Receiving a Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant is an exciting milestone for any organization working to close the digital divide. But long after the last mile of fiber is installed or low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite capacity is available to an eligible location, subgrantees still have critical compliance obligations to fulfill. One of the […]
Read More… from Record retention requirements for BEAD: What subgrantees need to know
When applying for federal broadband grants, many applicants look to leverage existing infrastructure assets to meet cost-sharing requirements. One of the most common — and most misunderstood — assets used as in-kind match is the indefeasible right of use (IRU) for fiber optic infrastructure. Getting the valuation right is not just a best practice; the […]
Read More… from Verifying fiber IRU valuations as in-kind match: What you need to know
Properly valuing existing assets used as in-kind match is one of the most important compliance requirements for BEAD subgrantees. Federal regulations establish clear standards for how these contributions must be calculated and documented; failure to comply with those requirements can result in rejected match contributions or otherwise jeopardize your funding request. How do you value […]
By Jacob Levin and Joanne Hovis While headlines focus on massive hyperscale data centers in remote locations, a quieter but significant infrastructure shift is unfolding closer to home. Smaller AI computing centers are beginning to appear deep in America’s towns and cities—at existing telecommunications facilities, at the base of cell towers, and even at power […]
Why performance testing is so critical for BEAD-funded LEO projects: What states and localities need to know By Ziggy Rivkin-Fish, V.P. Broadband Strategy, CTC Technology & Energy February 23, 2026 The BEAD Final Proposals are all in—and a significant share of states’ BEAD funding has been awarded to low-Earth orbit (LEO) providers. Given how many […]
February 2026 As state broadband offices finalize their BEAD awards and spend the last of their ARPA funds, local government leaders have a clear view of the new federally funded broadband infrastructure coming to their communities. But in cities and rural communities alike, that federal funding will not deliver robust terrestrial broadband service to every […]