Fiber Connect

Bottlenecks Slowing BEAD: Permits, Locates, Labor, and Materials

Fiber construction workers are increasingly being recruited by data center developers, tightening an already scarce labor pool.

Akul Saxena

May 21, 2026 — 2 min read

Photo of from left: Scott Jackson (moderator), National Market Manager, Graybar; Mark Davis, SVP Network Engineering and Construction, Highline Fiber; Bo Gresham, Chief Revenue Officer, Dycom Industries; Tommy Taylor, Chief Technology Officer, Buckeye Broadband; Bob Whitman, VP Market Development, Corning Optical Communications.

ORLANDO, May 21, 2026 — Fiber broadband operators building out networks under federal funding programs said Tuesday that permitting backlogs, locating failures, and rising material costs are adding cost and time to BEAD construction timelines, with margins thin and every dollar of construction spent under scrutiny.

Two federal broadband programs: BEAD and RDOF

Two federal broadband programs are driving an unprecedented volume of simultaneous permit submissions that has outpaced agency capacity, said Bo Gresham, chief revenue officer at Dycom Industries, the Florida-based telecommunications specialty contractor.

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Fiber Connect RDOF fiber deployments locates permitting BEAD workforce

GCI Expands 5G to 9 More Southeast Alaska Towns

GCI has expanded 5G service to nine more Southeast Alaska communities, boosting mobile connectivity across the region.

Former FCC Republican Michael O’Rielly Supports Ending E-Rate ‘If Is Is Hurting Students’

“If E-Rate is not delivering, or worse, if it is hurting students, then it should be curtailed or ended,” O’Rielly says, adding the FCC has the legal authority to pursue reforms.

AI and Robotics Drive an IPO Boom in China as Shein Lists in Hong Kong

The trend also reflects a growing tendency for Chinese companies to list shares in Shanghai or Hong Kong rather than New York.

September 15, 2026: Building a Better Connected City

Join SmartWAVE Technologies and Juganu for an engaging conversation about how smart street lighting can become the foundation for a more connected, intelligent, and resilient city.