Rephonic
Artwork for Light Reading Podcasts

Light Reading Podcasts

Light Reading
Digital Divide
Broadband Access
Affordable Connectivity Program
Artificial Intelligence
BEAD Program
Telecommunications
AT&T
Broadband
Data Centers
Telecom Industry
FCC
Universal Service Fund
Cybersecurity
Ciena
Generative AI
Huawei
Nokia
Verizon
5G Technology
Mobile World Congress

This feed is Light Reading's main podcast feed for "The Light Reading Podcast," "The Divide," "The Light Reading Extra," and "What's the Story?"

Light Reading provides daily news, analysis and insight for the global communications networking and services industry. The publication was founded in 2000 and, since July 2016, has been a part of Informa Tech, a division of Informa PLC. We're part of a b... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes921Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyNewsNews Commentary

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Light Reading Podcasts

Latest Episodes

This week: Gigi Sohn discusses how 'dark money' defeated a public broadband plan in Longmeadow, Mass., why anti-muni-broadband efforts work in some towns but not others and why grassroots buy-in is key to public broadband success.

Hosted on Acast. S... more

This week: Execs with Brightspeed, Ziply Fiber and CentraCom discuss the biggest problems with broadband permitting; how inconsistent timelines, requirements and costs cause deployment delays; and what reforms are most needed.

Hosted on Acast. See a... more

Patrick Halley, the president and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association, discusses the top trends in the industry and how AI and 6G are poised to come together.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former FCC official Blair Levin joins the podcast to discuss BEAD program updates and how the federal government can best prepare for the future of connectivity and AI as we mark 30 years of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

Hosted on Acast. See acas... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Jessica Epley
Vice President of Regulatory and External Affairs for Ziply Fiber
Ziply Fiber
Episode: The Divide: How permitting problems delay broadband builds
Brad Welch
Chief Operating Officer at CentraCom and Mayor of Fairview, Utah
CentraCom, City of Fairview
Episode: The Divide: How permitting problems delay broadband builds
Pamela Sherwood
Vice President of Regulatory Compliance and Broadband Office at Brightspeed
Brightspeed
Episode: The Divide: How permitting problems delay broadband builds
Carol Mattey
Founder of Mattey Consulting; former Deputy Bureau Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, FCC
Mattey Consulting
Episode: The Divide: Carol Mattey on BEAD hope and hysteria, and stalled USF reform
Vikash Harlalka
Director at New Street Research
New Street Research
Episode: Cable shows signs of improvement, but is it out of the woods?
David Witkowski
Senior member at IEEE, head of the Future Networks Deployment/Standards work
IEEE
Episode: The Divide: IEEE's David Witkowski on broadband progress and the AI impact
Mariam Sorond
CEO and Board Chair at NextNav
NextNav
Episode: From Risk to Opportunity: How Network Operators Can Leverage Resilient Positioning, Navigation & Timing
Jay Rolls
CTO of BSP with extensive experience in cable
Broadband Success Partners
Episode: Is cable approaching a tipping point on PON?
Susan Johnson
Senior Executive VP of Transformation and Global Supply Chain
AT&T
Episode: AT&T's copper shutdown project takes 'wireless-first' approach

Hosts

Nicole Ferraro
Host of The Divide; long-time Light Reading journalist and analyst.
Jeff Baumgartner
Senior Editor at Light Reading; frequent host and commentator on industry trends.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 35 ratings
  • Pathetic

    Pathetic podcast, had high hopes to learn about Telco news!

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    SKLAMD
    Norway4 years ago
  • Easy way to Learn outside my core tech Area

    I really have enjoyed this podcast since I found in late in 2020. I listen to the new ones and go back through the history.

    I am in tech, but not not in the backbone networking. I find this really interesting, and have learned lot from this. If you have a broad tech background, this is easy to listen to and mostly understand,.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ivy League Writer
    United States5 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Some listeners feel it guides non-technical audiences to telecom topics.
Others say it's accessible to tech pros outside core backbone networking and easy to follow.
Longtime listeners value breadth of topics and consistency in covering policy, funding, and deployment.

Top Technology Podcasts

Tomorrow, Today
Tomorrow, TodayShekhar Natarajan
Acquired
AcquiredBen Gilbert and David Rosenthal
Hard Fork
Hard ForkThe New York Times
The Room Podcast
The Room PodcastClaudia Laurie and Madison McIlwain
Smart Talks with IBM
Smart Talks with IBMPushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Divide: Blair Levin on 30 years of the Telecom Act and what must come next
Q: What is your takeaway on ACP/Lifeline and the future of universal service in an AI era?
Levin stresses that ACP should continue or be replaced by a comparable program, highlights leadership gaps in Congress and the FCC, and suggests modernizing universal service with a focus on AI-related uses and equitable access.
The Divide: Blair Levin on 30 years of the Telecom Act and what must come next
Q: What is your view on whether today's networks are good enough for the age of AI, and what should the FCC and Congress do about it?
Levin argues the current network toolkit likely isn't sufficient for AI scale and envisions a comprehensive proceeding that involves broad analysis from industry experts to determine the networks and spectrum needs for an AI-dominant economy.
The Divide: Carol Mattey on BEAD hope and hysteria, and stalled USF reform
Q: Could the Biden administration have moved BEAD along more quickly?
They were constrained by the statute and required steps, including the National Broadband Map development and a multi-year planning process; speeding this up would have required changes at the congressional level or different statutory terms.
The Divide: Carol Mattey on BEAD hope and hysteria, and stalled USF reform
Q: What is your argument from the series The Sky Is Falling, and where do you think BEAD stands now?
The series argued that while headlines focused on satellite dominance, the statutory Priority Broadband Project language gave states the flexibility to prioritize fiber and use other technologies to fill gaps, which has largely happened in practice. BEAD is moving forward with a mix of technologies and a measured approach to funding rather than a complete shift to satellites.
The Divide: IEEE's David Witkowski on broadband progress and the AI impact
Q: How do you view the competition for fiber and infrastructure between AI/data-center needs and consumer broadband providers, and what does that mean for BEAD and domestic manufacturing of fiber components?
The competition for fiber resources could influence BEAD outcomes and domestic supply chains. It's important to align procurement, promote local manufacturing, and ensure Buy America commitments support broad, equitable access rather than just high-capacity corridors. Coordinated planning among policymakers, providers, and suppliers will help prevent supply constraints from delaying universal connectivity goals.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Light Reading Podcasts

What is Light Reading Podcasts about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A tech-forward business podcast focused on broadband, fiber deployment, policy, and network infrastructure. Its conversations consistently center on deployment realities, regulatory reform, funding programs, and the evolving technologies shaping connectivity, from BEAD and ACP to AI-enabled networks and fixed wireless. A distinctive strength is bringing together policy experts, industry analysts, and senior operators to translate complex policy and market shifts into practical implications for providers, policymakers, and investors. The show often features veteran FCC policy voices, industry executives, and technologists, offering pragmatic takes on timelines, funding, and technology choices that impact nationwide connectivity and the digit... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Light Reading Podcasts?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Light Reading Podcasts. 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 Light Reading Podcasts and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Light Reading Podcasts get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Light Reading Podcasts, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Light Reading Podcasts?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Light Reading Podcasts, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Light Reading Podcasts have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Light Reading Podcasts 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 Light Reading Podcasts?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Light Reading Podcasts:

1. The Week with Roger
2. Y Combinator Startup Podcast
3. The a16z Show
4. Inside the Strategy Room
5. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

How many episodes of Light Reading Podcasts are there?

Light Reading Podcasts launched 7 years ago and published 921 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 Light Reading Podcasts?

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 Light Reading Podcasts?

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

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Light Reading Podcasts?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Light Reading Podcasts. 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 Light Reading Podcasts?

Recent guests on Light Reading Podcasts include:

1. Jessica Epley
2. Brad Welch
3. Pamela Sherwood
4. Carol Mattey
5. Vikash Harlalka
6. David Witkowski
7. Mariam Sorond
8. Jay Rolls

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days