Fiber for Breakfast with Gary Bolton

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291

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Fiber Broadband Association provides advocacy, education and resources to companies, organizations and communities who want to deploy the best networks through fiber to the home, fiber to the business and fiber everywhere. Get Association updates and Fiber for Breakfast The Fiber Broadband Association's weekly 30-minute live video discussion hosted by our President and CEO, Gary Bolton, and featuring industry thought leaders on current topics that explore fiber as the critical infrastructure for 21st century communications as well as other connectivity and workplace issues presented during these challenging times.

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60 recent

August 26, 202636 min

FFB Episode 293: The Predictability Imperative: How AI Is Helping Fiber Providers Compete in an Uncertain Market

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

August 19, 202631 min

FFB Episode 292: EPB Quantum Computer: From Municipal Energy to Quantum Tech

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

August 12, 202632 min

FFB Episode 291: Beyond the Build: Monetizing Fiber for Long-Term Advantage

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

August 5, 202633 min

FFB Episode 290: AI Runs on Fiber: How Networks Are Evolving

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

July 29, 202630 min

FFB Episode 289: Save Our E-Rate: The Fight to Protect Broadband for Schools and Libraries

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

July 22, 202630 min

FFB Episode 288: Right of Way Wars: Winning the Fiber Deployment Battle

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

July 15, 202632 min

FFB Episode 287: Intelligent Oversight: How AI is Changing BEAD Compliance

The BEAD program represents a once-in-a-generation investment, but it also creates a major oversight challenge for state broadband offices. How can states ensure every project meets specifications without stretching staff or exhausting limited budgets? On this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Colin Reilly, Vice President of Data Strategy & Technical Services at Connected Nation, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to discuss a smarter approach. Using a proprietary risk-modeling framework powered by machine learning and statistical sampling, Connected Nation helps transform grant monitoring from a reactive burden into a proactive strategy. By identifying high-risk projects early and using milestone-based checkpoints, states and subgrantees can collaborate more effectively, avoid end-of-project surprises, and maximize the impact of BEAD investments while accelerating efforts to close the digital divide. With Special Guest: Colin Reilly, VP, Data Strategy & Technical Services, Connected Nation

July 8, 202633 min

FFB Episode 286: Optical Fibre and Cable Market Outlook: The Role of Hollow-Core and Multicore Fiber

In this week’s episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Ahmed Ali, Senior Analyst and Lead of CRU’s Optical Fibre and Cable Service, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to discuss how AI, cloud and data centre growth are reshaping the requirements placed on optical networks. While conventional single-mode fibre will remain the foundation of global connectivity, some high-performance applications are beginning to push practical limits around latency, capacity density, signal integrity and physical infrastructure. The conversation will examine where hollow-core fibre (HCF) and multicore fibre (MCF) fit within this evolving market, including their potential role in data centre interconnect, high-density data centre environments and other specialist network applications. The discussion will also explore demand trends, early trials and commercial signals, barriers to adoption, and the latest market outlook covering supply-chain implications, manufacturing scalability, standards development and strategic considerations for fibre buyers and producers. With Special Guest: Ahmed Ali, Lead, Optical Fibre & Cable Service, CRU Group

July 1, 202632 min

FFB Episode 285: The Quantum Edge: Why Fiber Providers Should Pay Attention Now

Quantum networking is quickly moving from research concept to infrastructure conversation—and fiber providers may already hold the foundation. In this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Professor Prem Kumar, Director, Center of Photonic Communications and Computing at Northwestern University joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to explore how existing fiber infrastructure can support next-generation quantum technologies. Drawing on recent breakthroughs in transmitting quantum signals alongside high-capacity classical traffic, the discussion will examine how operators can leverage today’s optical networks to enable future applications including quantum communications, distributed computing, synchronization, and secure data exchange. Learn why the path to quantum may not require rebuilding networks—but evolving the fiber assets already in place. With Special Guest: Professor Prem Kumar, Director, Center of Photonic Communications and Computing, Northwestern University

July 1, 202633 min

FFB Episode 284 - Building AI-Ready Networks: The Next Evolution of Broadband

AI is transforming broadband networks from simple connectivity platforms into intelligent infrastructures that can predict, adapt, and optimize performance in real time. As AI applications drive new traffic patterns, latency requirements, and customer expectations, service providers face both significant challenges and new revenue opportunities. On this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, welcomes Robin Olds, Senior Sales Business Development Manager from Cisco's Americas Service Provider organization, to discuss what it takes to build AI-ready networks. Together, they explore network modernization, automation, observability, edge computing, and strategies for monetizing AI-driven services. Register now! With Special Guest: Robin Olds, Senior Sales Business Development Manager, Broadband Program Office, Americas Service Provider, Cisco