Beyond the Cable with Brad Randall

Smart security systems that protect residential communities are features that should be accessible to residents of all income brackets, according to Sandy Jack, Assa Abloy's VP of strategic relations.
Jack made the comments during her recent spot on Beyond the Cable with Brad Randall, a Broadband Communities podcast.
"I think that the people that are most underserved, which would be the working force, workforce housing, student housing, those are the folks that really need it more," she said.
Nowadays, peace of mind like that offered by Vingcard, an electronic lock and safety security system solution offered under Assa Abloy's umbrella, is essential to ensure happy and safe living environments in hotels and multifamily properties, Jack says.
"When you think about the night nurse that comes home at 3 in the morning, can we make sure that she is safe and secure?" Jack asked. "The police officer that has to go out to our neighborhoods but leave their family alone, how are they safe and secure?"

Beyond the Cable takes a sneak peek at the agenda for Connected America 2026, which opens next month with a packed two-day program in Texas.
Sessions on both days, which reviewed in full on Connected America's website, will highlight a number of topics, including the practical barriers facing deployments: supply chain and labor constraints, regulatory compliance, and the challenge of turning infrastructure into adoption.

Maz Khan, the president of Vitalis Smart Communities, says the term smart community is thrown around too loosely nowadays.
"Somebody puts up a Nest thermostat and some sort of smart lock and all of a sudden it's a smart community," he said, while appearing on Beyond the Cable as a recent guest. "Well, that's not it."
Khan said he believes connectivity is the foundation of any smart community.
"You can put all the gadgets you want," he said, "but if you don't have a network that can support it, all you've done is just frustrate the residents and the tenants who are living in that building or community."
Khan said a truly smart community is one where systems and solutions work together in full integration to make the lives of residents easier.
Similarly, he said AI offers lots of potential to enhance the smart community model. He argued, however, that without the foundation of solid connectivity communities will miss out on the benefits of AI.
"I want to look at connectivity as a basis and then build the layers on top," he said.

Connectivity is a key part of decision making when renters are considering where to live, according to Elizabeth Parks, the president and CMO of Parks Associates.
Parks joined Ilan Eframian, a VP from Xfinity Communities, on Beyond the Cable to discuss some of the insights revealed in recent research by Parks Associates, which closely studies the broadband and multifamily markets.

Requirements asking providers to submit written statements pledging not to take additional subsidies to complete and operate BEAD projects have had a chilling effect, according to Bree Maki, the director of Minnesota's office of broadband development.
Maki made the comments in her recent appearance on Beyond the Cable, a Broadband Communities podcast.
She said providers using subsidies from the Universal Service Fund have been most hesitant to participate in the government's $42.45 billion broadband spend, known as the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
"There's just a level of uncertainty," she said, referencing the announcement from Arielle Roth last November directing states to obtain the written statements.