Broadband Breakfast on June 11, 2025 – How Tribal Broadband Has Progressed

Tribal communities have long faced steep barriers to broadband access - from remote geography to historical underinvestment. But recent years have marked a turning point, as both federal and state programs have begun to prioritize Tribal connectivity through funding, technical assistance, and collaborative partnerships. Many Tribal Nations have begun to build and operate networks that reflect their own needs and sovereignty. From successful deployments on tribal lands to capacity-building efforts and intergovernmental partnerships, what progress has been made - and what remains to be done?

Panelists

• Isak Finer, Chief Revenue Officer, COS Systems
• Mike Edl, Vice President of Network Operations, Bonfire Infrastructure Group
• Keith Ponton, Director, Global Telecoms & Media Cabinet Leader, Arcadis
• Rob Griffin, Tribal Broadband Director, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
• Drew Clark (moderator), CEO and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast

Isak Finer is the CRO at COS Systems, the company behind the BSS/OSS platform COS Business Engine automating operations of fiber networks. Isak is regularly speaking on Demand Aggregation, Open Access Networks and automation of network operations. He has previously worked with business development, sales analysis and sales management at a number of global companies. He holds an MSc degree in Industrial Engineering and Management at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and has further academic experience within economics and entrepreneurship from Uppsala University, and US universities Stanford and Berkeley.  

With over three decades in telecom, Mike Edl has become one of the most trusted operational leaders in the industry. He’s led everything from service delivery and customer care to network engineering and field operations—supporting both local providers and some of the nation’s largest carriers. His leadership journey includes key roles at Saddleback Communications, ImOn, Hawaiian Telcom, and McLeodUSA. Now at Bonfire, Mike oversees operations for all open access networks, bringing reliable broadband to underserved communities and tribal nations across the country.

Keith Ponton joined Arcadis in 2014 and currently leads the firm’s Broadband Consulting and Managed Services practice - Woven.  He was appointed as Global Cabinet Leader for Arcadis’ Telecoms and Media Technology practice in April of last year. Keith came to the organization with over 25 years of telecommunications and information communication technology experience across engineering, sales, product management, marketing and executive level management functions. He has worked with municipalities, First Nations,  transit agencies, utilities, carriers, and vendors, developing strategic plans based on needs assessments, devising strategies for monetizing technology investments, services and product differentiation through market analysis and competitive positioning.

Rob Griffin serves as the Tribal Broadband Director for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, where he leads broadband strategy and infrastructure development to expand digital access across the Nation’s territory. A proud member of the Choctaw Nation, Mr. Griffin brings over 20 years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing technology-driven solutions that connect communities across the United States and globally. Throughout his career, Mr. Griffin has partnered with Tribal, Federal, and State governments.

Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission. As CEO and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.