In this latest issue of Building Broadband, we’re tracking new broadband deployments from several regional and national broadband players, including:

• Comcast begins building out broadband in new Indiana communities
• Elberton, Georgia, takes up the 25G fiber opportunity
• Fidium begins fiber expansion in Van Buren, Maine
• GoNetspeed connects Wells and Ogunquit, Maine, to its fiber network
• IdeaTek has joined the State of Kansas to build the Freestate Middle Mile Network
• Intrepid Fiber Networks begins open access network build in Frederick, Colorado
• Spectrum expands broadband to rural Jefferson County, Wisconsin
• TDS breaks ground on Monroe County, Tennessee, fiber project

About the Podcast In Lightwave's Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

As more service providers look to expand their fiber reach into new markets, leveraging existing utility pole infrastructure is key. To do that, service providers must navigate the process of making new attachments, such as fiber optic lines, which require utility poles.

Because this process involves ensuring the pole is structurally sound, has adequate space for the new attachments, and meets safety standards, it often requires existing attachments to be moved or the pole itself to be modified, making it a daunting process for providers.

However, companies like Collaborative Strategy are looking to simplify this process.

In this new Broadband Pulse Podcast, conducted during the recent Fiber Connect tradeshow in Nashville, we spoke with Johannes Maassen, founder and president of Collaborative Synergy.

Collaborative Synergy is a telecom and utility infrastructure field engineering firm known for precision fieldwork, complex permitting solutions, and make-ready engineering.

During the podcast, we addressed the following issues:

• Fiber Connect 2025 show observations
• Collaborative Synergy’s make-ready approach
• Helping providers and communities
• Regional differences
• Automating the make-ready processes
• The role of pole loading software—O-Calc and SPIDACalc to IKE PoleForeman
• One Touch Make Ready’s (OTMR) emergence
• Final thoughts

About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

In this podcast, we talked to two Ethernet Alliance leaders during this year’s OFC 2025 show:

• David Rodgers, Ethernet Alliance Events & Conferences Committee Chair, and Technical Business Development Manager for EXFO
• Peter Jones, Distinguished Engineer@Cisco, Chair@Ethernet Alliance

About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address the key issues affecting the optical and broadband industry segments. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.