SCTE TechExpo25 Wrap-Day One

In this SCTE TechExpo25 podcast, Lightwave is tracking the key highlights of the first day of the cable industry's major trade show.

Key Highlights

  • FCC commissioners Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty shared their perspectives on broadband affordability, the BEAD program, and permitting reforms.
  • State broadband leaders from Georgia, Kentucky, and Minnesota discussed how they are adjusting to NTIA’s changes to the BEAD program.
  • A new study by NCTA, Chumra, and S&P Global highlights cable industry’s role in job creation and broadband deployment, serving 80 million subscribers in 2024.
  • Wyandotte, Michigan’s WMS exemplifies community-led broadband success through a partnership with Synamedia, balancing legacy and next-gen devices.
  • The SCTE TechExpo25 coverage offers a comprehensive look at industry trends, policy updates, and innovative regional strategies shaping broadband’s future.

In this SCTE TechExpo25 podcast, we’re tracking several key news items:

· FCC commissioners’ perspective: Anna Gomez and Olivia Trusty, gave their views on broadband, the BEAD program, affordability and efforts to streamline permitting processes to expand broadband.

· State broadband office perspectives: Leaders of the broadband offices of Georgia, Kentucky, and Minnesota shared key insights into how they are adapting to NTIA’s changes to the BEAD program.

· Cable industry trends: NCTA, in a new study conducted in partnership with Chumra and S&P Global, found that cable’s broadband and video drives are creating new economic opportunities in terms of job growth across multiple segments. In 2024, the cable industry delivered 59% of all fixed internet connections, serving 80 million broadband subscribers nationwide.

· Case Studies: Wyandotte, Michigan’s Wyandotte Municipal Services (WMS), a community-owned provider in Wyandotte, Michigan, finds orchestration balance across legacy and next-generation devices through its partnership with Synamedia.

Finally, if you want to get a bigger picture of how Lightwave is covering the TechExpo25 show, you can check out our coverage page: SCTE TechExpo25 special report.

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

About the Author

Sean Buckley

Sean Buckley

Sean is the Editor-in-Chief of Lightwave. He establishes and executes Lightwave's editorial strategy across its website, email newsletters, events, and other information products. Before coming to Lightwave in July 2023, he served as editor of Broadband Communities. Earlier, he served as senior editor of FierceTelecom and the editor of the former Telecommunications Magazine. He got his start in the optical industry in 1998 when he became the editor of enterprise and optical networks at Information Gatekeepers. He has a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and lives in Dracut, Mass, with his wife, two sons, and his cat, Dove. 

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