Buffering

This week on Buffering, Gabe and Zack are joined by Frank Ploumen, SVP of Product Line Leadership at Calix, to unpack a growing risk in today’s AI race: “AI orphans.” As service providers accelerate experimentation, many are deploying isolated AI solutions that deliver short term wins but fail to scale, integrate, or sustain long term value. Frank shares why this pattern is emerging, how it mirrors past technology cycles like IoT, and what it means for the future of telecom.Join Frank, Gabe, and Zack as they explore how providers can move beyond fragmented point solutions toward cohesive, end to end AI strategies. From orchestration and governance to seamless customer experiences and click to buy journeys, this episode breaks down what it takes to design AI that actually drives business outcomes and avoids becoming tomorrow’s technical debt.

This week on Buffering, we are talking about Amazon making their boldest move yet in the connectivity space with a $12 billion acquisition of Globalstar, and why communication service providers need to pay attention. Join Zack and Gabe as we discuss the “good enough” experience that’s winning over subscribers, the ease-of-purchase advantage tech giants have, and more as we explore why competing on specs alone is a losing game, and how CSPs can take action today to protect their markets and grow customer loyalty.

This week on Buffering, Gabe and Zack dive into the critical difference between using AI and actually building with it—and why that distinction is about to define the next generation of high performers. From breaking down why clicking “accept” on a co-pilot suggestion isn’t real AI fluency to sharing real examples of tools they’ve built in hours (instead of paying thousands), they explore how context, curiosity, and a willingness to experiment separate those who will accelerate in their careers from those who will plateau.Along the way, they unpack the evolving AI landscape—from why apps like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini still dominate, to how “AI expert” is becoming the next overused resume buzzword (just like “Excel expert”). They also share practical, real-world examples across marketing, sales, and operations, plus a simple call to action: start small, build something repeatable, and make your work visible. Because in this new era, it’s not about asking better prompts—it’s about turning ideas into working tools.

Are you referring to your service tiers as segmentation? This week on Buffering, we are breaking down why generic marketing and segmentation is killing growth, and how AI can connect siloed data sources with behavioral data to actually move the needle. Join Zack and Gabe as we talk through a challenge to run this week, on how to think about subscribers based on their situation, not their services.

This week on Buffering, we are exploring how marketing has entered it’s post-experimental AI era and how the true winners of 2026 are no longer prompt engineers, but system architects. Join Zack and Gabe as we discuss how the early-AI advantage is fading as true differentiation now comes from designing intelligent, integrated ecosystems that turn insight into action in real time.

What happens when Broadband Providers can’t compete on speed or technology, when everyone sells the same plans? This week on Buffering, we are joined by Anthony Bortolotto, Managing Director of Infinite Networks to explore what competition looks like inside Australia’s open-access broadband market.Join Anthony, Gabe, and Zack as we share lessons from Australia, where hundreds of providers share the same plans, and how BSPs can avoid becoming a commodity with real-world differentiation.

This week on Buffering, we are exploring how AI is transforming, not replacing, the broadband workforce by reshaping roles from the front lines to the back office. Join Zack and Gabe as we break down how AI can be used as a tool to elevate your organization, allowing humans to focus on empathy and meaningful moments with customers, all in a world where the broadband pipe is a commodity, and your people, are your ultimate differentiator.

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Jeff Johnston, Lead Economist at CoBank, to explore the seismic shifts happening across rural America as AI, data centers, and broadband innovation collide. Join Jeff, Gabe, and Zack as we discuss the rise of edge computing and trends reshaping digital infrastructure.

This week on Buffering, we are welcoming back John Durocher, Chief Operations Officer at Calix to break down the moments that defined broadband in 2025, and the expectations shaping the industry in 2026. Join John, Gabe, and Zack as we unpack what’s changed, why it matters, and how customer experience is being redefined in 2026, and what local providers can do to prepare for what’s coming next.

This week on Buffering, we are exploring how brands can strategically recover (and avoid) the discount trap, as well as the psychological forces at play as consumers shift from deal hunting to genuine brand connections. Join Zack and Gabe as we break down why constant price cuts erode brand value and how deep discounts attract transactional shoppers instead of loyal fans.

In this Ping, we are looking to the western sky to ask: “Is your broadband business good, or Wicked?”. Join Zack and Christina as we draw on lessons from Wicked, and explore the two paths facing every service provider, while unmasking the industry’s “Wizard”, and the importance of delivering a trusted subscriber experience as a Broadband Experience Provider.

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Steve Mammone, President and Co-Founder of getfused to discuss how companies can innovate online, and how AI is reshaping the future of digital sales.Join Zack, Gabe and Steve as we dive deep into the world of e-commerce, with Steve sharing his unique journey from a non-traditional marketing background to founding a leading creative agency, and how companies can build online experiences, with the power of iteration and innovation.

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Drew Beverage from 360 Broadband to explore the journey from dial-up internet to cutting-edge AI integrations. Join Zack, Gabe, and Drew as we discuss how 360 Broadband is using AI to transform customer experience and internal operations, as well as the future of personalization at scale in sales and support.