Fiber for Breakfast with Gary Bolton

With all 50 states now having approved BEAD Final Proposals, the program is moving from planning to execution—but the process is far from settled. Carol Mattey, former FCC official, broadband and policy expert, and principal of Mattey Consulting, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to examine what happens when selected providers withdraw, states need to adjust awards, and new unserved locations emerge. They’ll explore NTIA’s latest changes, the flexibility states have to redirect funding and select replacement providers, and what these evolving rules mean for broadband providers, state broadband offices and communities waiting for service.

With Special Guest: 

Carol Mattey, Founding Member and Principal, Mattey Consulting

Three decades after helping shape the vision for America’s broadband future, Blair Levin, (formerly FCC Chief of Staff (’93-97) and Executive Director of the 2010 National Broadband Plan) and with over two decades of advising institutional investors about telecommunications policy, joins Fiber for Breakfast for a candid look at how far the industry has come – and how far it still has to go. Joining Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, Levin will reflect on the evolution of broadband infrastructure, the lessons learned along the way, and the forces reshaping the industry today.

From fiber expansion and the challenges of connecting every community to the emergence of AI, hyperscalers, low-earth orbit satellites (LEOs), and next-generation networks, this conversation will explore what has changed, what hasn’t, and what the industry must do next to build the connectivity America will need for the future.

What happens when major broadband grants wind down? Revati Prasad, Executive Director of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to explore the future role of state broadband offices and the challenges of sustaining capacity for mapping, oversight, affordability and digital opportunity. Drawing on additional research with State Broadband Officers, Revati will also share findings from Benton’s ISP focus groups examining the practical barriers to deployment—including permitting, workforce, supply chain and state-provider coordination—and the solutions that can accelerate broadband buildout while maintaining accountability and consumer protections.

With Special Guest: 

Revati Prasad, Executive Director of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

When Jordan Arnold became Director of the Washington State Broadband Office in January 2026, the state was on the cusp of a major broadband milestone. Just weeks later, Washington received federal approval for its final BEAD proposal, unlocking more than $1 billion in investment for broadband expansion. Now, almost nine months into her role, Jordan joins Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to discuss how Washington’s broadband strategy is taking shape and what this early implementation phase is revealing.

From moving BEAD from approval to implementation to addressing the realities of deploying resilient networks in a state increasingly impacted by wildfires and other natural disasters, Jordan will share the challenges, solutions, and lessons emerging along the way. How can Washington build networks that not only connect communities, but keep them connected when they need communications most?

With Special Guest:

Jordan Arnold, Washington State Broadband Director

In this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, sits down with Gaurav Juneja, CEO of Fidium, to discuss the company’s next phase as a fiber-first operator. With a network spanning more than 76,000 fiber route miles, Juneja shares how Fidium is accelerating expansion, enhancing customer experience, and leveraging new capital strategies to scale. The conversation also explores Fidium’s push into wholesale and data center connectivity, its rural market advantage, and what these moves signal for the telecom landscape as competition intensifies and fiber investment surges.

With Special Guest:

Gaurav Juneja, CEO, Fidium