Nicole Ferraro

Writer, Editor & Storyteller

United States

Hi, I'm Nicole. I'm a writer and storyteller based in NYC where I've worked as a tech journalist and editor in b2b and consumer media for 15+ years.

Today I cover broadband and the digital divide for Light Reading, where I also host "The Divide" on the Light Reading Podcast.

Pre-pandemic, I hosted/performed in many live storytelling shows, including an award-winning solo show "Why So Much Shame?" I also created and ran Art, Humanity & Action: a series of live events, podcasts, and workshops to humanize policy issues and raise funds for local organizing.

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Portfolio

Features + Reporting

Light Reading
11/04/2022
New York says FCC map missing over 31,000 locations

The state said the initial iteration of the FCC's broadband map undercounts New York's digital divide by 31,000 locations. The FCC will debut a first draft of the new map this month.

Light Reading
08/26/2022
Meter wants to be the AWS of commercial connectivity

'We just think spaces should come with Internet infrastructure,' said Anil Varanasi, CEO of Meter, a startup with $50 million in funding to change how commercial spaces get connected.

Light Reading
08/25/2022
Study highlights impact of 'digital redlining'

The research, which focuses on broadband access in Philadelphia, comes as the FCC is considering policy recommendations and rules changes to eliminate 'digital discrimination.'

Light Reading
08/12/2022
'Thanks guys, great quarter'

A list of Light Reading's coverage of Q2 2022 earnings calls, and whether or not women participated on each one.

Light Reading
07/08/2022
ISPs, consumer advocates disagree on 'digital discrimination'

The FCC's recently closed public comment period on the state of "digital discrimination" in the US highlights a rift between advocacy organizations and Internet service providers (ISPs), with the latter group in defensive mode over a practice some ISPs say doesn't exist.

Light Reading
06/28/2022
New York broadband map reveals disparities

A report released this month finds that 97.4% of New York is considered "served" by high-speed Internet access (at least 100/20 Mbit/s) from two providers or more. But a closer look at the data reveals deeper disparities, including a lack of competition and affordable options in various regions of the state.

Broadband World News
03/04/2022
After 'unfortunate delay,' CostQuest will make US broadband map

The GAO denied a protest brought by LightBox, permitting the FCC to move forward with CostQuest as the US broadband map maker. But LightBox's CEO said a 'key element' of its protest wasn't considered and the company may pursue further legal paths.

Broadband World News
03/02/2022
Senators probe Raimondo on broadband maps she doesn't oversee

At a hearing on Tuesday, senators pressed Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on the department's prep work to distribute tens of billions of dollars in broadband grants, and when the FCC will finish the national broadband map needed to get the process started.

Broadband World News
02/25/2022
FCC starts process to stop digital redlining

According to a draft notice of inquiry, the federal agency will soon invite public comments on how to write its rules in order to eliminate and regulate digital discrimination.

Broadband World News
02/14/2022
10M US households signed up for monthly broadband subsidy

The Broadband World News community site is intended for ultra-broadband network operators, ISPs, content and video service providers, regulators, investors and municipal/smart city network developers who must ensure that they are up to date with all of the technology, services, standards and strategic developments impacting the high-speed broadband access network sector.

Broadband World News
01/27/2022
FCC moves forward with broadband nutrition labels

The agency is mandated by the Biden administration's infrastructure law to adopt regulations for easy-to-understand labels that allow consumers to comparison shop for broadband services.

Broadband World News
01/11/2022
Alan Davidson confirmed as NTIA chief

Davidson's confirmation comes not a moment too soon, with the federal agency he now heads responsible for $48 billion in state broadband grant funding.

Broadband World News
12/27/2021
NYC housing developments get people-powered broadband

Through the de Blasio administration's Internet Master Plan, local firms BlocPower and People's Choice Communications (PCC) are delivering low-cost broadband by and for the people of New York.

Broadband World News
11/17/2021
Rosenworcel fields questions on FCC's broadband map in Senate hearing

In a confirmation hearing before the US Senate today, FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel discussed the agency's crucial work on broadband mapping and said it has selected a bidder for the national broadband serviceable location fabric.

Broadband World News
11/09/2021
Commerce Sec promises Fed oversight on state broadband plans

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said at a White House press briefing that closing the digital divide will be a 'massive undertaking' and shared details on oversight plans and requirements for state funding.

Broadband World News
10/14/2021
FCC vacancies threaten to derail US broadband plans

Without a permanent chair or adequate staff, and at risk of losing its Democratic majority, the FCC will fail to make meaningful progress on crucial broadband programs, a former agency official warns.

Broadband World News
10/01/2021
The Divide: How broadband impacts public health

Interview with digital health equity consultant Dr. Amy Sheon on the impact of the digital divide on public health, how health policy and broadband policy need to intersect in order to address this problem and more.

Broadband World News
09/21/2021
Experimental 'RFoF' broadband goes live in rural Missouri

Residents of Turney, Missouri – a village in Clinton County – have a new way to connect to the Internet. And stakeholders hope the experiment will help tackle the digital divide in the rural area.

Broadband World News
09/09/2021
The Divide: New map shows 60M Americans lack Internet

On this episode, we hear from Eric Frank, CEO of LightBox, a real estate information and technology platform, on the company's new nationwide Internet connectivity map. While the FCC's most recent estimate shows 14.5 million Americans lacking Internet access, LightBox today puts that number at a much larger 60 million, or one in six Americans.

Broadband World News
08/30/2021
How do Americans view broadband? It's complicated

A new survey from Allconnect shows that 87% of Americans consider Internet access an 'essential' utility, but only 16% call universal broadband access a top priority.

Light Reading
08/26/2021
States set dates for closing their digital divides

When the US Congress eventually gets an infrastructure package to President Biden's desk, it will contain $65 billion for broadband, the country's most significant investment in Internet infrastructure to date. But several states aren't waiting around for that influx of cash to make multi-million-dollar investments toward closing their digital divides.

Broadband World News
05/20/2021
FCC cheers 1M EBB signups as ISPs reportedly take advantage

The FCC asserts that over 900 broadband providers have signed up to participate in the program, but some customers seeking the subsidy say that ISPs are trying to push them into higher-priced packages.

Broadband World News
04/15/2021
White House report cards reveal top and bottom of the broadband class

As the Biden/Harris administration continues to seek and build support for its $2 trillion American Jobs Plan, the White House issued a series of report cards for individual states, grading their overall infrastructure and outlining weaknesses in specific categories, including broadband.

Broadband World News
03/23/2021
The FCC wants to know how bad your broadband is

As part of a new data collection effort on broadband service and availability in the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is going right to the people for details on their experience.

Broadband World News
01/22/2021
Pop goes Loon

No doubt this was an ambitious and laudable project to connect people in the hardest-to-reach places, but that a Google/Alphabet company can't find the means to keep such an important service alive is disappointing and doesn't bode well for companies' collective will to do what's necessary to address the digital divide.

Samsung Next - Component
12/15/2020
The year 5G finally arrived

Work is underway to expand 5G networks in the United States. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, for example, have been racing to rebuild their networks at the edge in order to enable the low-latencies and ultra-high-speeds that 5G promises.

Broadband World News
12/01/2020
NYC's Verizon settlement furthers the 'Master Plan'

Following a legal battle, the City of New York and Verizon have come to an agreement that requires Verizon to expand broadband service to 500,000 of the city's households.

Dark Reading
10/30/2020
SANS Launches New CyberStart Program for All High School Students

K-12 computer science teacher Scott Dooley a few years ago was facing a conundrum: he saw massive job growth in cybersecurity and a pipeline of great entry-level jobs, but he couldn't find the right resources or content to connect his students with the opportunities to truly learn cybersecurity and gain an interest in the field.

Samsung Next - Component
10/07/2020
Rebuilding telco networks

As we move toward a future of endless applications that demand accelerated processing and ultra-low latency - for everything from VR and AR consumption to autonomous vehicles, personalized retail, real-time health diagnostics and beyond - telcos are seizing the opportunity to reimagine their network architecture and rebuild for the emerging edge computing opportunity.

Dark Reading
10/05/2020
'Virtual Cyber Carnival' Kicks off Cybersecurity Awareness Month

A new initiative will run throughout the month of October, invites the general public to play cybersecurity games (and win fabulous prizes). What are your plans for Cybersecurity Awareness Month: changing your passwords, attending a few webinars, upgrading your firewall? How about spending the month playing games in a virtual Cyber Carnival?

Dark Reading
09/25/2020
RASP 101: Staying Safe With Runtime Application Self-Protection

The dream of RASP is to empower applications to protect themselves. How close do current implementations get to living the dream? Here's what to know. One of the hopeful appsec solutions to emerge in the past decade is runtime application self-protection (RASP).

Dark Reading
08/20/2020
Smart-Lock Hacks Point to Larger IoT Problems

Two recent reports on smart-locks vulnerabilities show that IoT vendors have a bigger job to do in ensuring their products are safely deployed and configured. According to Grand View Research, the global smart-lock market size was valued at $1.2 billion in 2019, with over 7 million devices sold that year alone.

Dark Reading
07/08/2020
As More People Return to Travel Sites, So Do Malicious Bots

Attacks against travel-related websites are on the rise as the industry begins to slowly recover from COVID-19, new data shows. With summer holidays, long weekends, and relaxed restrictions on staying at home, the suffering travel industry is seeing some reemerging signs of life: organic visits to car rental websites have grown by 285% since April 1 after a significant drop in traffic during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Dark Reading
05/07/2020
Malicious Bots Infiltrate Online Food Delivery

With grocery delivery in higher demand than ever, new add-ons have emerged to secure slots for consumers, presenting a new pathway for bad bots to wreak havoc. In the strange new era of COVID-19, securing a grocery delivery slot can sometimes feel like hitting the lottery.

Podcasts

Light Reading
01/01/2022
Playlist: "The Divide" on the Light Reading Podcast

"The Divide" is an interview series I host for Light Reading about how to end the digital divide with better policies and business practices. Here's a running list of episodes.

Personal Essays + Storytelling

The New York Times
08/18/2015
Grandma 1, West Nile Virus 0

At 16, my friends and I were savoring summer’s final moments. We wandered Whitestone’s desolate streets, sweating through winter garb, as helicopters doused our town with pesticides.

The Story Collider Magazine
08/09/2012
Awake

I blinked my eyes open. Early morning sunlight sneaked through the blinds on my window, casting a glow on the mess on my floor. Sitting up, I saw my bedroom in complete disarray. There were ripped Hefty bags and stuffed animals spanning twenty-four years strewn across my rug...

Modern Loss
06/15/2016
Constantly Craving Loss

Dad died when I was 6, and life went on seemingly undeterred. All these years later, I find myself envious of those who have the chance to mourn.

The Artichoke Storytelling Series
11/25/2019
Guilt Trip (video)

Personal storytelling filmed live at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, NY.

Videos (Writing)