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Is the Internet Still a Public Good? - Episode 1 of Unbuffered

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In the first official episode of Unbuffered, Christopher Mitchell is joined by a powerhouse roundtable: Karl Bode, Gigi Sohn, Doug Dawson, and Sean Gonsalves. Together, they have a wide-ranging conversation on broadband policy, media consolidation, and the systems of power shaping both.

They unpack how decades of telecom mergers and inconsistent oversight from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have concentrated control over our media and reshaped how these issues are covered and understood. 

The group explores the erosion of local journalism, the growing influence of large corporations and billionaires, and how regulatory decisions continue to shape competition, affordability, and accountability.

The conversation also steps back to wrestle with a bigger question: is today’s Internet and technology ecosystem still serving the public good? From algorithm-driven media to infrastructure decisions that prioritize profit over people, the group reflects on how technology can both empower communities and reinforce existing inequities.

This show is 57 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes (formerly Community Broadband Bits) or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Riverside for the music. The song is Caveman and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Reading the Signals: What Broadband Policy Shifts Mean on the Ground - Episode 680 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris is joined by Doug Dawson to unpack the latest developments shaping the broadband landscape and what they mean for communities, providers, and policymakers alike. 

From evolving federal priorities to the realities of deployment challenges, Doug offers a clear-eyed look at how shifting rules and funding expectations are playing out in real time.

The conversation explores uncertainty around major programs, the ripple effects for rural and underserved areas, and how local decision-makers are navigating a constantly changing environment. 

This show is 45 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Thirty Years Later, the Telecom Act’s Legacy Remains Unfinished

Telecom Act at 30
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When Congress passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, it sought to foster innovation and competition in telecommunications markets, expand the definition of universal service, and modernize regulatory structures for the digital age. Three decades later, architects of the ‘96 Act say it achieved many of those goals, but numerous legal challenges following its passage reshaped how key provisions were implemented.

“Litigation shaped so much of what the Act eventually became,” said Mignon Clyburn, a former commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, speaking Thursday among a panel of former FCC regulators, legal counsel, and policy advisors who helped shape and defend the landmark telecom law.

Gathered for an event organized by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society marking the law’s 30th anniversary, the event reflected on both the spirit and letter of the landmark legislation which has shaped much of the modern Internet in the United States. The first major overhaul of telecommunications law in more than 60 years, the ‘96 Act required the FCC to conduct more than 80 separate rulemakings addressing everything from appropriate pricing, to interconnection rules and the unbundling of incumbent telephone networks.

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Government Power, Media Empires, and the Fight for an Informed Public - Episode 679 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

Community Broadband Bits
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In this episode of the podcast, Chris is joined again by Karl Bode for a wide-ranging conversation about media consolidation, government power, and what it all means for the future of journalism.

They explore how decades of mergers in the telecom and media industries have concentrated ownership among a small group of corporations and billionaires, reshaping the information landscape and contributing to the collapse of local journalism. 

The discussion touches on everything from antitrust enforcement and the future of the FCC to the role of algorithms, AI, and social media in shaping what people see and believe.

As the podcast prepares to evolve into a broader show about technology, media, and telecommunications policy, Chris and Karl reflect on the importance of rebuilding local information ecosystems and finding ways to foster more informed communities in an era of fragmented media.

This show is 42 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Broadband 'Nutrition Labels': Easily Missed, Never Seriously Enforced

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In late 2024 the Biden FCC implemented a new rule requiring that broadband providers include a “nutrition label for broadband,” making any fees, restrictions, usage caps, or other limits clear at the point of sale. The proposal was mandated by Congress as part of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to try and ensure the quality of taxpayer-subsidized broadband.

The proposal was well-intentioned. It mandated a certain level of transparency on telecoms to ensure that consumers knew exactly what kind of broadband connection they were buying. The effort attempted to counter historically dodgy practices by bigger providers to jack up their advertised prices using sneaky and misleading below-the-line fees.

But four years after Congress proposed the idea, studies began making it clear that ISPs weren’t seriously adhering to the rules, and regulators weren’t really interested in enforcing them anyway.

This joint study out of York and Michigan State University found that out of 35 monitored ISPs, only sixteen properly placed labels at the point of sale as required. Not a single ISP received full marks for completely adhering to the FCC’s requirements. Only six ISPs received a full ten-star ranking for proper formatting.

“The average across the sample was 5.2/10 stars,” the authors noted. “Across the 15 large ISPs assessed the average score was 5.8/10. Across the 12 medium ISPs assessed the average was 5.4/10 stars, and the average across the eight small ISPs, the average score was 3.75/10 stars.”

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Mergers, Monopoly Prices, and Accountability - Episode 676 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In this episode of the podcast, Chris is joined again by Doug Dawson and Sean Gonsalves for a fast-moving discussion of the latest developments reshaping the broadband landscape. 

The trio unpacks a wave of major telecom mergers, including AT&T’s acquisition of Lumen assets and Frontier’s consolidation, and what growing market power means for prices, competition, and consumers.

They dig into new research from Chattanooga showing the long-term economic and community benefits of municipal fiber, alongside a major California Public Utilities Commission study revealing how lack of competition drives higher broadband prices—especially for low-income households. 

Doug explains how ISPs increasingly use neighborhood-by-neighborhood pricing tactics, leaving long-time customers paying the most for the slowest speeds.

The conversation also revisits Starlink’s controversial demands to rewrite BEAD program rules, the uncertain future of non-deployment funds, and why satellite solutions continue to fall short of their promises. 

Rounding out the episode, the group explores emerging pressures from AI-driven bandwidth demands, consolidation in wholesale fiber markets, and troubling legal trends that raise questions about accountability, regulation, and consumer protections.

This show is 51 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed. 

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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ILSR, Tribal Nations, and Other Groups Call For Tribal Licensing Window in Upcoming Spectrum Auction

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This week, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance joined with other public interest groups and Tribal nations to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt a Tribal Licensing Window (TLW) in the upcoming auction of Upper C-Band spectrum.

“Meaningful access to licensed spectrum is critical for addressing persistent connectivity gaps on Tribal lands,” the comment states. A Tribal Licensing Window “is a targeted mechanism that helps ensure Tribes have a fair opportunity to [...] exercise self‑determination in broadband deployment.”

First instituted in radio broadcasting in 2010, the use of a Tribal licensing window gained steam in 2020 with the launch of the Tribal Priority Window in the 2.5 Ghz auction.

The 2.5 Ghz opportunity was enormously popular. As the story goes, the FCC expected something on the order of 10 applications from Tribes. Instead, more than 300 unique Tribal entities applied and were awarded licenses covering at least part of their Tribal lands.

And it has been a success. Tribes across the country have incorporated use of the spectrum into their retail broadband, public safety, and Tribal communications systems.  

ILSR and other commenters are hopeful that a Tribal Licensing Window in this auction can be even more impactful. For one, this auction pertains to greenfield spectrum - meaning that there are no existing license holders and the spectrum is available across the country - as opposed to the more limited availability in the 2.5 auction, which meant that some Tribes had no or only partial licenses available to them. This offers the chance for Tribes to access many times more spectrum capacity to address gaps in what are some of the most difficult places to build.

Secondly, during the 2.5 auction, the Commission elected to limit participation to Tribes in rural areas. Advocates hope that the FCC will instead permit all federally-recognized Tribes to participate in a C-Band Tribal Licensing Window, and will recognize Tribal trusts as well as reservation lands.

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2026 Predictions with Blair Levin- Episode 671 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

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In the first episode of the new year, Chris is joined once again by Blair Levin to unpack what 2025 delivered and what 2026 may hold for broadband, media, and technology policy.

The two revisit last year’s predictions on tariffs, deportations, BEAD implementation delays, and federal broadband investment, assessing where expectations aligned with reality — and where they didn’t. 

The conversation also explores deeper structural issues facing the broadband ecosystem: the growing affordability crisis after the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, the long-term implications for universal service, and the emerging tension between fiber, fixed wireless, and satellite competition. 

Looking beyond broadband, the episode tackles the rising backlash against Big Tech and AI, the expansion of online gambling, consolidation in media ownership, and what Blair calls the shift from free markets to a “market for political affection.” 

The discussion closes with reflections on what it will take to rebuild trust, competition, and accountability in an era where policy, power, and technology are more intertwined than ever.

This show is 51 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Telecom's Plumbing Problem: Routing, Regulation, and What Comes Next - Episode 669 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast

Community Broadband Bits
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on

In this episode of the podcast, Chris sits down with telecom veteran Richard Shockey to unpack one of the biggest shifts happening quietly inside America’s communications networks: the death of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). 

Shockey explains why the traditional phone system is collapsing, how the FCC has failed to prepare the country for an all-IP future, and what this means for 911, rural access, and the millions of Americans still dependent on copper networks.

They dive into corporate consolidation, the disappearance of regulatory oversight, the national security risks of unmanaged VoIP systems, and why carriers are allowed to walk away from universal service obligations without a plan to replace them. 

Shockey makes the case that policymakers are sleepwalking into a telecommunications crisis — and communities need to push for resilience, public oversight, and real investment before the cliff becomes unavoidable.

This show is 60 minutes long and can be played on this page or via Apple Podcasts or the tool of your choice using this feed.

You can also check out the video version via YouTube.

Transcript below.

We want your feedback and suggestions for the show-please e-mail us or leave a comment below.

Listen to other episodes or view all episodes in our index. See other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license

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Trump FCC Votes To Weaken Broadband ‘Nutrition Label’ Rule That Already Saw Mixed Compliance

A protestor wearing a cat suit holds a sign in favor of Net Neutrality in front of entrance to FCC building
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Last year the Biden FCC implemented a new rule requiring that broadband providers include a “nutrition label for broadband,” making any fees, restrictions, usage caps, or other limits clear at the point of sale. The proposal was mandated by Congress as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law.

But four years after Congress proposed the idea, a new study indicates that many ISPs aren’t doing a great job adhering to the rules. The Trump FCC has also announced that it's taking formal steps to weaken or eliminate the rules as part of the agency’s broad, frontal assault on consumer protections.

The new academic study (first reported on by Broadband Breakfast) by York University researchers Jonathan A. Obar and Boxi Chen gave 35 different U.S. ISPs a ten-star based grade on how well they are adhering to the FCC broadband label requirements, including label placement, standardized formatting, machine-readable data files, and required policy links.

The results weren’t pretty: only sixteen ISPs properly placed labels at the point of sale as required, and not a single ISP received full marks for completely adhering to the FCC’s requirements. Only six ISPs received a full ten star ranking for proper formatting.

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