Digital Infrastructure and AI in Two Stops

Typically, when I’m on the road, I split my time between sharing what’s happening in Washington (DC) and gathering information on what’s happening in the field. But the conversations during my recent two-stop swing were unexpectedly different. To be clear, we still did the “DC update,” compared notes on operational issues, and talked a lot about the interaction of the two. That’s so valuable, and I can’t pass up those opportunities. Hearing how people are running into permitting barriers, managing dynamic supply chains, and trying to navigate regulatory uncertainty in policy and funding decisions is critical to making good, fact-based arguments and developing credible positions on key issues. But this week’s visits generated unexpected and super-helpful conversations on strategic issues surrounding the deployment and use of AI—both by broadband providers in their own operations and as enabled by them for other users. Of course, AI is on everyone’s minds these days inside and out of telecommunications, but these conversations were next-level in their depth and gave me a lot to ponder as I headed home.