing and winning in an increasingly crowded market by leaning into local advantage, transparent pricing, and superior customer experience. Finally, they’ll dive into the role of XGS-PON and multi-gig upgrades in future-proofing networks and enabling new revenue opportunities in the next era of fiber broadband. With Special Guest: Darren Farnen, General Manager, United Fiber

Artificial intelligence is transforming telecom networks—from how they are designed and operated to how service providers optimize performance, reduce costs, and enhance the customer experience. As AI adoption accelerates, what changes should network operators be preparing for, and where will AI have the greatest impact? On this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, sits down with Roger Entner, Founder and Analyst at Recon Analytics, to discuss how AI is reshaping telecom, the opportunities and challenges ahead, and why robust fiber infrastructure is essential to powering the AI-driven networks of the future. With Special Guest: Roger Entner, Analyst and Founder, Recon Analytics

The E-Rate program has connected virtually every school and library in America to broadband, growing classroom internet access from just 14% in 1996 to near-universal today. But for the first time in the program's nearly 30-year history, the FCC is asking whether E-Rate should be terminated. On this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, welcomes Joey Wender, Executive Director of the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, to discuss what's at stake for anchor institutions and the fiber networks that serve them. Together, they explore the FCC's top-to-bottom E-Rate proceeding and the Save Our E-Rate campaign, the pending Universal Service Fund litigation, how BEAD and E-Rate complement one another, and how schools, libraries, and providers can make their voices heard before the comment window closes. With Special Guest: Joey Wender, Executive Director, SHLB Coalition

As fiber deployments accelerate nationwide, one major challenge continues to delay projects and increase costs: right-of-way and permitting issues. Too often, broadband providers, municipalities, and contractors face unnecessary expenses and setbacks simply because they lack the expertise to navigate complex regulatory and infrastructure hurdles. On this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Dave Thomas, CEO, Eagle 1 Resources joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of FBA to discuss how industry experts can help teams strategically overcome right-of-way obstacles, avoid costly mistakes, and keep fiber builds on track. With Special Guest: Dave Thomas, CEO, Eagle 1 Resources, LLC