In this episode of the podcast, Chris talks with Scott Goff of Gibson Connect, a subsidiary of Gibson Electric in Tennessee. 

They explore how the electric co-op’s long-standing community trust helped launch a successful fiber network, bringing reliable, affordable Internet to areas that had long been unserved or underserved. 

Scott shares stories of rural residents experiencing broadband for the first time, the challenges of state restrictions, and how Gibson Connect balances growth with a cooperative, member-first philosophy.

This show is 26 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, we spotlight Stringtown, Missouri— a rural community that now has fast, reliable Internet thanks to a powerful local partnership. 

Chris talks with Patty Boyers, President and CEO of BOYCOM, and Robbie Myers, Butler County’s Emergency Management Director, about the barriers they faced, the grant that made it possible, and how broadband is transforming everything from public safety and telehealth to economic development. 

This show is 37 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

This week on the podcast, Christopher is joined by Claudia Tarbell, Senior Engagement Manager for Tribal, Indigenous and First Nation Communities and Michael Weening, President and CEO, both from Calix. Claudia shares what it was like to transition from working at Mohawk Networks to becoming a part of Calix' community engagement team, and how she talks with Tribes about what it means to have ownership of and control over the network infrastructure in their communities. Michael joins the conversation to talk about Calix' philosophy of defining success in relation to the small providers and communities its platforms supports, including everything from democratizing high-quality advertising to pushing the frontiers of managed Wi-Fi.

This show is 23 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 here or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance here.

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