Unbuffered

Chris, Sean Gonsalves, and Sascha Meinrath dig into Vermont’s speed testing, open broadband data, Starlink’s Ukraine shutoff, and the cute mascots masking AI data grabs. ★ Support this podcast ★

How can digital equity programs escape the boom-and-bust funding cycle? Chris and Samantha Schartman of Connect Humanity explore co-investment through the Alt Funding Field Guide. ★ Support this podcast ★

Should California have to give up its consumer protections to receive federal broadband dollars? Chris and Chao Jun Liu unpack Condition 50, the BEAD contract term that could stop states from enforcing their own Internet laws. ★ Support this podcast ★

What causes new Internet service providers to stumble right out of the gate, and what is really going on behind the scenes at state broadband offices? Chris, Doug Dawson, Doug Adams, and Jade Piros de Carvalho unpack the hidden operational traps that derail network builds, and the compliance fatigue surrounding the BEAD program. ★ Support this podcast ★

As ownership caps fall and mega-mergers unite giant media studios, what happens to the future of real journalism? Chris sits down with Free Press's Matt Wood and tech journalist Karl Bode to unpack how media consolidation fuels "enshittification" and erodes local news ★ Support this podcast ★

Are broadcast license threats being weaponized to silence free speech? Chris, Gigi Sohn, and Berin Szóka unpack Disney’s landmark lawsuit against the FCC and the dangerous rise of regulatory intimidation. ★ Support this podcast ★

Is national broadband data actually reliable, or are we just taking ISP claims on faith?Join Chris and Sean as they unpack flawed FCC reports, major BEAD dropouts, Starlink tree canopy problems, and the questionable math of DOGE. ★ Support this podcast ★

Chris and Doug Dawson break down new Ookla FWA data, critique the FCC’s flawed mapping challenges, examine the final BEAD funding numbers, and tackle the wild economics of artificial intelligence. ★ Support this podcast ★

Can local governments build modern public safety infrastructure without sacrificing citizen privacy or handing millions to private cloud vendors? Former Shreveport CTO Keith Hanson joins Chris to break down the hidden costs of vendor-owned surveillance, the realities of municipal IT bureaucracy, and how cities can use creative, low-cost solutions to retain control over their own data. ★ Support this podcast ★

Are Flock safety cameras keeping communities safe, or just building a private dragnet for mass surveillance? Chris sits down with independent reporter Daniel Boguslaw to unpack the Flock Safety debate and reveal how everyday citizens are fighting back. ★ Support this podcast ★