Connected Nation
Technology
About
This is Connected Nation – an award-winning podcast focused on all things broadband. From closing the Digital Divide to simply improving your internet speeds, we talk technology topics that impact all of us, our families, and our communities. The podcast was honored in 2024 with an Award of Excellence for Podcast Series - Technology. This is the highest honor given by the Communicator Awards. In addition, the podcast received Awards of Distinction in the same category in 2025, 2023, and 2022. Learn more about the national nonprofit behind this podcast at connectednation.org. Interested in being one of our sponsors? It includes your promotion airing on Connected Nation. Email us at info@connectednation.org OR copy and paste the below link for a media kit: https://s3.amazonaws.com/connected-nation/6973971b-4f6e-4a55-937c-a84e7583fe6c/CN_PODCAST_PACKAGE_2026-FINAL.pdf
Episodes
- Can America solve the broadband affordability problem?
Send us Fan Mail How do we solve America’s broadband affordability gap while also protecting critical infrastructure? During the Connected America Conference in Dallas, host Jessica Denson sat down with Neo Network Development's Founder an…
- The connectivity lifeline for schools, libraries, and hospitals
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with Joseph “Joey” Wender, Executive Director of SHLB. The conversation explores the future of the Universal Service Fund, the ongoing fight to close the homework gap, cybersecu…
- The hidden gap in broadband deployment
Send us Fan Mail The infrastructure is being built, but is the workforce ready? During the Connected America Conference in Dallas, host Jessica Denson sat down to discuss the growing need for digital skills training. We break down the area…
- The upcoming AI divide that nobody is talking about
Send us Fan Mail What is the next big disruptor threatening to widen the Digital Divide? In this episode, recorded at the Connected America Conference in Dallas, host Jessica Denson tackles the urgent state of U.S. broadband policy with No…
- Creating longevity for rural communities: How CBS Oregon is transforming connectivity
Send us Fan Mail In 2013, nine rural telephone companies came together with one goal: bringing urban-level connectivity and services to rural communities. On this episode of Connected Nation, we sit down with a representative from CBS Oreg…
- “When is my broadband coming?” Colorado’s plan to connect rural communities
Send us Fan Mail Broadband isn't just about infrastructure; it's about human equity. Sitting down at the Connected America Conference, Colorado Broadband Director Brandy Reitter explains the harsh realities of closing the Digital Divide. F…
- Why rural landowners may be the missing link in broadband deployment
Send us Fan Mail Rural broadband doesn’t just happen in a vacuum—it happens on rural land. But how do we turn landowners into essential infrastructure partners? Connected Nation's host Jessica Denson sits down with David Christophersen of…
- Tech expert advice: AI trends that matter, getting cloud right, and building sustainable infrastructure
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we're joined by a tech leader who's helped global enterprises modernize the cloud, harness AI for real-time decisions, and even rethink sustainable infrastructure for EV charging. We'll…
- Why this is a critical moment to be at the world’s largest fiber conference
Send us Fan Mail At a defining moment for broadband, many believe fiber is at the center of what comes next. In this episode of Connected Nation , Jessica Denson speaks with Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Gary Bolton about w…
- From India to the U.S.: The global push to transform broadband
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we chat about a new "attraction" at the Connected America Conference - an India pavilion. Find out why companies from the other side of the globe were here to talk American connectivity…
- Inside Connected America: Why broadband growth depends on collaboration
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we are live at the Connected America Conference in Dallas. We speak with Rob Chambers, Managing Director of Total Telecom about what’s next for Connected America and why face-to-face co…
- Going the second mile: How a women‑founded RevOps firm is transforming ISPs
Send us Fan Mail On today’s podcast, we’re diving into the world of digital transformation, RevOps, and how ISPs can streamline operations from customer service to infrastructure. We’re talking with leadership from one company working acro…
- Decentralize to stabilize: How distributed data saves money, protects privacy, and boosts resiliency
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we’ll explore how StorX is disrupting traditional cloud storage with decentralized, blockchain-powered solutions—in what they say is delivering privacy, cost savings, and resilience thr…
- Preventing disaster before it strikes: The company that provides early warning signs that your network is at risk
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we're back at the Broadband Nation Expo to talk about early warning signs, those little simple things that let you know that something's wrong with your broadband network before the who…
- Meet the VP of the Internet of Things
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we take you back to the Broadband Nation Expo taking place in Orlando, Florida. This time we have a very special guest, the man who calls himself the Vice President of Internet of Thing…
- The craft of broadband compliance: How to avoid review after review after review
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with an expert in broadband compliance about what to do in advance to avoid going through review after review after review. Recommended links: Alvarez and Marsal site
- Is BEAD the worst thing to happen to rural America? Why one industry insider says "yes"
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with leadership from the Minnesota Telecom Alliance. Learn how they work with co-ops and family ISPs to help them stay ahead of the curve, what it's like working with the state…
- The challenge of connecting a Native reservation with borders crossing Canada and the US
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from the Broadband Nation Expo taking place in Orlando, Florida. And we're doing so by telling a story from Montana, one of two tribes, two nations, and the eff…
- How the Choctaw Nation is leading the way on Tribal broadband
Send us Fan Mail On today’s podcast, we’re talking with the Tribal Broadband Leader for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. We’ll explore how one of the largest federally recognized tribes is tackling connectivity challenges, leading fiber ini…
- Black History Month: The AI experts on improving your workflow and what to avoid
Send us Fan Mail Today, we're bringing you a bonus episode for Black History Month. In it, we ask the simple question, how comfortable are you with using AI in your business? We talk with Black leadership at Bavardio to get some tips on wh…
- From unconnected to empowered: The human side of next-generation broadband
Send us Fan Mail Broadband isn’t just about speed—it’s about people. This episode of Connected Nation highlights how Tarana Wireless is connecting families, schools, and small businesses AND inviting them to see how it all comes together w…
- Black History Month: Meet the self-proclaimed Media King
Send us Fan Mail What would you do if you didn't like what was played on your radio station? You probably would just change the channel. What if you didn't like your connectivity? You'd probably just change the company that you're using. I…
- AI’s new demands on broadband: A smart-city reality check
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we sit down with leadership from Dense Networks, which works with the public sector across the country. Find out what they're doing to help government organizations understand AI, what…
- Inside the small-business talent crunch: Recruitment, retention, and hybrid work realities
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk to a company that tailors its services to small businesses - helping them with whatever they need from recruitment to HR services to workforce development. We discuss solutions…
- From using AI ethnically to creating joy in the workplace: The group that's trying to "do business better"
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we sit down with Ashley-Shae Benton, Interim Chief of Staff at Canopy, and Stephanie Kelley, Director of Client Services at The Gleason Group, to discuss what it means to “do business b…
- Design before you dig: How digital-first infrastructure can save millions
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with leadership from Trimble Inc., a global tech company shaking up the construction industry. The company's mission — to transform the way the world works. We talk about connec…
- GPS for the great indoors: The tool to help you navigate everything from airports to hospitals
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we're going exploring with GoodMaps, the indoor navigation app. We'll talk with leadership from GoodMaps about the way LiDAR imaging works, why indoor navigation is critical for million…
- How broadband businesses can turn AI into a road map for success
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with the representative from Vantage Point Solutions who took the main stage at Calix ConnecXions 2025 in front of 3,000 attendees. Find out what she told the crowd about using…
- Mission Telecom's RESPOND Kit: Ensuring communities stay connected during disasters
Send us Fan Mail On this bonus episode of Connected Nation, we talk with leadership from Mission Telecom about their new RESPOND Kit – a broadband solution for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. It's not just for ISPs. This pro…
- What it's like to build broadband in some of the most remote states in America
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk to two technicians about building broadband in some of the most rural areas in America - Wyoming, and Montana. We also put them on the spot by asking them to build a STEAM packe…
- This company won Calix's innovative partner of the year award
Send us Fan Mail On today's episode of Connected Nation, we ask what it takes to win the partner award for innovation given by Calix every year. The answer: be a disruptor. We'll talk with the CEO and Co-founder of Camvio about winning the…
- Like bees to honey: This was the sweetest booth at any broadband conference in 2025
Send us Fan Mail On this episode on Connected Nation, we chat with Chris Homan, Telecom Vertical Leader for Paymentus, about the company's multi-vertical payment platform, their partnership with Calix, and their show-stopping conference bo…
- Google partners to set industry standards for data center infrastructure
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we sit down with Google's Head of Global Quality and Commissioning to discuss how industry leaders are coming together to set standards for data center infrastructure. Find out how your…
- How Connected Nation is evolving digital skills training to help you understand and use AI
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we examine digital skills training and what it takes to evolve from the basics - like learning to use email and the internet - to really mastering emerging trends like AI. Related links…
- The new blueprint for building broadband networks
Send us Fan Mail On this special episode of Connected Nation, we talk to leadership from the broadband program office at Cisco Systems. Learn about the new blueprint they're taking for building the networks that power your connectivity. Pl…
- Mapping Joy: How Connected Nation is building a more connected, inclusive, and joyful future
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we have a special guest - Chairman and CEO of our national nonprofit, Tom Ferree. We'll discuss what it means to map joy in the workplace AND find out how Connected Nation can help broa…
- From the badlands to the prairies: Montana’s Broadband Director shares her approach to connecting Big Sky Country
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we're taking you to Big Sky Country for a conversation with the Montana State Broadband Director. We ask her how she and her team are implementing the ConnectMT Broadband Program in a p…
- Now or never: How one industry veteran is building a people-first future in broadband
Send us Fan Mail On this episode on Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from Calix ConneXions 2025, taking place in Las Vegas Nevada. We talk with one man who just struck out on his own in the telecom and broadband industry. Find ou…
- New game. New rules. The show broadband providers don't want to miss
Send us Fan Mail On this episode on Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from rom Calix ConneXions 2025, which took place in Las Vegas in mid-October. We sat down with the Corporate VP of Marketing for Calix to discuss innovating cus…
- Investing in connection: How Mac Mountain helps businesses build better broadband
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with leadership from Mac Mountain. A recently launched company that's taking a unique approach to expanding broadband by helping other businesses grow. Listen and find out how t…
- Connecting the land of 10,000 lakes
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk with Bree Maki, Executive Director, Office of Broadband Development, Minnesota. She explains why the state was already well on its way to connecting everyone *before* BEAD. Plus…
- From Alabama to the Navajo Nation: The company that's putting rural communities first
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we begin our coverage from Calix ConneXions 2025, taking place in Las Vegas Nevada. We talk with Jacob Smithee, the Director of IT from a Co-op in Alabama, about the challenges of bring…
- What a decade of digging into the Digital Divide and meeting those impacted by it has taught one researcher
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we're joined by a special guest who has spent nearly a decade researching the Digital Divide and meeting many of those who are directly impacted by it. Find out what Dr. Christopher Ali…
- The father and son duo focused on helping telecom manufacturers deliver their products
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we talk to a father and son team who rep a host of manufacturers in the broadband space. Find out how their model fills the needs of a wide range of companies, programs, and projects. R…
- What a Danish company now manufacturing in the US can do to help improve broadband buildouts
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we ask what the Danish can do to help build out broadband in America? I talk to a rep with Lynddahl Telecom about the product they're now manufacturing in the US to do just that. Recomm…
- Special edition: Why Wichita is about to stake its claim in the AI revolution
Send us Fan Mail On this special edition of Connected Nation, we head back to Wichita, Kansas one last time for the AI Interconnection Summit, which took place on Thursday, September 11th. This time we talk with leadership from Stevens Fib…
- Special edition: Two visionaries behind Kansas' digital leap
Send us Fan Mail On this special edition of Connected Nation, we head BACK to Wichita, Kansas for an AI Interconnection Summit. This time, we talk with the woman many credit with greenlighting the FIRST EVER Internet Exchange Point in Kans…
- From metaverse to AI: what’s next for broadband?
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage from Mountain Connect 2025 as we sit down with broadband entrepreneur Scott Sampson, CEO of Blueprint Broadband and founder of Light Craft and Mac Mountain to t…
- Special edition: DE-CIX CEO talks AI, internet infrastructure, and innovation from Wichita
Send us Fan Mail On this special edition of Connected Nation, we head to Wichita, Kansas for a first-of-its-kind event – an AI Interconnection Summit. We begin our coverage with Ivo Ivanov - the CEO of DE-CIX - one of the world’s biggest n…
- Can rural America lead the next innovation boom? The Range is showing us how it can be done
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Connected Nation, we are joined by the leadership at the Range, which is short for regional accelerator and new growth engine. Learn how the organization is focusing on creating incredible innovation for…