Fiber For Breakfast Week 50: Dr. Christopher Ali on the Next Era of Rural Broadband

Fiber For Breakfast Week 50: Dr. Christopher Ali on the Next Era of Rural Broadband 

This week on Fiber for Breakfast, Gary welcomed Dr. Christoper Ali, professor, author of Farm Fresh Broadband, and one of the broadband industry’s most influential voices on rural connectivity, digital equity, and the politics of infrastructure. The conversation covered everything from BEAD progress and non-deployment funds to the challenges facing Tribal communities and the critical role of middle-mile networks. 

Dr. Ali opened with a look at how he entered the broadband space, sharing that his early work focused on local journalism and rural communication. But once he began researching connectivity for agricultural communities, the bigger picture quickly emerged. “Agriculture communication is just one element of something much larger called rural broadband,” he said. “That became my way in — figuring out how we improve networks and communication patterns at the local level because my work has always been invested in people and communities.” 

Gary and Dr. Ali discussed the progress of BEAD final proposal approvals, with Dr. Ali noting that while momentum is strong, concerns remain. He praised states prioritizing fiber but emphasized lingering risks around subsidizing LEO technologies and the loss of non-deployment funds following the termination of the Digital Equity Act. “Pennsylvania alone is forfeiting around $300 million; Virginia nearly $800 million. This is tremendous money that could improve people’s lives,” he said, urging states to fight harder to retain funds that are “legally and morally theirs.” 

Gary highlighted the relationship between high-performance connectivity and AI adoption, noting recent research showing dramatic gaps between fiber users and those on lower-quality connections. Dr. Ali agreed and stressed that broadband policy can’t be reduced to speed threshold alone. He pointed to multi-user households and shared living environments where even moderate speeds fall short, making speed an unreliable measure of whether a home is meaningfully served.  

The conversation then turned to wireless and fiber, where Dr. Ali voiced appreciation for complimentary infrastructure strategies.  Quoting Deb Socia, he noted, “Wireless is just one wire less.” Fiber remains the backbone of all networks, and pushing it as deep as possible, he said, is essential.  

Both Gary and Dr. Ali emphasized the urgent need for robust, future-proof connectivity for Tribal Nations. Dr. Ali warned against settling for “just give them something” approaches calling that mindset a replication of colonial infrastructure thinking. Middle-mile capacity, he argued, remains one of the biggest barriers for Tribal and remote communities. 

Gary closed the session by asking about Dr. Ali’s forthcoming book, Where the Wires End: Stories from the Digital Divide. Dr. Ali shared that the book captures real-work experiences from people across the country who reached out after Farm Fresh Broadband, underscoring that broadband is ultimately about people — their lives, their opportunities, and their stories.  

Click here to watch the full interview.