Broadband Breakfast on September 9, 2026: Small Business and Broadband
How can better broadband help small businesses?
Small businesses depend on reliable, affordable broadband to reach customers, process payments, hire remotely and compete with far larger rivals. Yet many still contend with slow speeds, spotty service and connectivity costs that strain thin margins, particularly in rural communities and underserved urban neighborhoods. Have federally-funded broadband networks had any impact on turning internet infrastructure into real economic opportunity? This session will examine how availability, adoption and digital skills shape small business growth, and what providers, policymakers and local leaders can do to ensure the smallest enterprises are not left behind.
Breakfast Media LLC CEO Drew Clark has led the Broadband Breakfast community since 2008. An early proponent of better broadband, better lives, he initially founded the Broadband Census crowdsourcing tool to collect and verify broadband data left unpublished by the Federal Communications Commission. As CEO and Publisher, Clark presides over the leading media community advocating for higher-capacity internet everywhere through topical, timely and intelligent coverage. Clark also served as head of the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, a state broadband initiative.
