Rephonic
Artwork for Unbuffered
Starlink
Community Broadband
Broadband Access
Digital Equity
Digital Divide
Broadband
Rural Broadband
NTIA
Municipal Broadband
Affordable Connectivity Program
Digital Equity Act
Broadband Connectivity
FCC
Telecommunications
Universal Service Fund
CBRS
AT&T
Fiber Optics
Internet Access
Internet Service Providers

Unbuffered explores Internet access, digital equity, and local technology solutions, but with a broader lens on how tech shapes our lives, our communities, and our sense of agency. We make technology and technology makes us.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes712Founded13 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsSocial SciencesTech NewsScience

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Artwork for Unbuffered

Latest Episodes

A conversation about AI policy, emergent systems, distributed knowledge, and why the things that are easiest to measure “might not be the right things to measure.”

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BEAD delays, LEO satellites, permitting, affordability, and why mobile networks may be getting worse

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A conversation about how we organize networks—and who they serve

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An important conversation around what happened when federal agents came to Minnesota—and how communities responded

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Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Recent Guests

Karl Bodie
Industry writer and commentator on the Internet and policy
Various writings on Internet policy
Episode: Is the Internet Still a Public Good? - Episode 1 of Unbuffered
Doug Dawson
Creator and longtime commentator on fiber policy; expert on broadband economics
Dawson Investments / CCG (as discussed)
Episode: Reading the Signals: What Broadband Policy Shifts Mean on the Ground - Episode 680 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Karl Bode
Journalist and writer focusing on broadband, media, and telecom policy
Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) / independent journalist
Episode: Government Power, Media Empires, and the Fight for an Informed Public - Episode 679 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Jason Mittler
FPUA Net manager
Fort Pierce Utilities Authority
Episode: Fort Pierce, Two Years Later: Fiber, Smart City, and Steady Growth - Episode 677 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Brendan Kelly
Founder of REVinternet
REVinternet
Episode: Serving the Overlooked: Building Broadband for Manufactured Housing Communities - Episode 674 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
David Kulp
Broadband activist in the Berkshires, manager of a municipal light plant
Episode: The Berkshires Broadband Movement: How 19 Small Towns Built Their Own Fiber Future - Episode 668 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Carl Bodi
Regular writer for communitynetworks.org
communitynetworks.org
Episode: Follow the Money: Comcast, Starlink, and the BEAD Backslide - Episode 664 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Sean Gonsolves
Associate Director for Communications at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Episode: Follow the Money: Comcast, Starlink, and the BEAD Backslide - Episode 664 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Mike Masnick
CEO and founder of Techdirt
Techdirt
Episode: Don’t Break the Internet - Episode 662 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

Host

Christopher Mitchell
Community broadband advocate and researcher; affiliated with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 35 ratings
  • Internet industry experts, unbuffered

    If you want to stay informed about how government and industry affects local access to digital opportunities and resources, you’ve found the right podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Crgreene73
    United Statesa month ago
  • Warm duck shuffle

    Christopher out there putting in work. Best tech podcast hands down. Thank y’all!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Reflectomatron 9000
    United States5 years ago
  • MuniBroadband Bits Rocks!

    Always topical, always exciting, always fresh and fast-paced!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DrewClark
    United States8 years ago
  • Fantastic muni broadband info

    As a Systems Admin in a rural community who is two years into municipal fiber deployment, I enjoy hearing about others who have been down the road and the insights they provide.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    EPD169
    United States8 years ago
  • Community Bits

    If you live in rural America and you want to get connected to high-speed internet, you should be listening to this podcast and sharing it with your representatives.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    GetTheFlick
    United States9 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners value deep dives into policy and funding without losing sight of real-world impact.
The show is seen as essential listening for anyone involved in rural or municipal broadband efforts.
Many episodes are praised for topicality and pace, with practical takeaways for deployment.
Guests are frequently described as knowledgeable and credible voices in broadband access and regulation.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#211
United States/News/Tech News
Apple Podcasts
#233
Canada/News/Tech News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Big Brother is Watching You - Episode 678 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Q: Why is Signal highlighted as a model for secure communications?
Signal demonstrates that end-to-end encryption can be implemented openly and effectively, with a non-profit model and open source code that allows broad scrutiny and resilience against backdoors, contrasting with proprietary platforms that centralize control.
Big Brother is Watching You - Episode 678 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Q: What do we know about how Elon Musk influenced data sharing and government databases?
The breakdown of data silos predates him, with executive orders and interagency data sharing expanding data aggregation; Musk accelerated trends but the groundwork was laid by prior administrations, notably Obama's data-sharing openness that enabled broader profiling.
Fort Pierce, Two Years Later: Fiber, Smart City, and Steady Growth - Episode 677 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Q: What are the risks or tradeoffs you consider when planning smart-city deployments?
We must ensure value and cost reduction for the community; overbuilding or deploying gadgets that don't provide measurable benefits could strain budgets, so we segment critical control infrastructure from the public network and prioritize user-facing services like public Wi‑Fi and cameras where they add tangible value.
Fort Pierce, Two Years Later: Fiber, Smart City, and Steady Growth - Episode 677 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Q: What makes this worth it for you personally and for the community given the challenges?
Being able to stand up a fifth utility and improve digital equity, along with modernizing the network and providing reliable services to residents and essential municipal operations, justifies the effort and investment.
Fort Pierce, Two Years Later: Fiber, Smart City, and Steady Growth - Episode 677 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
Q: And you are going out to every last meter, right? Where are you on that?
We would love to, but the AMI system isn't dependent on fiber to the meter yet; our focus is on passing parcels and building a reliable backbone with selective, scalable fiber connections to support key municipal and public services.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
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Frequently Asked Questions About Unbuffered

What is Unbuffered about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A tech-policy focused show that features in-depth conversations with practitioners and advocates shaping broadband access, with a heavy emphasis on digital equity, municipal networks, and funding programs. Episodes often unpack regulatory dynamics, funding mechanisms, and practical implementations in rural and underserved communities, featuring founders, activists, journalists, and researchers who bring on-the-ground experience and informed critique. A standout aspect is the mix of policy analysis with real-world deployments and startup perspectives, offering listeners actionable insights for building or sponsoring robust community broadband initiatives.

Where can I find podcast stats for Unbuffered?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Unbuffered. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Unbuffered and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Unbuffered get?

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What are the audience demographics for Unbuffered?

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How many subscribers and views does Unbuffered have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Unbuffered has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Unbuffered?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Unbuffered:

1. The Broadband Bunch
2. Fiber for Breakfast with Gary Bolton
3. Pitchfork Economics with Nick Hanauer
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. The Broadband Exchange

How many episodes of Unbuffered are there?

Unbuffered launched 13 years ago and published 712 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Unbuffered?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Unbuffered?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Unbuffered from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Unbuffered. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Unbuffered?

Recent guests on Unbuffered include:

1. Karl Bodie
2. Doug Dawson
3. Karl Bode
4. Jason Mittler
5. Brendan Kelly
6. David Kulp
7. Carl Bodi
8. Sean Gonsolves

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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