BEAD

BEAD Applicants Urged to Think Beyond End Users for Revenue

Telecom experts highlight telehealth, education, and agriculture as key opportunities.

Jericho Casper

Jan 27, 2025 — 2 min read

Screenshot of FBCA event, top left to bottom right: Haran Rashes, vice president and general counsel at Vivacity Infrastructure; Brian Ford, vice president of federal regulatory at NTCA; Kyle Hildebrand, chief revenue officer at Vivacity Infrastructure Group; and Aimee Meacham, vice president of government affairs at British Telecommunications.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2025 – As $42.5 billion in federal funding flows into broadband network deployment through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, telecom strategists emphasized the need for applicants to think beyond network construction.

At a Federal Communications Bar Association event Monday, industry leaders urged providers to explore innovative revenue sources like telehealth, tele-education, and agricultural technology. By including revenue generated from these value-added services, they could set themselves up for long-term success, panelists said.

“What you're going to get from the end-user customer is simply not going to be enough to sustain those networks over the long term,” said Brian Ford, vice president of federal regulatory at NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association.

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BEAD FCBA Brian Ford NTCA Haran Rashes Vivacity Infrastructure Group Kyle Hildebrand E-Rate