In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Andy Lipman—a telecom industry trailblazer whose legal and regulatory work helped open the door to competition and laid the groundwork for the modern internet. From his early days in transportation deregulation to leading the charge against the Bell monopoly, Andy has been at the center of telecom’s most pivotal moments.
Their conversation spans the antitrust battles of the 1980s, the rise of MFS and Teleport, and Andy’s role in coining the term “CLEC” and shaping the 1996 Telecommunications Act. He shares stories about industry giants like Bill McGowan, Jim Crowe, and Bernie Ebbers, and explains how regulatory fights over interconnection fueled the explosion of internet infrastructure. Dan and Andy also talk about the dot-com bust, the legacy of WorldCom, and how today’s fiber and broadband boom traces directly back to that earlier era. They wrap by looking ahead—discussing fiber overbuilds, Starlink, and the future of telecom as critical infrastructure.
Whether you’re a policy nerd or a broadband junkie, this one’s packed with insider stories and lessons that still matter today.
Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: dan-caruso.com/book
To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com
