BEAD Implementation Summit

BEAD Implementation 2026

The 2026 BEAD Implementation Summit took place on March 18

Videos for Breakfast Club Members

Fireside Chat with Arielle Roth, Administrator, NTIA and Drew Clark, Broadband Breakfast

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Panel 1: State Broadband Roundtable

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$99/month or $590/year

As BEAD shifts from planning to execution, state broadband offices are confronting a new set of challenges that vary widely by geography and market conditions. This roundtable brings state leaders together to compare what is working, what is slowing projects down, and where greater flexibility or clarity is still needed.

Michael Baldino, Director and General Counsel, Massachusetts Broadband Institute
Kendra Jo Grindle, Chief Program Officer, Maine Connectivity Authority
Christine Hallquist, Executive Director, Vermont Community Broadband Board
Connor Perry, Executive Director, Delaware Broadband Office
Chandler Vaughan, Associate Director, Virginia Office of Broadband
Jake Neenan (moderator), Reporter, Broadband Breakfast

Panel 2: Technology Choices in BEAD Deployment

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$99/month or $590/year

With awards moving into high-cost and hard-to-serve areas, states are increasingly forced to make difficult technology decisions under real-world constraints. This panel explores how states weigh tradeoffs between cost, performance, and long-term value, and what flexibility exists within BEAD rules when ideal solutions prove impractical.

Greg Bathrick, Area Vice President of Commercial Development, Calix
Madeleine Chang, Director of Policy, Satellite Industry Association (SIA)
Rick Cimerman, Vice President and External and State Affairs Lead, NCTA - The Internet and Television Association
Chris Disher, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Cajun Broadband
Carl Guardino, Vice President of Government Affairs & Policy, Tarana Wireless
Lynn Stanton (moderator), Senior Editor, TRDaily

Panel 3: Using Remaining BEAD Funds

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Successful BEAD builds depend on more than construction dollars alone. This panel examines how states are using funds to support planning, workforce, technical assistance and potential priorities for remaining BEAD funds.

Kathryn de Wit, Project Director, Broadband Access Initiative, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Christian Hoefly, Senior Corporate Counsel, Policy Strategy, T-Mobile
Annmarie Lanesey, Founder & CEO, CanCode Communities
Lyndsay Moyer, Vice President, State Government Affairs, Comcast
Thomas Tyler, Former Deputy Director, ConnectLA
Jimm Phillips (moderator), Associate Editor, Communications Daily

Panel 4: Capital Constraints on Financing BEAD

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$99/month or $590/year

As construction begins, BEAD projects are colliding with a more complex and costly market environment. Rising build costs and supply-chain uncertainty are reshaping project economics and financing strategies. This panel examines how lenders, investors, and providers are navigating compliance, matching requirements, and how cost pressures are influencing which projects move forward, on what terms, and on what timelines.

Claude Aiken, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Legal Officer, Nextlink
Brian Allenby, Director of State Solutions, CostQuest
Steve Coran, Chair of Broadband, Spectrum, and Communications Infrastructure practice group, Lerman Senter
Evan Feinman, Vice President of Strategy and Emerging Markets, JSI
Nat Purser, Senior Policy Advocate, Public Knowledge
Nancy Scola (moderator), Independent Journalist

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See the Program

BEAD Implementation Summit 2026 Program

See the bios for all keynotes, moderators and panelists

BEAD 2026 Program

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BEAD Implementation 2026 Sponsors

Gold Level:

Tarana is the creator of ngFWA (next-generation fixed wireless access) — an entirely new technology built from the ground up to deliver reliable residential broadband. G1, our ngFWA platform, overcomes previously insurmountable industry challenges for service providers in every market to deliver better broadband more efficiently.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, CostQuest Associates (CQA) is an internationally recognized, employee-owned firm specializing in network cost modeling, economics, asset valuation, broadband planning, mapping, and data science. Contracted by both the FCC and NTIA, CQA serves as the official and only provider of the National Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric dataset, which underpins the Broadband Data Collection, the BEAD program, and other federal broadband initiatives.

Comcast Corporation is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

Silver Level:

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., Lerman Senter PLLC is a nationally recognized communications law firm exclusively focused on the legal needs of telecommunications, media, and technology businesses. Consistently ranked Tier 1 in communications law by Best Lawyers and recognized by Chambers and Partners as a top firm for telecom, broadcast, and satellite legal services, Lerman Senter represents clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to startups before the FCC, Congress, federal and state agencies, and the courts. The firm's practice spans broadband and spectrum policy, broadcast regulation, media transactions, satellite, privacy and data security, and communications infrastructure.