Unbuffered

Tree Canopies, Broken Data, and DOGE Math - Episode 26 of Unbuffered

Is national broadband data actually reliable, or are we just taking ISP claims on faith?Join Chris and Sean as they unpack flawed FCC reports, major BEAD dropouts, Starli

The FWA Reality Check and the BEAD Final Numbers - Episode 25 of Unbuffered

Chris and Doug Dawson break down new Ookla FWA data, critique the FCC’s flawed mapping challenges, examine the final BEAD funding numbers, and tackle the wild economics o

Local Tech, Big Surveillance: Rethinking Municipal IT - Episode 24 of Unbuffered

Can local governments build modern public safety infrastructure without sacrificing citizen privacy or handing millions to private cloud vendors? Former Shreveport CTO Ke

Flock Off! - Episode 23 of Unbuffered

Are Flock safety cameras keeping communities safe, or just building a private dragnet for mass surveillance? Chris sits down with independent reporter Daniel Boguslaw to

Fiber on the Right Track - Episode 22 of Unbuffered

Chris and Doug Dawson discuss a major court ruling that could make Fiber deployment across railroad rights-of-way easier, Starlink’s ambitions to become a mobile network

Built for the Storm - Episode 21 of Unbuffered

Lee Brown and John Fredericks join Chris to discuss how Erwin Fiber weathered Hurricane Helene and what the community is building back stronger. ★ Support this podcast

Time for a Retrofit! - Episode 20 of Unbuffered

From Massachusetts' affordable housing retrofit program to a giant mirror in space, Chris and Sean unpack the latest stories shaping broadband. ★ Support this podcast ★

Technology Without Guardrails - Episode 19 of Unbuffered

What do surveillance, A.I., and broadband policy have in common? Chris and Sascha connect the dots. ★ Support this podcast ★

Dialing Back Protections: The Battle for California's Lifelines - Episode 18 of Unbuffered

What happens when telecom companies are allowed to walk away from providing basic, reliable phone service? Chris, Harold, and Arturo explore AT&T’s push to end its landli

Protecting Tribal Access to Spectrum - Episode 17 of Unbuffered

Too Easy to Reach Orbit? - Episode 16 of Unbuffered

Chris and Doug Dawson unpack a new survey of rural Americans, the lawsuit over the Digital Equity Act, and what the FCC's latest satellite decisions could mean for the fu

The Plot to Hijack America’s Broadband - Episode 15 of Unbuffered

From America's 250th anniversary to BEAD and broadband policy, Chris, Sean, and Karl unpack some of the biggest stories shaping the telecommunications landscape ★ Suppo

Five Years of Tribal Broadband Bootcamps - Episode 14 of Unbuffered

The story behind the Tribal Broadband Bootcamps and the growing movement to build tribal networks across Indian Country ★ Support this podcast ★

What the Tech!?! SpaceX IPO Edition - Episode 13 of Unbuffered

Chris, Sean, Jordan, and Karl break down SpaceX IPO and Starlink, before Chris sits down with Jeff Gavlinski to preview this year’s Mountain Connect conference in Denver.

How NextLight Became the #1 Internet Service Provider in the Country - Episode 12 of Unbuffered

A conversation about Longmont's NextLight network, community broadband, affordability, and what it takes to build one of the most successful ISPs in the country ★ Suppo

DigitalC at 10,000 Subscribers - Episode 11 of Unbuffered

What does it take to build a sustainable model for closing the digital divide? How DigitalC grew to nearly 10,000 subscriber households ★ Support this podcast ★

Vermont’s Community Broadband Model, Starlink, and the Future of Search - Episode 10 of Unbuffered

What Vermont is getting right — and why Google’s AI search changes feel different ★ Support this podcast ★

The Digital Divide Is a Civil Rights Issue: The Fight for Digital Equity and the Battle Against Dark Money - Episode 9 of Unbuffered

A conversation about digital equity, dark money, and the fight over Internet access ★ Support this podcast ★

When Giant ISPs Get Bigger, State Commissions Fight Back - Episode 8 of Unbuffered

 In this episode of Unbuffered, Chris is joined by Ernesto Falcon, Program Manager of Communications and Broadband Policy with the Public Advocates Office for a conversat

More Than the Sum of the Parts - Episode 7 of Unbuffered

A conversation about AI policy, emergent systems, distributed knowledge, and why the things that are easiest to measure “might not be the right things to measure.” ★ Su