Broadband Pulse

In this episode, we talked to two experts who are driving innovation and collaboration in the optical networking industry from the Optical Internetworking Forum:

Nathan Tracy, president of OIF

and

Jeff Hutchins, OIF Secretary/Treasurer & Physical and Link Layer (PLL) Working Group Energy Efficient Interfaces (EEI) Vice Chair (Ranovus)

We talked about OIF's activities during the OFC 2025 tradeshow and its efforts to drive new network collaboration and interoperability among a diverse group of industry players, the AI boom and network management platforms like CMIS.

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave+BTR Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at https://broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In this latest episode of the Broadband Pulse podcast, we speak with Terry Thorn, Vice President of Commercial Operations for Ayar Labs.

Ayar has been developing new optical I/O systems to accommodate new AI models, which are expected to grow exponentially. Optical I/O technology can enhance link density within and across nodes. Optical I/O enables nodes to connect at scale, unlike traditional interconnects, functioning as a single, giant GPU.

The company has been getting the attention of key investors, including Advent Global Opportunities, AMD, Intel Capital, Light Street Capital and NVIDIA.

In March, the company unveiled its Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express™ (UCIe™), an optical interconnect chiplet to maximize AI infrastructure performance and efficiency while reducing latency and power consumption.

During this podcast, we discussed how Ayar sees the next-gen optical I/O technologies space shaping up this year, funding, company developments, and the role of co-packaged optics.

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave+BTR Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at https://broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Broadband Pulse is tracking new broadband build-out developments in this new weekly news roundup series. 

We're tracking new builds from various providers, including Comcast, Fidium, Glo Fiber, Kinetic, Lyte Fiber, Metronet, Right Fiber and Surf Internet..

You can also read about these deployments in Lightwave+BTR's weekly Building Broadband feature on our website, www.lighwaveonline.com. 

In this episode of Lightwave+BTR's vshow daily podcast for Day Three of OFC 2025, we looked at the following key trends and news headlines: 

• Arelion sets sights on selling more services to businesses
• Quantifi Photonics’ CEO sees growth, culture synergies arising from Teradyne acquisition
• Optical CEOs say flexibility is key to navigating tariff battles
• Furukawa Electric rebrands its fiber cable business as Lightera
• Breakdown of OFC 2025 show statistics

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at https://broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In Lightwave+BTR's daily podcast for Day Three of OFC 2025, we tracked various trends and news from the show, including: 

Retym raises 180 million to drive AI Infrastructure Innovation

Ciena, HyperLight and McGill University trial 3.2 terabits, 448 Gigabits per lane IMDD 2km transmission

Open ROADM multi-source agreement members demonstrated an 800G pluggable ROADM link

CEOs agree that the optical industry is in the first innings of the AI game

Lightwave+BTR examines the marriage of AI and optical networking

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at https://broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In the first episode Lightwave+BTR's daily podcast for Day One of OFC 2025, we're breaking down the key announcements, presentations, and conversations at the San Francisco show.

Some of the highlights of the day included: 

Quantum takes center stage at OFC 2025

LPO MSA releases Linear Pluggable Optical Modules specification

OIF celebrates optical industry interoperability at OFC

Ethernet Alliance unites around Ethernet innovation and interoperability at OFC 2025

2025 Lightwave+BTR Innovation Reviews Honorees

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at https://broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In this latest episode of the Broadband Pulse podcast, we speak with Sev Sadura, VP of product management at Belden.

Belden has been going through a transition. The company, well-known in the optical and broadband arenas as a supplier of cabling and other infrastructure, has recently completed its acquisition of Precision Optical Technologies.

Precision brings several things into the Belden fold. For one, Belden can leverage Precision Optical Technologies’ optical transceiver capabilities to grow its solutions offerings in the Enterprise Solutions segment and broadband markets.

Also, Belden strengthens its broadband capabilities with Precision’s PON expertise. The combination of Belden fiber and network products with Precision’s capabilities will now feature enhanced PON components, positioning them more prominently in the fiber network. This enhancement will enable additional use cases and opportunities for MSOs, telcos, data centers, and enterprise customers.

Precision’s PON Extender for XGS-PON, an optical module designed for passive and low-noise extended PON links, received a 4.5 score on Lightwave+BTR’s 2025 Innovation Awards.  

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

Opening | 0.00

Host introduction of guests | 0:20

State of the broadband market| 1:21

The new presidential administration’s potential influence on broadband policy| 3:33

Broadband customers’ key concerns| 4:48

Fiber versus wireless broadband investments| 9:53

Labor and workforce challenges| 12:13

Final thoughts/Closing | 15:17

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at https://broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Dave Stehlin, CEO of TIA addresses new opportunities for broadband under the new presidential administration. 

Stehlin is a veteran of the telecommunications and broadband industry. Earlier in his career, he led two pioneering Ethernet startups: Ceterus Networks and later Overture Networks.

He was also a proud member of our country's service. Before coming into the networking industry, Dave was a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

Opening | 0.00

Host introduction of guests | 0:20

TIA’s activities and plans for 2025? | 1:01

The new presidential administration’s proposed tariff policies. | 2:50

The Rip and Replace program, which reimburses smaller telecom providers for replacing Huawei and ZTE equipment in their networks | 4:50

New proposals to accelerate the BEAD program | 6:30

Build America Buy America | 10:43

Ensuring security in broadband networks | 11:58

Financial and policy support for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) | 16:09

Final thoughts/Closing | 19:08

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at https://broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Broadband Pulse is tracking new broadband build-out developments in this new weekly news roundup series. 

We're tracking new builds from various providers, including BroadbandOne, eX² Technology, Fidium, GoNetspeed, HyperFiber, Intrepid Fiber, Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) and Vero Networks.

You can also read about these deployments in our Lightwave+BTR's weekly Building Broadband feature on our website at www.lighwaveonline.com. 

Broadband Pulse is tracking new broadband build-out developments in this new weekly news roundup series. 

We're tracking new builds from various providers, including Comcast, Fidium, ImOn Communications, Lumos, Nexstream, and Vero Fiber.

You can also read about these deployments in our weekly Building Broadband feature on our website at www.lighwaveonline.com. 

Broadband Pulse is tracking new broadband build-out developments in this new weekly news roundup series. 

We're tracking new builds from various providers, including: AT&T, Brightspeed, eX² Technology, Fidium, GoNetspeed, Metronet, PhireLink and Vero Fiber.

You can also read about these deployments in out weekly Building Broadband feature on our website at www.lighwaveonline.com. 

In this latest episode of Broadband Pulse, we talked to Stephen Douglas, Spirent’s Head of Market Strategy.

Spirent recently released its sixth annual 5G Outlook Report, based on analysis and takeaways from 415 new 5G engagements globally in 2024.

During the episode, Douglas talked about some findings from that study.

Clearfield, a fiber optic connectivity and management product designer, has made a name for itself, helping service providers reduce the high costs associated with a fiber optic network. The company has successfully tailored its products for rural and community-based broadband networks.

Like other companies, Clearfield continues to evolve. During this episode, we talked to Anis Khemakhem, who became the new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) in January. 

Anis took over the CMO position from telecom industry veteran Kevin Morgan, who is transitioning into another role at the company.

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

Opening | 0.00

Host introduction of guests | 0:20

Key priorities for 2025 | 1:03

Strengthening Clearfield’s market leadership | 3:27

Broadband labor challenges | 5:38

New Presidential Administration’s influence on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program | 8:56

Collaboration with former CMO Kevin Morgan on BEAD and community broadband messaging | 12:27

Final thoughts/Closing | 14:45

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics.

Alianza is looking to help traditional service providers abandon their traditional methods. The voice-centric service provider, which started serving regional operators, is gaining momentum with Tier 1 operators like Lumen. The service provider is leveraging Alianza’s cloud communications platform in its Cloud Communications offering.

By purchasing Metaswitch, a once dominant player in the Softswitch voice arena from Microsoft, Alianza will have a combined customer base of over 1,000 communications service providers, including 19 of the top 20 global operators, and a comprehensive portfolio of services focused on creating a path to cloud-orchestrated, AI-powered communications.   

During this episode, we talked to Dag Peak, the CTO of Alianza

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

Opening | 0.00

Host introduction of guests | 0:22

Alianza’s top priorities for 2025 | 1:00

Telcos’ service transition options | 4:00

AI’s impact on small businesses | 8:04

How the telecom industry’s five nines of reliability concept are killing innovation | 10:19

Microsoft, Cisco (and others) leaving the service provider business | 20:27

Hidden costs of operating and building networks | 22:32

Shifting to a SaaS-based service approach | 25:15

Final thoughts and wrap-up | 27:39

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics.

Rob Laudati, who joined Render Networks as vice president of product and partnerships in the fall of 2023, shared his perspective on his first year with the company and the broadband trends we will see in 2025.  

Laudati came to the Render role with extensive experience in executive products and partnerships in the geospatial and infrastructure domains. Before coming to Render, he served as Esri's global partner channel business. Earlier, he held product and technology leadership positions at GE, Autodesk, Trimble, and Synchronoss. 

Here’s a timeline of the conversation the Broadband Pulse had with Laudati.

Opening | 0:00

Host introduction of guest | 0:20

First year at Render | 0:56

Expectations for 2025? | 2:36

Anticipating BEAD pickup | 4:06

Render’s AI Blueprinting | 5:36

Digitizing broadband construction workflows | 8:39

Customer themes | 13:11

Broadband wireless and LEO satellite-based broadband | 18:27

New presidential administration influence|22:51

Final thoughts | 24:45

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics.

Since no two service providers are the same, nor should their DWDM solutions be, XKL has taken a consultative approach that considers every service provider's network expansion and upgrade needs and collaborates to design the ideal optical DWDM solution. The company has developed a “set and forget” DWDM solution. 

During this episode we talked to two key optical networking experts: 

Chad Lamb, Chief Systems Architect for XKL

And

Darren Yuet, Marketing Manager for XKL

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

Opening | 0.00

Host introduction of guests | 0.30

Disaggregated network hardware and management approaches | 0.57

Procuring equipment | 5:09

IP over DWDM market adoption | 6:08

Outsourcing network management | 9:17

Understanding Layer 1 Optical Network Environments | 11:13

Network design complexities | 12:31

Engaging with different service provider types | 16:05

Operational cost issues | 19:29

Final thoughts and wrap-up | 22:05

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics.

Seneca Mullins, President of AFL US Services, where he oversees six distinct service companies under the AFL umbrella. Seneca has been with AFL for 18 years, driving innovation and excellence across AFL’s diverse service lines.

AFL Wireless Services recently had a big win with Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders. We’ll talk about that during the podcast today as one of the key highlights of the division.

While our focus today is on AFL’s Wireless Services division—which includes OTS, DGP, and BEAM Wireless—it’s also worth noting that AFL US Services is also a premier provider of residential broadband internet installation services and is a technology solutions provider for carriers, internet services providers, major financial customers, and Hyperscalers across dozens of markets nationwide.

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

Opening | 0.00

Host introduction of guest | 0.27

Overview of AFL Wireless Services | 1:36

Challenges in the wireless landscape, particularly in large venues | 3:02

OTS, DGP, and BEAM Wireless capabilities | 4:49

Wireless technology evolutions | 7:39

Addressing the unique wireless deployment challenges of venues | 8:41

Future-proofing solutions | 10:07

Success stories | 10:54

Sports stadium momentum | 12:25

Future opportunities and challenges | 12:31

Private wireless networks | 13:26

AFL Wireless Services' differentiator | 14:18

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics.

FarrPoint in partnership with Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) and Connect Humanity, recently conducted a study that showed that improving broadband in Harlan County, Kentucky, could generate $71.5 million in economic benefits.

During this episode we talked to two key broadband and community advocacy experts: 

Colby Hall, Director at SOAR

and

Matthew Izatt-Lowry, senior economist for FarrPoint

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

Opening | 0.00

Host introduction of guests | 0:50

Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) and Connect Humanity broadband advocacy roles | 1:10 

The impact of improved digital connectivity |  5:50

How broadband connectivity attracts new businesses | 11:20

Broadband adoption | 15:46

Service providers' actions | 19:19

The role of public broadband funding | 21:49

Final thoughts/wrap up | 24:00

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics.

For this episode of the Broadband Pulse Podcast, Lightwave+BTR editor-in-chief Sean Buckley talked to Ed Fox, MetTel's Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He oversees MetTel’s broadband, data, and VoIP network infrastructure planning, deployment, and operations.

A 30-year telecom and networking veteran, Fox has broad experience managing massive organizational and customer growth at major telecommunications providers.

In addition to his duties at MetTel, Fox is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and a contributing author for the IDG influencer network.

One of MetTel’s latest moves was becoming an Authorized Starlink Reseller for government and commercial enterprises to extend its managed service suite to more locations. MetTel has also been an aggressive player in the burgeoning SD-WAN and SASE market segments.

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

Opening 0.00

Host introduction of guest | 0:21

MetTel’s key priorities for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025 | 0:45

Becoming an Authorized Starlink Reseller for both government and commercial enterprises. | 2:20

Using Starlink satellite connections as a primary/secondary business connection. | 5:19

MetTel’s Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) voice line replacement service. | 6:12

SD-WAN opportunities| 8:38

How being an early SD-WAN adopter is a differentiator. | 9:58

The growth of Ethernet and other access platforms for businesses. | 11:04

The role of automation. |12:12

Cybersecurity trends |15:04

Retaining a spot on the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services.| 16:41

Final thoughts | 19:03

About the Podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics.

For this episode of the Broadband Pulse Podcast, Lightwave+BTR editor-in-chief Sean Buckley talked to Jason Moore, CEO of Route This, a company focused on helping service providers and IoT/smart home brands deliver consistent Wi-Fi connectivity to their customers.

Jason Moore comes to the CEO role with over 10 years of experience in the networking industry, from silicon engineering to software development to SaaS sales. Before founding RouteThis, Moore was the CEO of a leading video platform in the early smart home market.

Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments:

Opening 0.00

Host introduction of guest | 0.22

RouteThis’ Wi-Fi focus | 0.40

The critical challenges to manage consumer Wi-Fi today | 1:50

RouteThis’ QoI Insights capability | 3:45

Service provider’s reception to RouteThis Qol Insights capability |6:34

Enhancing service provider broadband APRU | 8:17

Using real-time data to drive best practices and elevate support and customer satisfaction | 10:29

Process Maturation Models for Field Teams | 12:26

Final thoughts |13:39

About the podcast 
In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights on these topics from industry leaders.