Podcast appearances and mentions of daniel litwin

As next-generation broadband continues to transform digital experiences across the U.S., Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are reshaping how we think about infrastructure, speed, and scalability. The industry is no longer just about faster speeds—it's about smarter service, tailored rollouts, and future-ready networks that can meet the evolving needs of homes, businesses, and communities. In this episode of “Wavelengths,” the Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin, the voice of B2B, sits down with expert guest Pragash Pillai, Chief Technology Officer at Hotwire Communications. Their in-depth conversation explores how Hotwire and similar providers approach deploying 25G and 50G Passive Optical Network (PON) trials. Key Topics from the Episode: Next-gen fiber technologies like 25G and 50G PON are proving scalable using networks already in the ground—cutting deployment costs and time. Whether it's high-traffic student housing or senior living facilities, use-case-specific broadband design ensures seamless, always-on experiences. From predictive maintenance to self-healing networks, AI-powered tools are redefining service reliability and fiber network management. Pillai brings more than two decades of telecom experience, having held leadership roles at Cablevision, Charter, and now Hotwire Communications. His focus on merging operational excellence with visionary thinking makes him a driving force behind Hotwire's innovation-led service model.

As next-generation broadband continues to transform digital experiences across the U.S., Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are reshaping how we think about infrastructure, speed, and scalability. The industry is no longer just about faster speeds—it's about smarter service, tailored rollouts, and future-ready networks that can meet the evolving needs of homes, businesses, and communities. In this episode of “Wavelengths,” the Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin, the voice of B2B, sits down with expert guest Pragash Pillai, Chief Technology Officer at Hotwire Communications. Their in-depth conversation explores how Hotwire and similar providers approach deploying 25G and 50G Passive Optical Network (PON) trials. Key Topics from the Episode: Next-gen fiber technologies like 25G and 50G PON are proving scalable using networks already in the ground—cutting deployment costs and time. Whether it's high-traffic student housing or senior living facilities, use-case-specific broadband design ensures seamless, always-on experiences. From predictive maintenance to self-healing networks, AI-powered tools are redefining service reliability and fiber network management. Pillai brings more than two decades of telecom experience, having held leadership roles at Cablevision, Charter, and now Hotwire Communications. His focus on merging operational excellence with visionary thinking makes him a driving force behind Hotwire's innovation-led service model.

In this episode of Wavelengths, hosted by Amphenol Broadband Solutions, Daniel Litwin discusses the evolution of smart cities and the crucial role of fiber broadband with Tyler Cooper, Editor-in-Chief at Broadband Now. As urban and rural areas adapt to new technological advancements, the need for robust connectivity, strategic investments, and inclusive digital policies has never been more important.Smart Cities Depend on Fiber Broadband for GrowthThe transition to smart cities is not an overnight process but a gradual transformation driven by infrastructure improvements. Many smart city initiatives, such as AI-powered traffic management, smart water systems, and IoT-driven public safety, operate behind the scenes, improving urban efficiency without direct consumer interaction. At the core of these advancements is fiber broadband, which provides the high-speed, low-latency connectivity needed for real-time decision-making. While consumers may not immediately notice these changes, the foundational improvements to citywide digital infrastructure are shaping the future of urban living.Bridging the Broadband Divide: Urban vs. Rural ChallengesThe disparity between urban and rural broadband access remains a pressing issue. Cities focus on upgrading existing infrastructure to support next-generation innovations, while many rural communities still struggle with basic internet access. Beyond infrastructure, there is also a digital literacy gap, where many residents in underserved areas lack the knowledge to fully utilize broadband services. Expanding fiber networks in rural areas is essential for telehealth, remote education, and economic opportunities. Without reliable broadband, rural communities risk being further marginalized in an increasingly digital world.The Role of BEAD Grants and Municipal Broadband SolutionsThe Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program presents a historic funding opportunity to address broadband gaps nationwide. State broadband offices are now responsible for ensuring that these funds are effectively distributed to underserved areas. Additionally, municipal broadband networks, where communities build and manage their own internet infrastructure, are emerging as a powerful solution. Cities like Chattanooga, Tennessee, have demonstrated the success of publicly owned fiber networks, offering high-speed, low-cost internet access to residents. As BEAD funding is deployed, local governments, policymakers, and community leaders must collaborate to ensure sustainable, future-proof broadband investments that support both smart city initiatives and rural connectivity.Conclusion: The Future is NowThe push for broadband expansion and smart city development is already shaping the way we live and work. While urban areas are racing toward technological innovation, rural regions must not be left behind. Ensuring universal access to high-speed internet is not just about connectivity—it's about economic growth, education, and community development. As BEAD funding rolls out, local leaders must take proactive steps to bridge the digital divide and create equitable, future-ready communities.

In this episode of Wavelengths, hosted by Amphenol Broadband Solutions, Daniel Litwin discusses the evolution of smart cities and the crucial role of fiber broadband with Tyler Cooper, Editor-in-Chief at Broadband Now. As urban and rural areas adapt to new technological advancements, the need for robust connectivity, strategic investments, and inclusive digital policies has never been more important.Smart Cities Depend on Fiber Broadband for GrowthThe transition to smart cities is not an overnight process but a gradual transformation driven by infrastructure improvements. Many smart city initiatives, such as AI-powered traffic management, smart water systems, and IoT-driven public safety, operate behind the scenes, improving urban efficiency without direct consumer interaction. At the core of these advancements is fiber broadband, which provides the high-speed, low-latency connectivity needed for real-time decision-making. While consumers may not immediately notice these changes, the foundational improvements to citywide digital infrastructure are shaping the future of urban living.Bridging the Broadband Divide: Urban vs. Rural ChallengesThe disparity between urban and rural broadband access remains a pressing issue. Cities focus on upgrading existing infrastructure to support next-generation innovations, while many rural communities still struggle with basic internet access. Beyond infrastructure, there is also a digital literacy gap, where many residents in underserved areas lack the knowledge to fully utilize broadband services. Expanding fiber networks in rural areas is essential for telehealth, remote education, and economic opportunities. Without reliable broadband, rural communities risk being further marginalized in an increasingly digital world.The Role of BEAD Grants and Municipal Broadband SolutionsThe Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program presents a historic funding opportunity to address broadband gaps nationwide. State broadband offices are now responsible for ensuring that these funds are effectively distributed to underserved areas. Additionally, municipal broadband networks, where communities build and manage their own internet infrastructure, are emerging as a powerful solution. Cities like Chattanooga, Tennessee, have demonstrated the success of publicly owned fiber networks, offering high-speed, low-cost internet access to residents. As BEAD funding is deployed, local governments, policymakers, and community leaders must collaborate to ensure sustainable, future-proof broadband investments that support both smart city initiatives and rural connectivity.Conclusion: The Future is NowThe push for broadband expansion and smart city development is already shaping the way we live and work. While urban areas are racing toward technological innovation, rural regions must not be left behind. Ensuring universal access to high-speed internet is not just about connectivity—it's about economic growth, education, and community development. As BEAD funding rolls out, local leaders must take proactive steps to bridge the digital divide and create equitable, future-ready communities.

In the latest episode of Amphenol Broadband Solutions' Wavelengths podcast, host Daniel Litwin sat down with Tyler Cooper, Editor-in-Chief at BroadbandNow Research, for a deep dive into the current landscape of broadband deployment and access across the United States. With 2025 underway, the conversation tackled key trends shaping the broadband industry, including the contrast between urban and rural connectivity, new technology rollouts, and the critical role of federal funding.The discussion examined how smart city initiatives are accelerating broadband development in urban areas, with AI-powered infrastructure and fiber deployment setting the stage for the cities of tomorrow. In contrast, rural communities continue to face significant hurdles, with over 22 million Americans still lacking basic broadband access. Cooper emphasized that while progress is being made, closing the rural-urban digital divide requires more than just infrastructure—it demands smarter funding strategies and localized decision-making.Key topics included the transformative potential of the BEAD program, the largest broadband infrastructure investment in U.S. history, and how state-level broadband offices are uniquely positioned to tailor solutions to local needs. The episode also highlighted the rise of fixed wireless access and fiber as critical technologies driving connectivity, while acknowledging the challenges of accurately measuring broadband access in underserved areas.As broadband technology continues to evolve, Cooper and Litwin agreed that both rural and urban environments must be equipped not only with access but with future-proof networks capable of supporting the growing demands of digital life.

In a recent episode of Amphenol Broadband Solutions' Wavelengths podcast, listeners learned about the exciting potential of robotics in the broadband industry. Host Daniel Litwin spoke with Abdullah Jassim, a field applications engineer at Amphenol Communications Solutions, to shed light on this evolving intersection of technology and telecommunications.The discussion dove into robotics' potential for revolutionizing network maintenance, with automation and edge data capturing enhancing processes in real time. Jassim highlighted the use of autonomous drones in inspecting complex infrastructure like wind turbine blades, demonstrating how robotics applications are becoming essential for operational efficiency.The duo explored the challenges of implementing these solutions in diverse telecom environments, from the high costs associated with early development stages to the training required to integrate these new processes. However, Jassim emphasized the long-term benefits of these investments, including improved safety and unprecedented precision.Advancements in AI-powered robotics have now spurred a trend of more autonomous, real-time maintenance that can adapt to challenging environments. This layer of intelligence contributes significantly to predictive maintenance and network optimization.As the dialogue on robotics in broadband continues, Jassim predicts a growing adoption rate across the industry thanks to technological advancements that drive down costs and increase effectiveness. This evolution, however, does rely on robust testing and careful, real-world application.Highlights• Discover the transformative potential of robotics in the broadband industry with insights from Abdullah Jassim, a field applications engineer at Amphenol Communications Solutions.• Explore how advancements like autonomous drones and AI-powered robotics revolutionize network maintenance, enhance operational efficiency, and enable real-time predictive solutions.• Learn about the challenges, long-term benefits, and growing adoption of robotics as host Daniel Litwin delves into this evolving intersection of technology and telecommunications.

In a recent episode of Amphenol Broadband Solutions' Wavelengths podcast, listeners learned about the exciting potential of robotics in the broadband industry. Host Daniel Litwin spoke with Abdullah Jassim, a field applications engineer at Amphenol Communications Solutions, to shed light on this evolving intersection of technology and telecommunications.The discussion dove into robotics' potential for revolutionizing network maintenance, with automation and edge data capturing enhancing processes in real time. Jassim highlighted the use of autonomous drones in inspecting complex infrastructure like wind turbine blades, demonstrating how robotics applications are becoming essential for operational efficiency.The duo explored the challenges of implementing these solutions in diverse telecom environments, from the high costs associated with early development stages to the training required to integrate these new processes. However, Jassim emphasized the long-term benefits of these investments, including improved safety and unprecedented precision.Advancements in AI-powered robotics have now spurred a trend of more autonomous, real-time maintenance that can adapt to challenging environments. This layer of intelligence contributes significantly to predictive maintenance and network optimization.As the dialogue on robotics in broadband continues, Jassim predicts a growing adoption rate across the industry thanks to technological advancements that drive down costs and increase effectiveness. This evolution, however, does rely on robust testing and careful, real-world application.Highlights• Discover the transformative potential of robotics in the broadband industry with insights from Abdullah Jassim, a field applications engineer at Amphenol Communications Solutions.• Explore how advancements like autonomous drones and AI-powered robotics revolutionize network maintenance, enhance operational efficiency, and enable real-time predictive solutions.• Learn about the challenges, long-term benefits, and growing adoption of robotics as host Daniel Litwin delves into this evolving intersection of technology and telecommunications.

High-speed internet access is synonymous with economic prosperity, however, the disparity in broadband infrastructure between urban and rural communities has never been more pronounced. As the digital revolution marches on, the divide widens, leaving rural communities deep in the shadows of technological advancement. But this stark reality centers an urgent call to action, spearheaded by initiatives like BEAD funding, which is aimed at revitalizing rural broadband infrastructure. Amidst this backdrop, the critical question looms: How can rural communities navigate the complex maze of broadband expansion to bridge the digital divide effectively?For another insightful episode of Wavelengths, an Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin is joined by Brant Carter, Director of Industry Products at Sitetracker. The two unraveled the intricacies of broadband expansion in rural areas. This episode also explored the challenges, opportunities, and innovative strategies pivotal for the successful deployment of rural broadband infrastructure.In this episode, Litwin and Carter delved into:● The current state of rural broadband expansion and the unique challenges rural communities face, from geographical constraints to resource limitations.● Exploring actionable strategies for rural telcos to navigate the complex landscape of broadband deployment.● The Role of BEAD Funding and examining its impact on the rural broadband landscape and how it shapes the future of connectivity in rural America.Brant Carter is the Director of Industry Products at Sitetracker. With a distinguished career at the company, he has a wealth of experience in telecommunications infrastructure. His role includes deploying critical infrastructure across various sectors, managing multi-billion dollar projects globally. This has allowed Carter to be positioned as a leading voice in telecommunications infrastructure.

In a timely and important episode about the deployment and execution of federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding, several telecommunications experts weighed in on the program's future. With 2023 coming to a close, this conversation about BEAD comes at the right time as it marks a year filled with substantial updates and progress in broadband infrastructure initiatives. The BEAD initiative, part of a broader effort to revitalize and expand broadband infrastructure in the U.S., has seen significant progress over the year. Now, with all states and territories having submitted their BEAD funding proposals, this episode delves into the critical phase of this transformative project. The stakes are high as this funding aims to reshape and improve America's digital landscape.This subsequently raises the question, how effectively are the BEAD funds being managed and allocated, and what are the broader implications for U.S. broadband infrastructure?For a new episode of "Wavelengths," an Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin brought together an impressive panel for a major roundtable discussion on BEAD funding. He was joined by Zachary Raley, SVP and Advisor to the CEO of Amphenol, Ben Elkins, CEO of AireBeam, and Diana Goovaerts, Executive Editor, Fierce Telecom and Silverlinings. The episode made a deep dive into the state of BEAD funding, exploring its achievements, challenges, and future trajectory.Several points tackled during the episode included:An evaluation of the successes and obstacles encountered in implementing BEAD funding.Assessing the strategic adequacy of proposals submitted by all 56 states and territories.Insights into the expected long-term effects of BEAD funding on U.S. broadband expansion.Zachary Raley is a seasoned advisor at Amphenol and its SVP. He has a unique perspective on equipment and hardware essential for broadband expansion. Ben Elkins is the CEO of AireBeam and provides an operator's viewpoint and is an expert on the success of the BEAD program in Arizona. Diana Goovaerts offers an editorial lens, discussing the broader context and critical issues surrounding BEAD funding.

In a timely and important episode about the deployment and execution of federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding, several telecommunications experts weighed in on the program's future. With 2023 coming to a close, this conversation about BEAD comes at the right time as it marks a year filled with substantial updates and progress in broadband infrastructure initiatives. The BEAD initiative, part of a broader effort to revitalize and expand broadband infrastructure in the U.S., has seen significant progress over the year. Now, with all states and territories having submitted their BEAD funding proposals, this episode delves into the critical phase of this transformative project. The stakes are high as this funding aims to reshape and improve America's digital landscape.This subsequently raises the question, how effectively are the BEAD funds being managed and allocated, and what are the broader implications for U.S. broadband infrastructure?For a new episode of "Wavelengths," an Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin brought together an impressive panel for a major roundtable discussion on BEAD funding. He was joined by Zachary Raley, SVP and Advisor to the CEO of Amphenol, Ben Elkins, CEO of AireBeam, and Diana Goovaerts, Executive Editor, Fierce Telecom and Silverlinings. The episode made a deep dive into the state of BEAD funding, exploring its achievements, challenges, and future trajectory.Several points tackled during the episode included:An evaluation of the successes and obstacles encountered in implementing BEAD funding.Assessing the strategic adequacy of proposals submitted by all 56 states and territories.Insights into the expected long-term effects of BEAD funding on U.S. broadband expansion.Zachary Raley is a seasoned advisor at Amphenol and its SVP. He has a unique perspective on equipment and hardware essential for broadband expansion. Ben Elkins is the CEO of AireBeam and provides an operator's viewpoint and is an expert on the success of the BEAD program in Arizona. Diana Goovaerts offers an editorial lens, discussing the broader context and critical issues surrounding BEAD funding.

Smart devices have become integral to the day-to-day landscape for millions of people, so questions of privacy and security are even more pressing than ever. Today, “smart fridges” can do a whole lot more than refrigerating, thanks to how IoT has transformed the concept of a connected home into a living reality. Nonetheless, this gradual evolution brings with it the potential of security vulnerabilities. Some studies have found that 70 percent of IoT devices had vulnerabilities, highlighting that there are a lot of concerns in securing the digital connection needs of our personal lives.What are the risks do people face as more and more homes grow smarter, and what can be done to ensure the sanctity of our private spaces?On a new “Wavelengths” episode, an Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin, interviewed Thomas Pace, CEO and co-founder of NetRise, to dissect the topic of privacy and security in the IoT realm. The two ventured into a detailed discussion on the current challenges and potential strategies to safeguard the increasingly connected habitats for much of the world.The discussion between Litwin and Pace also:Explored the most pressing security risks facing connected homes and how to mitigate them.Examined the role of mass-produced IoT devices and if manufacturers are doing enough for privacy and security.Discussed the US cyber trust mark and the shared responsibility in securing IoT ecosystems.Thomas Pace is the CEO and co-founder of NetRise. He is also an Advisor at HiddenLayer and Passage, respectively. Pace has substantial background in cybersecurity, particularly in IoT and industrial control systems. His experience spans years, from working ICS security at the Department of Energy and a key role at Cylance, where he managed IoT firmware and embedded system engagement. He has a focus on practical solutions and understands securing complex systems against evolving threats.Article written by Alexandra Simon.

Unprecedented connectivity thrives in today's world and the evolution of networks and network reliability has never been more dynamic. With 5G rolling out en masse and the Internet of Things (IoT) expanding its reach, the telecom industry is at the heart of this transformation. However, a critical factor often overlooked is the importance of continuous education for network professionals. According to a survey by Deloitte, 82 percent of organizations report a skills gap in technology-related roles, emphasizing the stakes for network reliability and resilience.So, what role does technical education play in maintaining robust networks, and why is upskilling your team not just a "nice-to-have" but a must-have?In a new episode of Wavelengths, host Daniel Litwin, "the voice of B2B," talked to Charles Dillard, the Training Manager for Amphenol Broadband Solutions, about the importance of technical education for network reliability. On the show the two explored the growing importance of network reliability and the role that continuous training plays in keeping the workforce updated on emerging technologies.The conversation between Litwin and Dillard also touched on:How with emerging technologies like 5G and IoT, the telecom networks are becoming increasingly complex. The stakes for maintaining a robust network have never been higher.The importance of a well-trained workforce, which can make the difference between seamless service or a catastrophic failure.Keeping the workforce updated with new technologies that directly impact network reliability, which is also crucial for maintaining reliable services.Charles Dillard is a seasoned expert in training within the telecom industry. He has over two decades of experience and is the Training Manager for Amphenol Broadband Solutions. His expertise spans both technology and the importance of human capital in the ever-changing telecom landscape. He has been instrumental in spearheading education initiatives within Amphenol Broadband Solutions to ensure the workforce is prepared for the technological advances that lie ahead.

Unprecedented connectivity thrives in today's world and the evolution of networks and network reliability has never been more dynamic. With 5G rolling out en masse and the Internet of Things (IoT) expanding its reach, the telecom industry is at the heart of this transformation. However, a critical factor often overlooked is the importance of continuous education for network professionals. According to a survey by Deloitte, 82 percent of organizations report a skills gap in technology-related roles, emphasizing the stakes for network reliability and resilience.So, what role does technical education play in maintaining robust networks, and why is upskilling your team not just a "nice-to-have" but a must-have?In a new episode of Wavelengths, host Daniel Litwin, "the voice of B2B," talked to Charles Dillard, the Training Manager for Amphenol Broadband Solutions, about the importance of technical education for network reliability. On the show the two explored the growing importance of network reliability and the role that continuous training plays in keeping the workforce updated on emerging technologies.The conversation between Litwin and Dillard also touched on:How with emerging technologies like 5G and IoT, the telecom networks are becoming increasingly complex. The stakes for maintaining a robust network have never been higher.The importance of a well-trained workforce, which can make the difference between seamless service or a catastrophic failure.Keeping the workforce updated with new technologies that directly impact network reliability, which is also crucial for maintaining reliable services.Charles Dillard is a seasoned expert in training within the telecom industry. He has over two decades of experience and is the Training Manager for Amphenol Broadband Solutions. His expertise spans both technology and the importance of human capital in the ever-changing telecom landscape. He has been instrumental in spearheading education initiatives within Amphenol Broadband Solutions to ensure the workforce is prepared for the technological advances that lie ahead.

As our world grows increasingly interconnected, the importance of leadership and personal growth has never been more critical. In an era where technology is shifting the landscape of industries and human interaction, there remains a timeless need for genuine connections, empathy, and values-based leadership. This is the theme of a recent episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, where veteran teacher and coach Mike Leissa shares his experiences and insights.What role can personal experiences and storytelling play in education and leadership? How can life lessons from a seasoned educator shape the future generations? These questions serve as the central theme of the discussion in this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton.Hosted by Daniel Litwin and Greg Crumpton, the Vice President of Service Logic, this episode invites Mike Leissa, a revered coach with over 40 years of experience in molding young minds and bodies. The conversation covers a range of topics from the impact of history on our present lives to the importance of discipline and hard work in achieving success.Main points of discussion from the episode include:The importance of personal experience and storytelling in teaching and leading.The impact of life lessons and history in shaping individuals and societies.The necessity of discipline and hard work in achieving success.Mike Leissa, our guest for this episode, is a seasoned teacher and coach with an impressive career spanning over four decades. His unique teaching methodology of incorporating personal stories and life lessons into academics has left a lasting impact on countless students and athletes.

Wir waren zu Besuch bei Daniel Litwin von der Firma Litwin Heizung Sanitär GmbH.Daniel ist im Bereich Heizungs- und Sanitäranlagen tätig und seit 2021 Partnerbetrieb von Mission Mittelstand.

As broadband infrastructure sees increased attention and widespread changes thanks to the $65 million infrastructure bill, which aims to increase broadband access through programs such as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), how these programs are being implemented throughout country is important to follow. As internet service providers (ISPs) ramp up installations of broadband access, the ACP offers a different aspect in response to low-income families who already have service, but could benefit from additional opportunities that help them access better connectivity options.How has the ACP funding been useful?In the second episode of the “Wavelengths” podcast, host Daniel Litwin picked up where he left off in his interview with Ben Elkins, CEO of AireBeam, an Arizona-based fiber internet service provider. This time around the two discussed how funds for the ACP is being dispersed and how the ACP functions in contrast to the BEAD program.Litwin and Elkin further discussed …Differences between BEAD and ACP and the issues that each program addressesSeveral advantages that ACP funding offers for internet usersRecent results and the predicted future of the ACP“It helps out the families, it helps out the communities and I believe ACP will be not just a funding that's a one or two-year thing, I think it will go on for generations. I think they will keep funding it and I think it's a great program and I think that for the folks that need help, this is a great way and AireBeam's 100 percent behind it. We've been a practicing member of the ACP for a long time, we're excited about ACP, and we try to promote it all we can,” said Elkins.Ben Elkins is the CEO of Airebeam. He has over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications field and is a graduate of Arizona State University.

As broadband infrastructure sees increased attention and widespread changes thanks to the $65 million infrastructure bill, which aims to increase broadband access through programs such as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), how these programs are being implemented throughout country is important to follow. As internet service providers (ISPs) ramp up installations of broadband access, the ACP offers a different aspect in response to low-income families who already have service, but could benefit from additional opportunities that help them access better connectivity options.How has the ACP funding been useful?In the second episode of the “Wavelengths” podcast, host Daniel Litwin picked up where he left off in his interview with Ben Elkins, CEO of AireBeam, an Arizona-based fiber internet service provider. This time around the two discussed how funds for the ACP is being dispersed and how the ACP functions in contrast to the BEAD program.Litwin and Elkin further discussed …Differences between BEAD and ACP and the issues that each program addressesSeveral advantages that ACP funding offers for internet usersRecent results and the predicted future of the ACP“It helps out the families, it helps out the communities and I believe ACP will be not just a funding that's a one or two-year thing, I think it will go on for generations. I think they will keep funding it and I think it's a great program and I think that for the folks that need help, this is a great way and AireBeam's 100 percent behind it. We've been a practicing member of the ACP for a long time, we're excited about ACP, and we try to promote it all we can,” said Elkins.Ben Elkins is the CEO of Airebeam. He has over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications field and is a graduate of Arizona State University.

Analyzing customer support, experience, technology, and processes at Amphenol Broadband Solutions.Improving operations, identifying issues and find new solutions and better experiences for customers. Pre-pandemic, the system was manual and once the pandemic hit there was a real disconnect with people working from home. Smooth and effective customer service is critical to the success of nearly every business. Good customer service qualities are rooted in clear communication, prompt service, and understanding of customer needs. According to HubSpot, 90% of Americans use customer service to decide whether or not to do business with a company.Pre-pandemic, Amphenol Broadband Solutions' customer service and ordering process looked very different. With drastic and quick changes, the company realized how critical it was to change its processes and discovered a lot in the process. Many tips are applicable to various industries.Hosted by Daniel Litwin, this episode of Wavelengths looks inward and discusses customer support and experience with Bill O'Donnell, Amphenol Broadband Solutions' Senior Director of Product Management & Customer Support.The episode covers… ● O'Donnell shares some challenges due to the dated system. ● The impacts of updating the system on a holistic level. ● Insights into how the customer service is improving and feedback.In terms of the ABS antiquated order processing system, O'Donnell said, “Some of the major challenges that were brought to light was really just being able to have data visibility.” He went on to share that the numbers were not adding up and that was creating a clear bottleneck in overall operations.Bill O'Donnell, Senior Director of Product Management & Customer Support, completed a master technician program at NCTI and worked at Comcast, Trilithic, and PCT International before joining Amphenol Broadband Systems' team seven years ago.

The availability of broadband in rural areas remains a big area of concern. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has seemingly addressed the issue by providing funding through RDOF, or the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, but the initiative isn't exactly foolproof.In this new episode of Wavelengths, host Daniel Litwin chatted with Dr. Christopher Ali, an associate media studies professor at the University of Virginia, and author of “Farm Fresh Broadband: The Politics of Rural Connectivity.” He emphasized that while RDOF is a sign that rural broadband and connectivity has a bright future to stay on pace with urban connection, the companies that can truly solve the issue are not benefactors of the fund. Dr. Ali said that the same companies manage to make it to the top ten of fund recipients, which prevents the more suitable companies from getting adequate funding.“One of the concerns that I have around this particular first round of RDOF is, ‘Have we just been funding what I call the largest and the loudest providers at expense of the local and regional providers — who have been the ones doing a lot more of the fiber to the home, fiber to the node, fiber to the curb, fiber to the tower — in recent years than the largest providers have?'” questioned Dr. Ali.As continued RDOF funding consistently goes to these more familiar companies, it strands companies that can truly address the rural broadband gaps. It is through mapping that the FCC is able to point out and target rural areas in need. But Dr. Ali said that this method is not that reliable, “I think one of the things that concerns me with all this money coming down the pipe, is that we are still using bad maps.”This became a glaring issue when demands for video conferencing arose during the pandemic, exposing poor connectivity across some regions.“I worry that where is this money going, literally, in the geography of the United States, and are we going to see uninhabited areas be funded for broadband,” said Dr. Ali.

Discussion about the current and future state of the global supply chain is a hot topic right now. Barry Holt, VP of Global Cable Operations for Amphenol Broadband sits down with host Daniel Litwin to discuss the short- and long-term effects plaguing the global supply chain and tips on how to overcome them. International events often affect the global supply chain - despite the event occurring hundreds or even thousands of miles away. In the Chinese city of Shanghai, which has incurred continuous lockdowns due to Covid-19, shipping is at a standstill. China's zero-policy on COVID has greatly impacted the wider global supply network - China houses 7 out of the 10 largest container ports in the world. This creates disruptions in sourcing raw material, goods, and other components, particularly for new broadband deployments. “We're still struggling through these supply chain issues, this effect of China shutting down, I don't think we've seen the effects yet…You know, our factories in China are restricted…right now we're trying to get over the hump,” said Holt, noting that it is unlikely to ease up anytime soon - the effects of it will continue to be felt throughout the world. In the short-term, finding other solutions for this delay could be vital, “I think going to other countries helps the global economy…but cutting relations…there's just no easy replacement for that supply chain,” said Holt. China's labor pool is deep - so much so that cutting relations with the goliath would cause more long-term pain than it's worth. Companies like AT&T have weathered the storm by diversifying its supplier base to navigate increasing tariffs elsewhere. But it's important to not burn past relationships in the process, “I suggest we can ride it out,” said Holt.

Connectivity is key. Delays are not. Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B, discussed major supply chain issues in the global economy and how they are creating broadband issues throughout the United States with Barry Holt, VP of Global Cable Operations at Amphenol Broadband Solutions.“We're a global presence…the 25% tariff on a lot of the product importing came fairly quickly. I think it affected everything global. For many years almost everything went back to China. That was a steady supply chain, and the world was really set up for that,” noted Holt on the supply chain prior to the pandemic's disruption.Disruption has shifted the industry and new policies are changing the domestic landscape, like sourcing steel from within the United States which has also affected the broadband industry. Holt said, “It's okay to shift that but those changes disrupt the supply chain that's been there for many years. So, what you're doing is really taxing local manufacturing to increase capacity and that hasn't been seen in many years.” These new changes exert pressure on an already pressured system that is struggling to cope with the quick changes, “It's just going to take time to adapt to,” explained Holt, also noting that the push might have had a less negative short-term effect if it had been phased in over time. Additionally, ports across the country are in crisis mode with ongoing negotiations between dock worker unions and organizations for better pay and limits on automation. This has also led to a slowdown along the supply chain - about six months tied up in those ports. Companies can make changes regarding port delivery location, but receiving the stock currently tied up in those ports is just a waiting game.

The word “coopetition” was coined by a Harvard and Yale professor. At its core, the term embraces game theory and embodies the idea that businesses can gain strategic advantages through interdependency and collaboration with competing firms. It may sound counterproductive for the traditional competitive market economy, but research proves that it's an opportunity to elevate industries' full capacities. Host of Verizon Business's The Podcast, Daniel Litwin, was joined by Verizon executives Dave Hickey, Arleen Cauchi, and Sarah Marsh. According to Marsh, “[coopetition is] more relevant than ever; business challenges are getting much more complex,” and businesses understand that their counterparts are “competitors in some instances and partners in others.” Cauchi pressed that successful coopetition stems from businesses aligning ethos and agreeing on the ‘why' — why they are coming together, and why working in partnership makes more sense than being isolated in a silo. Cauchi distilled coopetition simply down to “1+1=3,” where if one partner has a great sales team and the other has a strong marketing team, their collaboration ultimately increases their market share. After two years of chaotic disruption caused by the pandemic, businesses and even countries are embracing new methodologies and practices. For example, the world witnessed mass coopetition during the pandemic: countries shared research, companies collaborated to develop the vaccine, and pharmaceutical giants — typically pitted against each other — even joined forces. Coopetition is a unique solution that allows companies to become more agile and responds to market needs more effectively by compounding the incremental value that businesses can ultimately offer the customer. To learn more about the Verizon partner network, visit Verizon's website or tune in to more episodes on your preferred podcast platform.

Daniel Litwin spoke to Patrick Coldewey, President and CEO of DigiTech, about the automation hiring process within the printing industry. The conversation covered a breadth of points, including the Great Resignation, skilled workers aging out, and how smaller companies use automation [in hiring] to their advantage. The Great Resignation is not showing any signs of slowing down, and in fact, recent labor statistics show that 4.3 million people quit their jobs in January 2022. This is only a slight improvement from the highest numbers that were seen in November 2021. Workers are biding their time to find a new opportunity, and only a few are reporting “buyer's remorse” or regret over quitting their jobs preemptively.Naturally, the printing industry hasn't been spared from this trend either. As a legacy workforce ages out and a new workforce fails to gain steam, the answers to more efficient printing processes might be found in automation technologies. This episode highlights the challenges of the Great Resignation and guides listeners to potential solutions and strategies to deal with the situation.

Improving broadband access is a major initiative in the U.S. Last year's infrastructure bill included substantial dollars to make it more accessible. Bill Price, the Vice President of Government Solutions for LightBox, joined Wavelengths host Daniel Litwin to discuss access and funding. Price, a broadband mapping architect, managed the development of one of the most granular, state-level broadband mapping programs in Georgia. The two also discussed what companies like LightBox are doing to bring high-speed internet to all U.S. residents.In addition to the infrastructure funding, additional money is available through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). While there's excitement about expansion, challenges remain.

In this episode of School Safety Today, host Daniel Litwin spoke with Raptor Technology's SVP of Product and Engineering, Chris Noell, on what it means to have best-in-class IT security requirements to reduce the likelihood of new and dangerous cybersecurity breaches impacting educational settings while compromising critical student and staff data.This important topic has come to the forefront of public-school initiatives due to the rise in cybersecurity breaches at the school level. According to According to the State of K-12 Cybersecurity: 2020 Year in Review, 377 school districts experienced a record-setting 408 publicly disclosed cybersecurity incidents (k12cybersecure.com). The issue is so prevalent that it gained the attention of the Biden administration. In fact, President Biden signed the K-12 Cybersecurity Act of 2021 to equip elementary and secondary schools with strategies to combat cyberattacks.

Industry 4.0 – What is it, and how can manufacturers make it a reality in their operations? In this episode of To the Edge and Beyond, host Daniel Litwin talks with Hector Martinez, an industrial automation expert at Intel, about manufacturing challenges fueling the push towards Industry 4.0 and the technologies that are making Industry 4.0 possible.The need for Industry 4.0 solutions is a result of many factors including supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and rapidly changing customer demands. Adopting 4.0 solutions involves combining new technologies with legacy applications and allocating more power to edge computing, which can lower costs, improve resilience, and increase productivity. “Slowly but surely,” says Martinez, “manufacturers are realizing that incorporating the latest automation technologies will allow them to capitalize on all the data that gets generated during operations. Having this data will increase ease of use, reduce risk, and allow them to create more capable interfaces, algorithms, and models.”The switch to Industry 4.0 raises challenging questions. How do manufacturers:Maximize return on investments in legacy systems?Collect and use data effectively at the edge?Increase processing power and connectivity speeds?Address the demands of extreme industrial environments?According to Martinez, successful implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions depends on evaluating each manufacturer's needs and selecting a high-performing processor designed to excel at the edge. “The differentiator for this technology will be how flexible and easy it is to adopt and whether or not manufacturers can make efficient use of legacy applications and devices by incorporating edge solutions such as AI, digital twins, and robots,” says Martinez.“When you're in manufacturing, continuous improvement is part of the job, but the good news is that Industry 4.0 is within reach for most manufacturers.”To continue the conversation with Hector Martinez, connect with him on LinkedIn.Learn more about Intel's industrial automation solutions, visit:www.intel.com/iotwww.intel.com/industrialwww.intel.com/processorsSubscribe to this channel on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts to hear more from the Intel Internet of Things Group.

There is no better scenario to accelerate awareness for Indoor Air Quality, than a pandemic marked by the uncontrollable spread of an airborne pathogen. Parties ranging from policymakers to big box retail stores to residential complexes are faced with the growing concern of IAQ, specifically on how to maneuver their focus on this pressing issue. It is difficult to know, especially in such unchartered territories and unprecedented times, what investments make sense, what needs are true “needs”, and how this should inform larger strategies for safe facilities management.To offer insights on this hot topic, host Daniel Litwin, the voice of B2B, is joined by Garret Freeman, National Sales Manager at Polygon on this episode of Ideal Conditions, a Polygon Podcast. The two discuss the newfound focus on Indoor Air Quality in wake of the pandemic, starting with both the short and long-term effects of spending too much time inside on an individual's health and productivity. They then shift into how this directly intersects with the workloads and strategies of facilities managers. They also talk about the relationship between IoT and IAQ and how IoT technology be properly utilized to improve air quality. Freeman dives into how Polygon is using IoT, including technology like ExactAire that monitors environmental conditions inside buildings, to improve IAQ. Tune in for an insightful conversation!

Healthcare has plenty of potential pain points to go around, but one of the industry's longest-lasting is the proper use of immediate use steam sterilization (IUSS).The procedure, traditionally known as “flash sterilization,” offers the quickest possible time between an instrument's use and its ability to be used again. However, that benefit is countered by several key challenges.Notably, a lack of documentation and proper recordkeeping, specifically around the use of trays, and general concern about the efficacy of IUSS have led the AAMI to support minimal use of the practice, if it's used at all.However, IUSS does present some benefits. Medical professionals still like it in specific scenarios for its ability to keep tools available, offset supply drops or late arrival, and avoid contamination in the middle of a procedure.So, if it's to be used at all, how can the industry ensure it's being done in as safe a way as possible? Enter Censis Technologies.On this Censis Technologies podcast, Kelly Swails (MAOL, CRCST, CHL, CIS, CER, ST), Director of Clinical Services for Censis, joined host Daniel Litwin to break down how the company's CensiTrac solution can give medical professionals holistic insight into their processes and help them make the right decisions for each unique scenario.Interested in learning more about Censis Technologies' surgical asset management platform? Visit Censis.com.

Crafting a quality company culture is simple, right? If it were, every organization would boast.Creating quality and sustainable company culture in today's workplace environment may be one of the most challenging endeavors for organizations. Wavelengths tapped an expert to break down this topic and shed some light on what organizations can and must do to revitalize their cultural impact. Kirsti Tcherkoyan, CEO of 20/20 Insights, joined host Daniel Litwin to talk about company culture.20/20 Insights is a strategy and performance management platform offering an all-in-one solution for purpose-driven companies—their mission: to make every company a great place to work.Tcherkoyan said her company, 20/20 Insights, was born out of the need to bridge the gap between the work leadership teams believe is essential in an organization's strategic plan and what their employees are doing every day.With all that's going on in today's work environment, what did Tcherkoyan think was the biggest challenge?“The biggest thing that we're seeing that isn't new but is especially challenging is the fact that we have five generations of workers in the workplace today,” Tcherkoyan said.This mixture of generations came to a head during the pandemic. “The companies that were already focused on purpose and mission were a little bit farther ahead,” Tcherkoyan said. “But then we had the pandemic laid on top of it that just caused disruption from one end to another.”Tcherkoyan said many companies that struggled with defining their purpose recognize the importance of doing so because of the pandemic. “That causes them to dig deep, and in some cases that means some executives have to leave because their own personal values don't line up with the corporate values,” Tcherkoyan said. “It's brought deep, deep questioning and change to the workplace that we've never seen before.”

School safety is an umbrella with many different aspects underneath it. The evolution of this principle continues, as it has to include everything from natural disasters to violence to a pandemic. Providing insights on this shift, School Safety Today host Daniel Litwin spoke with the former superintendent of Santa Fe TX ISD, Dr. Leigh Wall. Dr. Wall recently retired after 43 years in public education, including 13 as a superintendent. “The school is more than a schoolhouse. The safety for the student, staff, and others is different now, reflecting changes in society,” Dr. Wall said.The fact that all stakeholders have a huge awareness of safety is in itself a shift. “School safety is ultimately more important for all. Before teaching and learning, we have to focus on safety,” Dr. Wall added. One way in which Texas schools attempted to modernize the issue was with State Bill 11, which passed in response to a 2018 shooting. Sponsors wrote it as a comprehensive safety bill that supported funding and initiatives relating to school safety. Speaking about SB 11, Dr. Wall said, “The key is the emergency operation plan requirement for all types, and that those plans must be dynamic. Auditing, as well as threat assessment teams, are part of it, too. It has interconnected layers to support students, teachers, staff, and the community.”What SB 11 doesn't precisely address is COVID-19. “Wellness is part of safety, and the pandemic put this into its scope. There are many new concerns, and schools need to have the right tools to deal with it because we have to address basic safety needs before learning,” Dr. Wall noted.

Healthcare has plenty of potential pain points to go around, but one of the industry's longest lasting is the proper use of immediate use steam sterilization, or IUSS. The procedure, traditionally known as “flash sterilization,” offers the quickest possible time between an instrument's use and its ability to be used again. However, that benefit is countered by several key challenges. Notably, a lack of documentation and proper recordkeeping, specifically around the use of trays, and general concern about the efficacy of IUSS have led the AAMI to support minimal use of the practice, if it's used at all. However, IUSS does present some benefits. Medical professionals still like it in specific scenarios for its ability to keep tools available, offset supply drops or late arrival, and avoid contamination in the middle of a procedure. So, if it's to be used at all, how can the industry ensure it's being done in as safe a way as possible? Enter Censis Technologies. On this Censis Technologies podcast, Kelly Swails (MAOL, CRCST, CHL, CIS, CER, ST), Director of Clinical Services for Censis, joined host Daniel Litwin to break down how the company's CensiTrac solution can give medical professionals holistic insight into their processes and help them make the right decisions for each unique scenario. Interested in learning more about Censis Technologies' surgical asset management platform? Visit Censis.com.

With so many different federal actions providing funding for schools to reopen this Fall, educators, administrators, and facility managers are struggling to understand the best way to take advantage of all of this assistance and how to center their strategies in thoughtful ways.Here to give insights on this episode of School Safety Today, a Raptor Technologies podcast is Dr. Paula Love, President, RFPMatch.com, The Funding Doctor. She talked with host Daniel Litwin, the Voice of B2B, about how to align funds to protect your school, details on grant application and submission, and how to create sustainability in your investments and maximize the use of funds. “What I see right now is a funding frenzy because you're trying to navigate all these funds and different fund names,” Love said. “Sometimes it's difficult to ascertain which grants are associated with different acts.” The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security) provided funds to the Department of Education called Education Stabilization Funds, which is the umbrella that oversees all funds. There are two pathways that K-12 schools can access: they are ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief) and GEER(Governor's Education Emergency Relief) funds. The ARP ESSER fund has set aside $123 billion in available funds to help K-12 schools safely reopen their doors, providing dollars for health screening tools, funds for learning loss, and additional resources to address the mental well-being of students impacted by the isolation of lockdown. GEER set aside $3 billion, which will use a governor's discretion for how they will use that money in their state. Listen to hear Dr. Love further break down the Coronavirus funding for schools.

Inaccessibility to low-cost health insurance is a fact of life for many people, as well as employers who want to offer part-time and 1099 workers solutions. Where can people turn to when they want affordable healthcare coverage? Charlie Geiselhart, CRO of Healthcare2U, spoke with Daniel Litwin about how more companies and people are considering new, out-of-the-box solutions.When faced with selecting a healthcare coverage plan for employees, companies may have options, but they may not always be viable. Healthcare2U is a membership-based, direct primary care organization that provides employers, brokers and patients with complete primary and urgent care nationwide.“From an employer's perspective, there are alternatives out there, but they're costly,” Geiselhart said. “The high-deductible plan's been out there for a long time. For an employee, it's expensive to buy coverage. It's expensive to use coverage. So, a lot of people are going without coverage.”Geiselhart said that, with all the choices available, it can be challenging to navigate the space. “The layperson doesn't understand how insurance operates, so what we've decided to do is do a lot of handholding through our coverage and our program that allows them to make one phone call and access care,” Geiselhart said.This access, Geiselhart said, is essential. When it comes to issues surrounding healthcare coverage, costs, etc., the average person wants help and needs advice and expertise regarding navigating a world they typically spend their time avoiding.Healthcare brokers recognize that they have traditional coverage offerings for many employers and employees. Still, those traditional offerings leave a large pool of people off the table. Those left outside looking in still want access to healthcare coverage.“There are a lot of brokers operating in the traditional sense, but there's new and exciting alternatives that a lot of brokers haven't explored,” Geiselhart said.Healthcare2U is one such possibility.

Inaccessibility to low-cost health insurance is a fact of life for many people, as well as employers who want to offer part-time and 1099 workers solutions. Where can people turn to when they want affordable healthcare coverage? Charlie Geiselhart, CRO of Healthcare2U, spoke with Daniel Litwin about how more companies and people are considering new, out-of-the-box solutions.When faced with selecting a healthcare coverage plan for employees, companies may have options, but they may not always be viable. Healthcare2U is a membership-based, direct primary care organization that provides employers, brokers and patients with complete primary and urgent care nationwide.“From an employer's perspective, there are alternatives out there, but they're costly,” Geiselhart said. “The high-deductible plan's been out there for a long time. For an employee, it's expensive to buy coverage. It's expensive to use coverage. So, a lot of people are going without coverage.”Geiselhart said that, with all the choices available, it can be challenging to navigate the space. “The layperson doesn't understand how insurance operates, so what we've decided to do is do a lot of handholding through our coverage and our program that allows them to make one phone call and access care,” Geiselhart said.This access, Geiselhart said, is essential. When it comes to issues surrounding healthcare coverage, costs, etc., the average person wants help and needs advice and expertise regarding navigating a world they typically spend their time avoiding.Healthcare brokers recognize that they have traditional coverage offerings for many employers and employees. Still, those traditional offerings leave a large pool of people off the table. Those left outside looking in still want access to healthcare coverage.“There are a lot of brokers operating in the traditional sense, but there's new and exciting alternatives that a lot of brokers haven't explored,” Geiselhart said.Healthcare2U is one such possibility.

Patients, now more than ever, want transparency, agency and access to care. After a global pandemic gave people new perspectives on the level of proactive and reactive care needed to stay healthy and in tune with their healthcare systems, healthcare systems are seeking positive innovations to meet those desires.Kezia Fitzgerald, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-founder of CareAline , understands the importance of those patient needs personally. Fitzgerald spoke with Daniel Litwin on how her healthcare journey led her and her husband to create CareAline, a medical supplies company that provides vascular products and personal protection solutions to healthcare organizations across the country.For Fitzgerald, creating this organization focused on patient-centric solutions was a passion born from her own experiences.“I was diagnosed with cancer in 2011, and, shortly after, my daughter was diagnosed with her own cancer,” Fitzgerald said. “So, we were sort of forced into the medical world. And we use that patient perspective when we're looking at problems in healthcare. Not only do we look at problems patients are facing, but we also look at problems that clinicians are facing day-to-day in their care of patients.”Something Fitzgerald noticed about some large medical product manufacturers is they may not always bring patient feedback into the product development conversation early enough.“A lot of times, they wait until a product has a minimal viable product,” Fitzgerald said. “They've built something, and then they want to try to test it on patients versus bringing those patients in when they're talking about the problem at the very beginning. Without bringing in those patients to the table at that time, you're losing an entire frame of perspective.”

On this episode of Unwrapped: A Foodservice Podcast, brought to you by SandenVendo, host Daniel Litwin talked with Mike Weisser, President & CEO, Joey Lavook, VP of Sales & Marketing and Brad Hutchison, Senior Business Development Manager.

On this episode of Unwrapped: A Foodservice Podcast, brought to you by SandenVendo, host Daniel Litwin talked with Mike Weisser, President & CEO, Joey Lavook, VP of Sales & Marketing and Brad Hutchison, Senior Business Development Manager.

The healthcare landscape is growing more complex seemingly by the day – and that was leading the industry down a dark path toward worried patients and overwhelmed physicians when it comes to the intricate web of payments, budgeting and operations.That's why Co-founder and President Ryan Coplon formed HealthWallet.The “health concierge” service offers a single app that includes plan info, prescription market information, telehealth, and much more, offering users “a suite of best-in-class digital healthcare technology features to bring convenience and transparency to the already complex and confusing healthcare system.”On the premiere episode of Digital Disruption, Coplon joined host Daniel Litwin to explore how HealthWallet came to be, as well as the challenges he's seen in the healthcare landscape that he hopes the company can answer and his forecast for future episodes of the show, which will continue to dive into difficult and challenging topics on the path toward better solutions.“HealthWallet, at its core, is a benefits-aggregation platform,” Coplon said. “It's a mobile-native technology system that aggregates a suite of benefits together and consolidates them.“We've taken a pretty complex digital healthcare ecosystem and created an intentionally easy to understand and utilize mobile platform that not only will aggregate benefits together into an environment that's easy to access for members and their families, but uses some proactive automation and technology to engage them in a timely way.”

Constant and reliable internet is a needed utility for modern society. But despite ongoing efforts to deploy broadband internet in beyond urban and suburban centers, rural communities remain underserved in this market. How does the historical growth of FTTH (fiber to the home) shape the rollout of fiber today, and how can businesses, state, local and federal governments support these communities to get internet access at scale? Rick Schiavinato, Sr. Director of National Sales for ABS, and Jeff Reiman, President of The Broadband Group, joined Wavelengths host Daniel Litwin to provide some answers to these questions. Reiman's father, Tom, the Broadband Group founder, was a part of the first fiber to the home project back in 1986. Now, 35 years later, the conversation is still about how to get fiber out to underserved communities. Reiman pointed out that a significant objectives of that first fiber network project was to get fiber into the homes of underserved areas. Clearly there is still a long road to go to make that dream a complete reality. The first big push for fiber networks began with municipalities and smaller players before large enterprise networks got involved. “The driving motivation for many regions outside the top 20 markets, which you might refer to as a tier 2 or tier 3 city, [is that] they were in a hard position,” Reiman said. “Consolidation of the industry was good for the large service providers, but it was not very good for the end-users.” “It's an interesting time in the fiber to the home space,” Schiavinato said. “You had a lot of companies that were driving that tier 2, tier 3 market with fiber to the home technology where the main areas, the main operators, were very much focused on legacy technologies and protocols.”

The healthcare landscape is growing more complex seemingly by the day – and that was leading the industry down a dark path toward worried patients and overwhelmed physicians when it comes to the intricate web of payments, budgeting and operations.That's why Co-founder and President Ryan Coplon formed HealthWallet.The “health concierge” service offers a single app that includes plan info, prescription market information, telehealth, and much more, offering users “a suite of best-in-class digital healthcare technology features to bring convenience and transparency to the already complex and confusing healthcare system.”On the premiere episode of Digital Disruption, Coplon joined host Daniel Litwin to explore how HealthWallet came to be, as well as the challenges he's seen in the healthcare landscape that he hopes the company can answer and his forecast for future episodes of the show, which will continue to dive into difficult and challenging topics on the path toward better solutions.“HealthWallet, at its core, is a benefits-aggregation platform,” Coplon said. “It's a mobile-native technology system that aggregates a suite of benefits together and consolidates them.“We've taken a pretty complex digital healthcare ecosystem and created an intentionally easy to understand and utilize mobile platform that not only will aggregate benefits together into an environment that's easy to access for members and their families, but uses some proactive automation and technology to engage them in a timely way.”

The modern consumer is one that no longer views interaction and engagement as a luxury – it's now an expectation for doing business with an organization, particularly in retail and hospitality.Consumers are looking for elevated engagement and end-to-end, holistic experiences, and that means, for those retailers and hospitality organizations, turning to visual and interactive experiences.On this episode of To the Edge and Beyond, brought to you by Intel's Internet of Things Group, host Daniel Litwin was joined by IoT Group Technical Lead Ben Cope and Technical Lead, Multimodal Analytics Sangeeta Ghangam. The trio tackled the challenges facing these industries in conducting those now-critical digital transformations – and what Intel and the IoT Group are doing to help.“Digitization has multiple trends in the different verticals that Intel IoT serves,” Cope said. “There's one direction of increasing operational efficiency, and another angle is the ‘wow' factor and the experiential [aspect of a business].”Operational efficiency goals can be met with solutions like self-service kiosks and other solutions that free up staff members to play other roles, while the experiential side requires more impactful solutions, such as large LED video walls or interactive smart mirrors in retail fitting rooms.Intel's solutions are designed to help organizations engage with these solutions and with the multimodal aspect of today's holistic technology suites.“The multimodality of that digital aspect is becoming more and more prominent, now,” Ghangam said. “The expectation is that the interaction has to be done in more than one way, which leads to a type of processing that has to comprehend the different data sources.”Learn more about how Intel is working to guide hospitality and retail organizations through their digital transformations by connecting with Cope and Ghangam on LinkedIn. Suggested further reading on the topics discussed:11th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/products/docs/processors/core/11th-gen-processors.html OneAPI Toolkit https://software.intel.com/content/www/us/en/develop/tools/oneapi.htmlIntel® IOT Market Ready Solutions https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/internet-of-things/market-ready-solutions/market-ready-solutions.html Touchless Technologies for Kiosks and Vending Machines https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/internet-of-things/iot-solutions/kiosk/resources/touchless-technologies-whitepaper.html COVID-19: Re-Imagining Life in a Post Pandemic World https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/internet-of-things/reimagining-life-cities-ebook.htmlBenchmarking metrics for anonymous video analytics (Queen Mary University) http://ava.eecs.qmul.ac.uk/

A year after the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the way we live and work, a glimmer of hope lies on the horizon. Cases in the United States are dropping, and the vaccine rollout is well underway.As a result, many of us can't help but look back on where we started. How has the pandemic affected the industrial manufacturing and broadband industries? What have we learned?Here to discuss these topics with host Daniel Litwin is Barry Holt, Vice President of Global Cable Operations at Amphenol Broadband Solutions.A National Association of Manufacturers survey found that almost 80% of manufacturers expected the pandemic to hurt their business, especially in operations, workforce reduction and the impact of a global recession. However, Amphenol has come out from the worst of it relatively unscathed.Holt largely attributed it to the company's strict adoption of health and safety measures after the initial lockdown in China throughout its global facilities.“We realized that it could be terrible if we had an outbreak that hit the plant, and we could be shut down for long periods of time,” he said as he looked back on the actions the organization took last year. “The biggest thing was not fighting the process and taking it to the extremes from day one.”Although there was some pushback in the early stages of the pandemic, soon enough, Amphenol employees were grateful for the stringent measures that were put in place – especially in countries with more lax safety guidelines.“A lot of the feedback we got from people as it got worse was that they felt a lot safer at work than they did at home or on public transportation or out in their daily lives,” Holt said. “I think that was because of the different approaches countries took, and people looked at work and thought, ‘I feel safe at work because everything's being contained.'”If you enjoyed this episode of Wavelengths, visit Amphenol Broadband Solutions' website for more content and interviews with industry experts and thought leaders.

On this episode of Champions of Care, a Champion Chair podcast and your leading source for industry-leading insights and thought leadership about medical seating and more, BSA LifeStructures' Jen Worley and Karen Tobin joined host Daniel Litwin to outline how access to more informative and actionable data has elevated the way healthcare design promotes healing, learning and discovery.BSA LifeStructures focuses on integrating data into the design process, helping designers craft progressive and sustainable structures that help designers achieve those core goals.“Our mission has always been to partner with our clients and be a national leader in healing, learning and discovery, with the ultimate goal to improve lives,” Worley said. “We're really excited about continuing that mission and being a part of this generation going forward.”In today's world, that means helping designers navigate the ever-growing world of technological innovation and the overwhelming amount of data those innovations produce to craft the right space for the right purpose.To identify the relevant metrics per project, BSA LifeStructures looks to each market, in this case healthcare, to create a set of metrics that matter, or central metrics that can guide design. Then, for each project, more specific metrics can be selected in additional sessions.In the realm of treatment spaces for oncology, biologics, and other infusion treatments, Worley and Tobin said there are some “givens” for these environments, such as infection control, ease of cleaning, and more. From there, specific environments and goals can help inform the specification of all of the medical seating.

In part two of the podcast, Daniel Litwin, Jen Worley and Karen Tobin dove into how certain design elements can help patients return to medical facilities and re-engage with routine healthcare, even in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It's about crafting a space that supports peace of mind and a sense of safety, and environmental cues can contribute to that atmosphere. Getting people back to the built environment will require a "people-first" approach. "A sense of control is really essential to an individual's well-being," Worley said. "I think, now more than ever, a people-based approach to choice and control is essential to getting people back to the built environment, and that really goes all down to the experience. Experience now matters more than ever." Built environments and healthcare spaces need to provide patients a path toward enough safety and comfort to resume getting the care and exams they need, even in the uncertain environment left in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. "A lot of what we do as healthcare designers in those spaces, we've already been doing," Tobin said. "So, it's really about infection control when it comes to material selection. ... But, now, it's about having people who are inhabiting those spaces really understand what's behind those selections." For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Healthcare Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Right around the 25th anniversary of Internet Explorer, Microsoft announces the final end to the company's hallmark proprietary browser. To take its place, Microsoft offers a new version of Edge, the browser powered by Google open source software, Chromium. Though these changes won't take effect immediately, the phase out plan eliminates Internet Explorer use completely by August 17, 2021. Business Casual takes a look at the end of a Microsoft era and what it means for the future of internet browsing.According to The Independent, Microsoft's complete move to a Google fueled browser may have larger ramifications. Google's Chromium already powers a number of leading browsers. Adding to the Chromium arsenal gives Google more influence over browser best practices like new features, usability, and privacy practices.Join hosts Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern on this Business Casual snippet as they consider how the thinning of the browser market will impact users and tech giants. As more browsers gather under one umbrella, for there to be any further shake-ups, it may be up to users to demand what they value in a browser, or more realistically, another major tech company with the resources and capital to challenge Google's dominance.

Apple's products have been so well designed, the company has acquired over a billion users. With that captive audience, Apple keeps users from straying by creating a single point of sale--the app store. The cost of reaching Apple's consumer base? A 30% commission.Epic Games claims this is a monopoly that squelches healthy competition, and the game developers have taken a series of theatrical actions to draw attention to the issue. Epic began by coding in an in-app payment system that sidestepped the app store commission, a direct breach of app store rules. After their popular game, Fortnite, was banned from the store, the company turned to its fan base with a video asking to align with their cause. As Apple now faces a lawsuit from Epic Games, fans of the two massive companies may find themselves torn. Who is in the right to be making demands and setting the rules? Could the standoff between the two companies trickle down to benefit smaller developers and consumers, or is this all just a money grab? Daniel Litwin & Tyler Kern break it down and give their thoughts on this snippet from Business Casual.

On this episode of Champions of Care, a Champion Chair podcast, host Daniel Litwin and Champion Manufacturing Product Support Manager Melissa Hirth sat down for a discussion on the importance of proper sanitization and disinfection of medical equipment in the wake of the spread of COVID-19. These practices extend to chairs and medical recliners like the ones Champion provides, and keeping up with best practices to ensure they're cleaned thoroughly and regularly can aid the world's front-line response to the pandemic. It's also critical, Hirth said, to choose equipment designed with infection prevention in mind. “Nurses and doctors are not used to this level of disinfection on products that really should be thrown away after each use,” she said. “Because COVID-19 is such a rapidly evolving situation with constant development of new or even conflicting information – I can tell you that a lot of the studies confirm that the detection of the virus on surfaces (lasts) for hours or sometimes even days, depending on the surface. “So proper disinfection and choosing medical equipment that has those infection-prevention measures is more important than ever.” Also important, Hirth said, is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, as both are critically important. Hirth labeled cleaning as “the actual removal of dirt and grime from a surface,” adding that it helps remove allergens, microorganisms, and more. Though it helps remove germs, it doesn't actually kill them. Disinfection, then, refers to “killing a high percentage of germs on a surface, which renders them incapable of reproducing.” Sanitization simply lowers the number of germs on a surface, and sterilization is the most extreme form of removal, removing essentially all types of life on a surface. Cleaning should happen before disinfection, Hirth said, to remove barriers in front of a disinfectant's ability to get to the germs it's targeting. Champion also engineers its chairs for aiding in infection control, listening to clients to develop strategies that help them more efficiently and thoroughly clean their products. To that end, Champion chairs feature: Swing-Away Arms Quick-Release Seat (Removable with No Tools) Access to Every Surface of the Chair Replacement Covers Gasketed Heat and Massage Components

On this episode of Champions of Care, a Champion Chair podcast, host Daniel Litwin was joined by Jonathan Massey, CCRN Regional Account Manager, Champion Manufacturing. After sharing a bit about his own journey toward becoming a registered nurse, Massey and Litwin focused in on the challenges nurses face not only during “normal” operation, but during elevated periods of intensity such as the one that's been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. “One of the main issues that's currently affecting not only nurses, but putting a general strain on our healthcare system, is a lack of materials (and testing kits) specifically for the COVID-19 virus,” Massey said. “Because of the lack of appropriate materials, it's making it very hard to appropriately test and diagnose patients. … There are potentially patients that are infected that can go under the radar.” Litwin and Massey also highlighted the need for additional materials among nurses, such as proper masks and other protective equipment, and a lack of adequate and appropriately trained staff that is now being exposed by the spread of the novel coronavirus, particularly in ancillary specialties like respiratory conditions. On an individual level, practicing social distancing and following stay-at-home orders, both formal and informal, can help reduce the spread of the virus and help the nation's healthcare industry keep pace until more systemic changes can be implemented after the fact. Litwin and Massey also dove into how Champion is supporting and educating the healthcare industry, facilitating quality treatment and aiding caregivers and clinical professionals in delivering better patient outcomes. For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Healthcare Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Matt Weismiller, CEO of Champion Chair, joined host Daniel Litwin on the first episode of Champions of Care to discuss the unique relationships that develop in the B2B side of healthcare, and what the ROI is of elevating your partnerships and your customer service in the industry. Weismiller's company is an industry leader in medical seating solutions, and Weismiller explained what his company does that goes beyond creating a necessary product. “Being an expert supplier, or expert provider, is something you earn over time,” Weismiller said. “It's important to lead in a consultative manner when you engage with a client. You can take a client through the capabilities your company has to offer that go beyond the capital product that you offer.” How does a company shift its behavior from one where product sales are the most crucial goal for the company to one where long-term customer relationships and sales are most valued? Weismiller said it's about earning the trust of the customer and building relationships that last a long time, not a one-time sale. Weismiller's used this approach throughout his career, and it's the same solution-based, customer-focused model he brings to the culture at Champion Chair. “I believe most companies are at their best form when they're not just producing products as a commodity, but when they provide the product with services and capabilities that make it turnkey for the customer,” he said. In an environment such as a healthcare setting, keeping up with technology can be a challenge. Healthcare services rely on the expertise of providers to keep up with the latest product solutions and bring those solutions to their customers. Weismiller said the journey to becoming a solutions-based product company doesn't happen overnight, but is a trip that is worth taking.