Following last year’s Speeding BEAD Summit, and the inaugural BEAD Implementation Summit in 2023, Broadband Breakfast convenes the broadband community again as the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program enters its most consequential phase. With billions in awards underway, BEAD Implementation 2026 centers on deployment, capital, and technology choices shaping whether projects are delivered on time and at scale.
The Early Bird Rate of $245 is available until March 1, 2026
Keynote:
Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator, National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Arielle Roth was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information on July 30, 2025. In this role, she serves as Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Executive Branch agency principally responsible for advising the President on communications, broadband, and internet policy. Prior to joining NTIA, Roth spent nearly a decade shaping federal communications and broadband policy, holding senior roles on Capitol Hill and at the Federal Communications Commission. She most recently served as Policy Director for Telecommunications on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation under Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Tex, and previously as Legislative Counsel to former Senator Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Panel 1: State Broadband Roundtable
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.
- Andrew Butcher, President, Maine Connectivity Authority
- Christine Hallquist, Executive Director, Vermont Community Broadband Board
- Other panelists have been invited
- Jake Neenan (moderator), Reporter, Broadband Breakfast
Panel 2: Technology Choices in BEAD Deployment
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.
- Panelists have been invited
- Jericho Casper (moderator), Assistant Editor, Broadband Breakfast
Panel 3: Using Remaining BEAD Funds
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.
- Panelists have been invited
Panel 4: Capital Constraints on Financing BEAD
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.
- Panelists have been invited
Gold Sponsor
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See previous related events:
Broadband Breakfast
Broadband Breakfast
Broadband Breakfast
