The Connectivity Podcast

Hosted by MATTIAS FRIDSTRÖM

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Episodes

Latest episode

Apr 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

In this podcast, networking guru Mattias Fridström, Chief Evangelist at Arelion and industry experts discuss all things Internet, networks, cloud and connectivity.

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60 recent

April 28, 2026Episode 6425 min

EP64: Trusted advisors, AI infrastructure, and the evolving role of connectivity

Mattias Fridström continues the conversation with Rob Merhej, VP EMEA at AVANT, exploring how advisory‑led partners create long‑term value for customers – and why connectivity remains central to everything from AI to customer experience.In this episode, they discuss:How AVANT supports partners beyond the initial deal through ongoing advisory, cross‑sell, and up‑sell engagementWhat separates top‑performing trusted advisors – and why selling multiple services per customer mattersHow AVANT stays ahead of vendor roadmaps with specialist engineers and tools like Pathfinder and AtlasWhy AI deployments often fail without the right data center, bandwidth, and network design in placeThe shift of unified communications into broader CX and contact‑center transformationsGrowing awareness of AI security, governance, sustainability, and talent challengesA look ahead at the next five years – from multi‑gig connectivity to AI as an everyday work companionA lively conversation on connectivity, AI, and the advisory models powering the next wave of the technology channel. Tune in and get ahead of what’s next.

March 18, 2026Episode 6324 min

EP63: Channel transformation, global growth, and advisory‑led partnerships

What’s reshaping the future of the technology channel? Rob Merhej, VP EMEA at AVANT, joins Mattias Fridström to discuss:How AVANT evolved from a small startup to a global advisory‑led technology services distributorThe shift from traditional reselling to a modern trusted‑advisor model across cloud, connectivity, co‑location, cybersecurity, and AIWhy recurring‑revenue, as‑a‑service solutions are now central to partner go‑to‑market strategiesHow AVANT supports partners with engineering expertise and agnostic guidance to navigate complex, multi‑site customer requirementsKey differences between the US and European channel ecosystems – and how European markets are rapidly catching upThe impact of AI deployments, co‑location growth, and increasing connectivity demands on the channel’s momentumDon’t miss this insightful look into how the partner landscape is evolving – and why the trusted‑advisor model is becoming indispensable in today’s technology world.

January 7, 2026Episode 6227 min

EP62: Trends and challenges in optical networking – Part II

What does the future of telecom look like? Kent Lidström, CTO of Smartoptics returns to the podcast for a discussion with Mattias Fridström on:The increased importance of where components are manufacturedHow the convergence of IP and optical layers has impacted suppliersHyperscalers building their own gearHollow-core fiberWhere quantum networking research stands todaySustainability challenges in networkingOptical innovations to expect in the coming yearsDon’t miss this deep dive into the trends shaping tomorrow’s networks.

December 1, 2025Episode 6121 min

EP61: Trends and challenges in optical networking

How has optical networking evolved over the past 25 years – and what’s next? In this episode, Kent Lidström, CTO at Smartoptics, joins Mattias Fridström to explore:The biggest shifts in optical networking and what still needs to changeOpenness and disaggregation in the telecom industryShannon’s limitHow mergers and acquisitions are reshaping the industryWhy enterprises are moving toward simpler services like “raw bandwidth”Encryption-based and physical security Strategies for managing component shortages through dual sourcingIf you’re curious about the past, present, and future of optical networking, this conversation is packed with insights.

September 22, 2025Episode 6027 min

EP60: Connectivity in the gaming industry: DreamHack, local sites, and future of gaming

Markus Viitamäki, Senior Infrastructure Architect at Embark Studios is back on the podcast. In this episode, he and Mattias Fridström discuss Markus’ previous engagement in the world’s largest gaming festival DreamHack, when to establish local gaming sites to meet customer needs (and what the requirements are), DDoS attacks in the gaming industry, and whether gamers really understand how the Internet is working.

August 28, 2025Episode 5916 min

EP59: Connectivity in the gaming industry: trends, drivers, latency & bandwidth

In this episode, Markus Viitamäki, Senior Infrastructure Architect at Embark Studios joins the podcast to discuss trends in the gaming industry, main drivers to creating a new game, and how much latency and bandwidth are affecting the gaming experience.

June 10, 202520 min

EP58: Cloud connectivity, public internet, security standards, and enterprise networking trends

Misha Kuperman, Chief Reliability Officer at Zscaler is back on the podcast. In this episode he and Mattias Fridström discuss if the recent trade tariffs will impact services from Zscaler, whether people in general understand cloud connectivity, if security in the cloud is just a waste of bandwidth resources, what customers know about the public internet, if security standards in telecoms are important, and what security trends we will see in enterprise networking in five years’ time.

May 12, 2025Episode 5724 min

EP57: Enterprise networking, geopolitical impact, and zero trust

In this episode, Misha Kuperman, Chief Reliability Officer at Zscaler joins the podcast to discuss the past and recent developments in enterprise networking, whether the current geopolitical situation has had any impact on the way enterprises think about security, what’s behind the ‘zero trust’ concept and how this works in real life.

January 20, 2025Episode 5617 min

EP56: Data center security, heat recovery, understanding network architecture

Eric Löwgren, Head of Network at data center provider GleSYS, is back on the podcast. This time, he and Mattias Fridström discuss physical and cyber security in data centers, optimizing sustainability through measures such as heat recovery (and getting customers to pay a premium for sustainability), increasing the understanding of network architecture among customers, and what the future data center will look like.

December 11, 2024Episode 5521 min

EP55: Choosing location for data centers, moving out of the cloud, AI affecting connectivity demands

Eric Löwgren, Head of Network at data center provider GleSYS, joins the podcast for a discussion on what impacts the selection of where to put a data center, the trend of moving things out of the cloud, AI driving power density and connectivity demands, and attracting ‘lead guitar’ talent to the data center industry.