In this episode of the podcast, Chris is joined by Sarah Morris, Managing Director of Technology at Waxman Strategies and former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at NTIA.

Sarah offers an insider’s perspective on the BEAD program, reflecting on her time helping design and launch the $42.5 billion initiative to close the digital divide.

Together, they unpack the Trump administration’s recent push to steer more households toward satellite service, what it means for state-led broadband planning, and the risks of undermining Congress’s original vision for BEAD.

The conversation also dives into the importance of non-deployment funds, why state-driven processes matter, and how to keep accountability and community needs at the center of federal broadband policy.

This show is 41 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

Catch the latest episode of the Connect This! Show, with co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter joined by regular guests Kim McKinley (TAK Broadband) and Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) to talk about all the recent broadband news that's fit to print. Topics include:

• Starship launch success
• T-mobile buys USI Fiber in Minneapolis
• New BEAD numbers show a shifting of public dollars away from fiber and towards satellite
• AT&T buys Echostar spectrum; the 4th carrier is dead
• It's ISPs versus the music industry, with your privacy and connection on the chopping block

Join us live on September 5th at 2pm ET, or listen afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

Catch the latest episode of the Connect This! Show, with co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) joined by regular guests Kim McKinley (TAK Broadband) and Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and special guest Heather Mills (Tilson) to talk about the FCC giving out participation trophies to the monopoly providers, how state offices are responding to the BEAD guidance changes, disaster response and resilient Internet networks, and more. The full list of topics includes:

• Charter Spectrum calling deliberate fiber cuts "domestic terrorism"
• FCC Chair Brendan Carr further abdicating the commission's responsibility to the American people
• How states are responding to the Benefit of the Bargain BEAD changes
• FEMA's role in rebuilding our Internet networks
• California's affordable broadband bill getting pulled
• Whether T-Mobile has enough fiber to support its plan for the future

Join us live on July 24th at 2pm ET, or listen afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

In this Monday edition of the podcast, Chris sits down again with Evan Feinman, former BEAD Director at NTIA, to unpack the fallout from the Trump administration’s sweeping changes to the BEAD program.

Feinman calls out the decision to prioritize short-term cost savings over long-term infrastructure, arguing that these policy shifts will slow progress, drive up monthly bills, and ultimately leave rural communities behind.

From satellite subsidies to the sidelining of fiber, they explore why the new guidance undermines state-level planning, threatens broadband quality, and may betray the very voters it claims to help.

This show is 40 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

Catch an emergency episode of the Connect This! Show, with host Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) joined by Lori Adams (Nokia), Heather Mills (Tilson), and Blair Levin (Brookings) to talk about the raft of fundamental changes to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Act (BEAD) announced by NTIA last Friday. States are required to rebuild and resubmit their proposals to the federal agency on a 90-day sprint after making core changes just as money for construction was about to go out the door.

Join us live on June 9th at 4pm ET, or listen afterwards wherever you get your podcasts.

Email us at [email protected] with feedback and ideas for the show.

Subscribe to the show using this feed or find it on the Connect This! page, and watch on LinkedIn, on YouTube Live, on Facebook live, or below.

In this episode of the podcast, Chris talks with Josh Etheridge, Chief Strategic Officer of EPC—a broadband construction company based in Louisiana—about the real-world consequences of the federal government’s pause on BEAD funding. 

Josh breaks down how the delay has disrupted local businesses, sidelined workers, and stalled broadband expansion in some of the country’s most disconnected communities. 

From equipment sitting idle to families laid off, he lays out how uncertainty at the top is rippling down through the industry—and what’s at stake if BEAD doesn’t move forward soon.

This show is 36 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

In this episode of the podcast, Chris sits down again with Evan Feinman to reflect on the challenges and lessons learned from launching the country’s largest broadband infrastructure initiative.

Evan shares an insider perspective on what it took to design the BEAD program, why local decision-making and equity are essential, and how political shifts could jeopardize its success. 

From permitting to the risks of relying on satellite technology, this conversation unpacks the real stakes of connecting every American to high-quality Internet.

This show is 52 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license