The Divide: Study examines service providers' plans and priorities for bridging broadband gaps

This episode features Alan Breznick, senior analyst with Heavy Reading. He joins the show to discuss the results of a recent survey about the global broadband industry's plans for closing the digital divide, including which technologies providers are prioritizing for their buildouts, what they're looking for from vendors, the role of government subsidies – and more.

Here are just a few topics discussed in this episode:

• Background on the study (1:28)
• What the study showed about the current state of broadband infrastructure (2:03)
• The role government funding is playing in spurring deployments (2:57)
• Why some operators are not pursuing government grants (5:14)
• The importance of subsidies for middle-mile buildouts (8:54)
• Operators' priorities when selecting vendors for their network builds (11:54)
• Which technologies operators are using for last-mile deployments (15:34)

Related stories and links:

• Episode transcript (unedited PDF)
• Bridging the Digital Divide | Heavy Reading survey
• Bridging the Digital Divide Symposium | Heavy Reading registration link
• NTIA receives $5.5B in grant requests for $1B middle mile fund
• US-made products for middle mile builds 'not available' – NTIA
• Playlist: 'The Divide' on the Light Reading Podcast

— Nicole Ferraro, editor, Light Reading, and host of "​​The Divide" podcast.