Broadband Breakfast Announces Agenda for March 18 BEAD Implementation 2026
Early Riser registration is now open at $195 for the first 40 attendees.
After convening national leaders at last year’s Speeding BEAD Summit and the inaugural BEAD Implementation Summit in 2023, Broadband Breakfast will again bring together government, industry, and finance as the $42.5 billion BEAD program enters its most consequential phase: execution.
BEAD Implementation 2026 will focus squarely on what happens after the awards: Deployment, capital, and technology choices that will determine whether BEAD-funded networks are delivered on time, on budget, and at scale.
With billions now moving into construction, states and providers are navigating a new phase focused on deployment realities, capital planning, and technology choices. This summit brings decision-makers together to share what’s working, examine emerging challenges, and align on priorities for the next phase of BEAD implementation.
Save the Date and Get The Early Riser Price - $195
Broadband Breakfast
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
- 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
Registration
Broadband Breakfast is offering a $195 Early Riser rate for the first 40 tickets.
Additional details on speakers and the full agenda will be released in the coming weeks.
For media inquiries, sponsorship opportunities, or press passes, please contact Marketing Director Quinn Nghiem at quinn@breakfast.media
Member discussion