Broadband Pulse

In this new Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked with Matt Langman, SVP and general manager of infrastructure solutions at Phononic. About the PodcastIn the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Whether the focus is on enhancing a network foothold in additional markets, expanding an existing product line, or refocusing on serving a market segment such as fiber-based broadband, vendors and service providers actively pursued new M&A deals to meet these goals. PwC noted in its Media and telecommunications: US Deals 2026 outlook that in the second half of 2025, M&A activity “saw a marked uptick” that was “driven by more favorable financing conditions, strategic portfolio realignments, and a rejuvenated investor appetite for premium intellectual property.” In 2025, AT&T, Charter, and Verizon announced three large deals. AT&T reached a deal to acquire Lumen’s consumer fiber assets, while Verizon acquired Frontier, and Charter is working to complete its merger with Cox Communications. By acquiring Lumen’s mass-market fiber business for $5.75 billion, covering about 1 million existing and 7 million planned locations, AT&T puts itself on a path to reach to reach 60M fiber locations by 2030. Likewise, Verizon’s acquisition of Frontier enables it to scale its fiber reach and create new converged service capabilities. Finally, Charter’s pending deal with Cox will create a larger provider with 69.5 million locations passed (57.2 million for Charter and 12.3 million for Cox). In this new Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to Daniel Hays, principal, Consulting Solutions at PwC about the telecom M&A landscape. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. 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 www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Since it was founded in 1998, LightRiver has made a name for itself in its ability to consult, commission, automate, and optimize multi-vendor, multi-generational and software-controlled networks. One of the company’s recent highlights is its Prism software product. Prism simplifies the complexities of multi-vendor, multi-generation networks, empowering stakeholders to streamline operations and make informed decisions for future success. LightRiver won a 2026 Lightwave Innovation Review award for its Prism product, a customizable, user-friendly application for optimizing multi-vendor, multi-generation fiber optic networks. One of Lightwave's Innovation Reviews judges said the platform could be beneficial in fiber-starved scenarios.” In this latest Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to two industry veterans about how to help service providers be proactive in managing their diverse networks: · Jim Brinksma, senior vice president of software solutions at white Light River · Marcelo McAndrew, VP of Software Product Management at LightRiver Key moments in this episode 0.00 Opening 0:03 Introduction of the guests 0:57 PacketLight’s multi-layer network approachHow PacketLight’s Prism software platform focuses on multi-vendor, multi-generation, and multi-layer networks. 1:42 Collecting network dataPrism can make the data it collects actionable, helping businesses save money, drive revenue, and reduce time to market. 2:47 Prism’s spectrum optimization featureLightRiver’s spectrum optimization helps service providers better utilize their resources today and in the future. 4:39 Prism’s spectrum capacity search This feature allows providers to visualize the optical spectrum and optimize it to maximize performance in an existing network. 5:36 Managing M&A How Prism can pull information from different APIs across network platforms and aggregate them into a single platform. 9:19 The quantum computing opportunity LightRiver sees 2026 as the year when the quantum opportunity starts to ramp. 11:18 Final Thoughts/ClosingJim Brinksma and Marcelo McAndrew share final thoughts and expectations for the OFC 2026 trade show with the Broadband Pulse. Meet our guests Jim Brinksma, senior vice president of software solutions at white Light RiverJim Brinksma has over 20 years of software experience spanning the Department of Defense (DoD), SaaS start-ups and operators, financial services, and telecommunications. In this role, he is responsible for driving the global expansion of LightRiver’s software automation and productivity solutions portfolio. Jim’s previous roles include Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Megaport, co-founder and CTO of InnovoEdge (acquired by Megaport), VP of Strategy and Business Development at Ciena BluePlanet, VP of Sales Engineering and Customer Operations at Ciena, VP of Network Products and Strategy at Goldman Sachs, and seven years of service in the United States Navy. Jim’s doctorate is from the University of Maryland. He also completed the Strategy and Innovation Program at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, the Non-Profit Board Leadership Program at Harvard Business School, and is a National Association of Corporate Directors’ Board Leadership Fellow. And Marcelo McAndrew, VP of Software Product Management at LightRiverMarcelo has eight years of leading software teams to develop the next generation of products and services, spanning cybersecurity, blockchain, CDN, mobile & web applications, SaaS platforms, esports, multi-cloud, edge computing and more. Currently the VP of Product Management for Software Solutions at LightRiver, he is responsible for driving innovation, delivering next-generation products & services, developing strategic relationships with vendors, partners, research & development organizations, and achieving financial results. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries

In the third and final episode of the OFC 2026 show daily podcast, we're tracking key trends during the show. During the third day, we looked at various issues, including: Improving research workflows AI’s role in the optical network Corning’s new fiber, cable and connectivity solutions Legrand’s Chroma Link fiber cabling solution Semtech’s new copper and fiber data center innovations OFC’s plenary sessions Lightwave’s OFC 2026 coverage page Tune in each day during OFC 2026 for more insights on the optical industry's key trade show. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In the first episode of the OFC 2026 show daily podcast, we're tracking key trends during the show. During the first day, we looked at various issues, including: OIF and Ethernet Alliance's interoperability efforts The new Optical Scale-up Consortium Optica's Optica Executive Forum Celebrating the 2026 Lightwave Innovation Reviews Honorees Tune in each day during OFC 2026 for more insights on the optical industry's key trade show. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. 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 www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Upstream traffic on DOCSIS and fiber-based broadband networks continues to rise. The OpenVault Broadband Insights (OVBI) fourth quarter report revealed that investments in higher-speed upstream network plant can pay dividends for fiber and DOCSIS broadband providers. One of the key findings in OVBI’s fourth quarter report was that fiber broadband users consumed more upstream bandwidth than those on a DOCSIS network. As a first-ever point-in-time comparison of fiber vs. DOCSIS subscribers in a selected broadband system, OVBI reports that subscribers on a fiber network with symmetrical 677 Mbps speeds consumed 93.0 GB of upstream bandwidth. Fiber usage was 66% higher than the 56.0 GB used by subscribers on the same system’s DOCSIS networks, which were provisioned at an average upstream speed of 17.3 Mbps. The report noted that the “fiber comparison suggests that latent upstream demand already exists on DOCSIS networks and is likely to be activated as performance barriers are removed – resulting in rapid scaling of upstream consumption that further shifts.” Overall, OVBI found that upstream usage continued to outpace all other metrics in 2025. The year-end average of 55.86 across fiber and DOCSIS platforms represented a 21.7% year-over-year increase over the 45.9 record in 2024 and a 16.4% increase over 3Q25’s 47.98 GB. In this podcast, The Broadband Pulse caught up with OpenVault CEO and founder Mark Trudeau about how broadband providers are seeing new upstream traffic growth. Key moments in this episode 0.00 Opening 0:03 Introduction of the guest 0:30 State of the broadband marketTrudeau notes how it emphasizes solutions that help broadband providers operate networks optimally. 1:32 OVBI’s Q4 report findingsHow upstream bandwidth is outpacing downstream growth. 3:10 Upstream usage drivers A host of factors, including content creation, gaming, teleworking, and AI, are driving a rise in upstream traffic. 4:15 Fiber and DOCSIS While fiber can offer symmetrical services immediately, cable needs to upgrade the upstream DOCSIS path to overcome capacity constraints. 6:0 DOCSIS upstream weaponsCable operators are leveraging split architectures, expanding spectrum and profile management to enhance upstream on their DOCSIS networks. 9:00 Cable’s fiber driveCable operators, particularly large ones, are deploying last-mile fiber on a case-by-case basis. 10:20 Network stress OVBI examines how steady percentage growth figures can mask progressively larger traffic volumes that place increased stress on provider networks. 11:34 Broadband usage patternsHow OVBI measures monthly average usage, average downstream usage, and medium usage. 14:23 Final Thoughts/Closing Mark Trudeau provides the Broadband Pulse with his final thoughts about OVBI’s latest broadband report. Meet our guest Mark Trudeau, founder and CEO of OpenVaultAs a self-proclaimed data geek, Mark is passionate about leveraging data to develop technologies that improve the world. Specifically, he has been instrumental in providing broadband operators with market data to anticipate residential and business broadband trends as well as tools that help service providers optimize network performance, increase revenue, and improve subscriber satisfaction. Growth has been a part of OpenVault’s story. In just the last two years, Trudeau has grown the company through the pandemic, including launching OVBI, an industry-renowned quarterly data report; securing strategic investment from key customers; acquiring a world-class research and development team; and being named twice among the industry’s Top 100 Power Players by Cablefax. Before founding OpenVault, Trudeau led numerous technology companies through tremendous growth, achieving success for customers and investors. Trudeau served as CEO of Ventraq, a private-equity-backed provider of software-based analytics solutions to the global telecom industry. He also helped to launch and build the wireless b

ATIS is addressing the challenge of open-access fiber networks with its recent debut of the Open Access Network Forum (OANF), a group focused on leveraging real-world deployments and helping the market scale through common APIs and implementation guidance. Led by industry experts from AT&T and COS Systems, the forum promotes scalable, practical solutions for open-access fiber deployment. OANF serves as a collaborative forum for ISPs, open-access infrastructure providers, and technology partners to align on the principles, architectures, and operating models needed to scale open-access fiber in North America. In this latest Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to three members of ATIS about the OANF initiative: Susan Miller, CEO of ATIS Scott Baker, the chair of ATIS' OANF and Corporate ServiceNow Platform Architecture at AT&T Technology Services Sajan Parikh, Vice Chair of ATIS' OANF and the CTO of COS Systems About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts or broadbandpulse.podbean.com/ to stay on top of the latest episodes.

Marvell has put itself squarely in the AI race by refocusing its efforts on developing data center products and solutions. One of those key areas is co-packaged optics (CPO). Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) integrates optical components (lasers, photodetectors) directly with electrical processing chips (ASICs) in the same package, overcoming limitations of traditional pluggable modules by drastically shortening signal paths. Having divested other assets, including its automotive business, Marvell is positioning itself in the data center industry. The company made two key acquisitions in 2025 to bolster its data center capabilities: Celestial AI and XConn Technologies. Celestial AI’s Photonic Fabric technology platform enables optical I/O for package-, system-, and rack-level connectivity in data center infrastructure. Marvell’s acquisition of XConn broadens its data center switching portfolio with PCIe and CXL products, supporting next-generation AI and cloud infrastructure. Earlier in the year, it debuted a custom AI accelerator (XPU) architecture with integrated co-packaged optics (CPO) technology. In this new podcast, we talked to Rishi Chugh, Vice President and General Manager, Data Center Switch Business Unit, with Marvell. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0:00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Marvell's push into the data center market | 0:35Chugh addresses how Marvell has deep roots in the switching and connectivity side of the industry. The co-packaged optics CPO opportunity | 2:22How CPO has become a natural progression for Marvell. CPO’s influence on power | 5:24Addressing how CPO can achieve greater efficiency. Data center scale-up | 6:47The role of scale-up systems in the development of CPO and other technologies. CPO skill sets | 8:33CPO’s success will require a range of skill sets, power delivery, cooling, cable management, connectors, and optics working in concert. Complementing CPO | 10:40How scale-up technologies and CPO will work in tandem with switching technologies and Network Interface Cards (NICs) in scale-up scenarios. Final thoughts/closing | 13:04Rishi Chugh shares his final thoughts about how Marvell is collaborating with equipment manufacturers, interconnect companies and fiber manufacturers to ensure that there’s an infrastructure for delivering a successful CPO-based system. About our guestRishi Chugh currently serves as Vice President and General Manager of the Data Center Switch Business Unit at Marvell. Before joining Marvell, he served as Vice President of Product Marketing at Cadence Design Systems and Senior Director of Product Marketing at Cavium, Inc., with a focus on ARM Server CPUs. His career also includes significant roles at Broadcom, Altera, and LSI Logic Corporation, where Rishi contributed to product strategy, market analysis, and product lifecycle management in the networking and semiconductor industries. He holds an MBA in Marketing from Santa Clara University, an MS in Electrical Engineering with a focus on VLSI Design from San Jose State University, and an undergraduate degree in Electronics from Thadomal Shahani Engineering College. In this new podcast, we talked to Rishi Chugh, VP and General Manager of Data Sense Data Center Switch Business Unit with Marvell. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. 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 broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

When the FCC cut E-Rate funding for mobile hotspots & school bus Wi-Fi in September 2025, it threatened internet access for millions of students – hitting low-income and rural students hardest and worsening the digital divide. Nearly 20K schools & libraries were counting on more than $27.5 million to ensure children and families stay connected, but now they’ve been left out to dry. But Mission Telecom is serving up a solution to protect affordable Wi-Fi access with a new offer to cover the loss of the revoked E-rate subsidies. The service provider is offering unlimited 4G/5G service at any applicant’s post-discount share of cost on their 471 through June 30, 2026. The new offer builds on Mission Telecom’s Mission-Connect, launched in July, which helped schools and libraries stay connected amidst E-rate uncertainty. Mission-Connect plan delivers affordable, unlimited wireless broadband to schools and libraries with pricing up to 65% below market rates and no contracts. In this new Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked with Mark Colwell, director of broadband operations at Mission Telecom, about how its new offer will make schools and library budgets whole after the E-Rate cuts. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0:00 Host introduction of guests |0:03 Mission Telecom’s background | 0:20How Mission Telecom began its life providing educational TV using MMDS spectrum, and later leased spectrum to the broadband wireless operator Clearwire, now T-Mobile. FCC’s E-Rate eligibility| 2:04Mission Telecom is providing an alternative service to schools and libraries for Wi-Fi on buses and wireless hotspots, which was cut from the E-Rate program. Mission’s Wi-Fi program | 3:56Mission’s broadband program now has over 120 partners (schools and libraries). Schools and libraries benefiting from Mission’s program| 5:15Littleton Public Schools (Colorado), Baltimore Public Library, York County Library (Charlotte, NC) and Boston Public Library are all trialing or using Mission’s wireless services. Mission Telecom’s Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) partnership | 6:20Advocating for libraries as a key piece in solving the digital divide. Rural communities | 8:02Mission is helping rural communities through its partnership with T-Mobile, whose low-band spectrum and 5G coverage is a good fit for smaller communities. Computers 4 People partnership | 9:33How Mission Telecom works with various non-profit organizations that refurbish devices. Looking towards 2026 and final thoughts | 10:49Colwell shares how Mission Telecom is gaining traction in the school and library space and how communities are seeking affordability and a way to support their communities. Meet our guest:Mark Colwell is the Interim Executive Director and the Director of Broadband Operations. Before joining Mission Telecom, Mark served as the Senior Manager of Broadband Programs for the Colorado Broadband Office, where he managed a team overseeing federal broadband grant programs, including the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) and the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. In addition, Mark was appointed by Governor Polis to serve on the Colorado Broadband Deployment Board, funding state and federal grants to connect unserved and underserved Coloradans. Colwell began his career as a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. Congress, focusing on telecommunications, spectrum, rural broadband, and IT issues. He also worked as a Senior Business Operations Analyst at DISH Network, managing projects focused on delivering world-class customer experience. Mark earned a master's degree from the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program at the University of Colorado-Boulder, graduating at the top of his class. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our web

In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from various providers. Today, we’re breaking the summary into two parts—highlighting builds for the weeks ending January 16 and January 9. For the week of January 16, we’re tracking deployments from Comcast, Dobson Fiber, Glo Fiber, Spectrum, STELLAR Broadband and Ziply Fiber. Then, for the week of January 8, we tracked deployments from Burlington Telecom, Comcast, Fybe, GoNetspeed, Ripple Fiber and Spectrum. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. 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 www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In this Building Broadband episode of Broadband Pulse, we're tracking new broadband deployments from Comcast, Digital C, Intrepid Fiber Networks, Optimum, Shentel, STELLAR Broadband, and Wyyered Fiber. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. 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 www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Founded in 2023 in Houston, Texas, by Carter Old and SDC Capital Partners, Lyte Fiber focuses on delivering fiber-based broadband in Texas and beyond. Old, a former US Navy officer, has extensive experience in developing new approaches to broadband delivery and financial expertise across various industry segments. Lyte Fiber is not Old's first fiber rodeo. Before co-founding Lyte Fiber, he co-founded Tachus, which fellow fiber broadband provider Ezee Fiber recently acquired. Lyte offers both residential and business internet service plans supported by an XGS-PON access network capable of delivering up to 10 Gbps. Today, Lyte Fiber serves nine Texas communities and plans to expand further in the coming year. Old acknowledged that while the fiber broadband industry is “really competitive,” there’s a big opportunity to address underserved communities with fiber-based broadband services. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0.00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Founding Lyte Fiber | 0:18Old discusses how he worked with SDC Capital to form his latest startup. Network expansion | 3:13How Lyte Fiber has prioritized fiber builds in underserved communities. Engaging with communities | 5:35Lyte Fiber focuses on leading first with building long-term relationships. Fiber’s community impact | 8:02How the presence of fiber-based broadband makes a community more attractive for existing and new residents. Underserved communities | 11:43Old addresses the challenges of bringing fiber to underserved communities. Community permitting | 13:12As it moves to get fiber lit in 15 markets, permitting is an all-hands-on-deck effort. Navigating the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) Program | 15:11The state of Texas recently awarded Lyte Fiber $142 million to connect seven communities. The broadband M&A wave |18:41Lyte Fiber is actively evaluating potential opportunities. Broadband competition | 20:22Within Lyte Fiber’s markets, the provider mainly faces competition from cable operators. Final thoughts/closing | 23:17Looking ahead, Lyte Fiber will focus on scaling, delivering solid customer service, ensuring network reliability, and addressing each community’s needs. About our guest Carter Old is Founder and CEO of Lyte Fiber, LLC, a Texas-based fiber broadband internet company formed in partnership with SDC Capital Partners. Before he founded Lyte, Carter co-founded Tachus, LLC, a Houston-based fiber broadband internet company that he helped build and grow to nearly 160 employees, 70,000+ passed homes, and 20,000+ customers in three and a half years. Under his leadership, Tachus raised over $190 million in total debt and equity capital. While at Tachus, he and his business partner were named finalists for the 2022 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Central South Awards. In addition to his fiber broadband experience, Old was the co-founder of OmniEarth, an Earth intelligence and analytics company based in Arlington, VA. He also worked at Fieldstone Partners, where he served as Senior Vice President and COO and co-led Fieldstone’s space and ground infrastructure business areas. Earlier, Old served on active duty for four years as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy. He was initially the First Lieutenant and then the Naval Infantry Officer for USS BULKELEY (DDG 84) on his first tour, and then the Operations Officer for MCM CREW LEADER on his second tour. He attended the University of Texas at Austin on a Navy ROTC scholarship and graduated with a B.A. in Government. He also has an M.B.A. from UT-Austin. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. 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 www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Arelion enhances its European reach while carving out a position in the ever-evolving enterprise services market. As chief evangelist at Arelion, Mattias Fridström is passionate about networking. A nearly 30-year veteran of the service provider, Fridström not only has insights into the networked economy but also into the challenges network providers will face tomorrow in meeting ever-increasing traffic demand and customer quality expectations within the same cost framework. However, his passion is not limited to networks: he has played golf professionally and competed at the national level in football and in in-line hockey (the Swedish name for floorball). Arelion has continued to evolve since it began building its network in 1993, when its Autonomous System (AS) 1299 was allocated. The provider has continued to grow organically ever since. The service provider’s network now stretches 77,000 km across Europe, North America, and Asia. Customers connect directly to over 2,900 wholesale customers in more than 129 countries. Also, Arelion has over 450 local access partners worldwide. In 2025, the service provider took a significant step to enhance its European network reach by expanding its Baltic network, constructing a fully diverse, high-capacity route between Helsinki and Warsaw. And while Arelion is a well-known wholesale carrier, earlier this year it began to expand into the enterprise services market. Arelion continues to succeed in selling its products to businesses directly and via agents. In this podcast, we spoke with Fridström about the service provider’s ongoing network expansion and its move to establish a stronger brand foothold in the enterprise services market. Here's a timeline of the interview's key moments: Opening | 0.00 Host introduction of guests | 0:03 Arelion’s recent Baltic to Western Europe network route | 0:27This new network is built to bypass traditionally congested routes, providing resilience for carrier and enterprise customers. The EU's Connecting Europe Facility 2 (CEF2) program | 2:07How Arelion is leveraging CEF2 funding to modernize transport networks in underserved areas of Europe, like the Baltics. Arelion’s European network plans | 3:27Fridström explains how the Baltic expansion fits into the broader European connectivity trends. Arelion’s network redundancy approaches | 4:22How Arelion’s customers value having multiple network paths to data centers and other critical locations. Approaching data center opportunities | 5:31Arelion works to provide the best path for extending fiber to new data centers. Local and regional data centers | 7:03 How new data centers drive Arelion’s network expansion plans. Arelion’s broad network reach | 8:20The service provider’s network can accommodate customers with global reach needs. Serving enterprise customers | 9:23How Arelion can apply its wholesale service experience to meet business customer needs. Establishing an enterprise services brand |10:55Arelion is working to show enterprises that it is a viable provider. The role of Network as a Service (NaaS) | 12:51While Arelion's view of NaaS is excellent, it faces several challenges. AI’s influence | 14:32How AI-driven traffic influences Arelion’s network planning process. Looking forward to 2026 |16:36Arelion sets its course for carrier and enterprise service opportunities. Final thoughts and closing |18:32Besides anticipating additional traffic growth, Fridström sees potential upside in the enterprise services market. About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. 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 www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.