
White Paper
Broadband Technology Acceleration
White Paper Provided by Wesco
Meeting the Connectivity Growth Demands
With the surge in funding, along with a wave of constantly evolving broadband technologies that are reshaping the industry, service providers have a unique opportunity to deliver high-speed, reliable connectivity and unlock the internet’s full potential for decades to come.
According to a recent article issued by the Fiber Broadband Association, fiber now passes over 60% of U.S. households, but there’s still plenty of upward growth in the years ahead. There are still 60 million first-passing U.S. broadband serviceable locations (BSLs) left to address.
To get there, service providers must embrace cutting-edge technologies to meet the ever-growing demand for connectivity.
Protecting Critical Communications Infrastructure: Emerging Threats & Needed Solutions - June 2026
More than 18,000 incidents nationwide, affecting over 11.8 million customers.

Supply Chain Resiliency Playbook Broadband
With service providers hyper-focused on meeting the deployment goals set forth by federal and state initiatives, now might be the time to rethink your supply chain management process.

July 28, 2026: Beyond the Blueprint: The Real Story of Network Builds
Where design meets reality, straight from the experts who live it every day!

The Internet Dispersed Power. The Supreme Court is Concentrating It
Panelists at BroadbandLive event including the ‘father of the Internet,’ the author of the maxim that ‘Code is Law’ and a pivotal FCC chairman

From the Beginning, Politics Triggered Broadcasting
Media scholars argued that politics, not technology, shaped American broadcasting from 1927 on, repeatedly shielding incumbents from competition.

Telephone's Rise Was Shaped by Courts and Lobbying, Not Just Wires, Historians Say
The patent Bell filed in 1876 never described a speaking telephone. His lawyers later argued it did.

Cleveland's Performance-Based Broadband Model Drives Rapid Growth
Tarana's fixed wireless technology and a public-private partnership powered DigitalC's more than 10K-strong Cleveland buildout.

Juneteenth Special: How DigitalC and Tarana Are Connecting Cleveland
With Tarana technology, DigitalC has deployed a high-speed broadband network to more than 10,000 connections in Cleveland, Ohio.

Tom Ferree: The Connection is Coming. The Question is Whether We’re Ready.
From education to healthcare, the ripple effects on our economy and daily lives will be monumental. But there’s a catch.

1.8 GHz Upgrades
A well-executed upgrade plan not only enhances service delivery but also reduces operational costs and improves customer satisfaction.

Updated Census of Tribal Internet Networks Shows Movement in Bridging the Digital Divide Across Indian Country
Institute for Local Self-Reliance Releases Comprehensive 2026 Census of Tribal Broadband Networks

Broadband Breakfast to Mark America250 With Telecom150, a Series on American Telecom
Online event series runs June 17, June 24, and July 1, tracing American communications from Bell's first telephone call to the age of artificial intelligence.

Enterprise Wi-Fi Innovation and Future Spectrum Allocation
To meet growing and projected demand for unlicensed spectrum, the time is now for policymakers to explore extending unlicensed spectrum into adjacent bands.

Fifty Billion Dollars, and Patients Who Can’t Log In
Getting online doesn’t mean someone can log into a patient portal, troubleshoot a video visit, or manage a remote monitoring device.

Federal Broadband Policy Is Increasingly Being Recast Around Satellite
With few meaningful competitors, Starlink is the primary beneficiary

Beyond BEAD, Fiber Industry Reflects Upon Use Cases at Fiber Connect 2026
What is fiber's expanding role in telehealth, precision agriculture, quantum networks and data centers?

Fiber Industry Faces Competing Pressures From Data Centers and Workforce
Fiber industry speaking at BroadbandLive at Fiber Connect on Tuesday discussed BEAD delays, workforce shortages and data center demand.

Fiber Industry Confronts Marathon of BEAD Compliance, Data Center Backlash
Fiber Connect 2026 panelists said the broadband buildout has become a marathon, reshaped by soaring make-ready costs.

'Light Years Ahead' is the Theme at Fiber Connect... Beginning Tomorrow
Don't miss Broadband Breakfast's wall-to-wall news and video coverage at Fiber Connect!

Rural-Focused $42 Billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program Becomes Operational
Early signs of a massive federal broadband expansion effort are beginning to reach local communities.

Negative Impacts of Higher Power Operation on the Citizens Broadband Radio Service
As a result of increased power levels, the diverse and fast-growing array of operators using the CBRS band today would be reduced to a fraction.

Broadband Breakfast on June 10, 2026 - Drones and the Battle for Airspace
What is 'American Drone Dominance' all about?

Broadband Breakfast on June 3, 2026 – AI and Cybersecurity
How should broadband providers be thinking about cybersecurity in an AI-driven world?

Broadband Breakfast on May 27, 2026 - The State of Broadband Deployment: Progress, Gaps, and Early Outcomes
This session examines where networks are being built, where gaps remain, and how deployment patterns are evolving as funding flows into the market.

April 23, 2026: CBRS Under Threat
How high-power risks dismantling shared spectrum and upending the U.S. businesses it powers

How Direct Communications Launched Mobile with gaiia
Direct Communications’ mobile launch shows how modern OSS/BSS architecture can unlock new service categories without slowing down the business.

States Race to Win the Tech Economy in 2026 State of the State Addresses
Here’s what 30 governors said about broadband expansion, AI growth, and online child safety.

April 9, 2026: Bridging the Digital Divide
A partnership between a city and a school district to Bridge the Digital Divide

Photos from the BEAD Implementation Summit
Coming on Monday for Breakfast Club Members... Videos from the BEAD Implementation Summit!

What to Expect at the BEAD Implementation Summit 2026
Wednesday's BEAD Implementation Summit builds upon prior events in 2025 and late 2023.

More Speakers, Sponsors Confirmed for BEAD Implementation 2026
The BEAD Implementation Summit 2026 is set for March 18 at the National Press Club, from 12 Noon ET to 5 p.m. ET.

National Press Club Ballroom is Venue for BEAD Implementation Summit on March 18
Broadband Breakfast announces interactive CHAT community spaces for Presenters, for Breakfast Club Members, and for Event Participants

Rep. Greg Landsman to Speak at BEAD Implementation Summit
Keynotes join panels: State broadband roundtable, technology choices in BEAD, using remaining BEAD funds, and capital constraints on financing

NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth to Keynote BEAD Implementation 2026
Roth's leadership comes at a pivotal moment, as states' BEAD deployments are firmly in the implementation phase.

Orbiting the Divide: How LEO Satellites Are Transforming State Broadband
What Broadband Offices Need to Know About Performance, Policy, and Oversight

A Guide to Modernizing an ISP Tech Stack: Every Decision You’ll Need to Make Along the Way
This guide is a practical, step by step playbook for operators moving from legacy OSS/BSS to a modern stack.

Broadband Breakfast Announces Agenda for March 18 BEAD Implementation 2026
Early Bird Rate of $245 available until March 1, 2026!

Your Guide to the Most Important Broadband Conferences of 2026
Broadband Breakfast has assembled a list of the most important broadband conferences of 2026.
Ted Hearn: An Appreciation of Rocco Commisso
Rocco's personal history was compelling and heroic for its rags-to-riches, only-in-America quality and charm

America Loses Dish, a National Wireless Carrier, in 2025
Is the EchoStar saga a success story for spectrum entrepreneurship, or cautionary tale about consolidation in wireless?

2025 Was a Year of More BEAD Turmoil
Based on tentative results, about 65% of BEAD locations are in line for fiber. Another 22% will get satellite, and 10% will get fixed wireless.

Broadband Affordability Falters in 2025
In spite of the political salience of 'affordability,' federal rollbacks, industry pressure, and stalled state efforts took a toll on low-income Americans' broadband.

What to Do With Remaining BEAD Funds, a.k.a 'Non-Deployment'?
As states complete their broadband spending plans, a fight is brewing over the remaining $21 billion.

Where to Find 800 Megahertz of Spectrum For Auction?
Citizens Broadband Radio Service hasn’t got an explicit defense from the Trump administration, but the FCC hasn’t said it intends to alter it.

Data Centers Dramatically Drive Up Energy Needs
AI exposed the limits of the U.S. grid, and nuclear power became Washington’s answer.

A Full Court Press for Permitting Reform in 2025
Federal agencies and lawmakers made progress in broadband and energy permitting rules in 2025.

With Denunciation of Digital Grants as ‘Woke Handout,’ $2.5 Billion in Funding Scrapped
As of Dec. 5, the government had not yet filed its response.

Universal Service Fund Survived, Faces New Legal and Political Challenges
A follow-on legal case about the USF resumed on Wednesday, Dec. 3, in the Fifth Circuit.

Three Branches of Government – or One?
White House action reshaped federal tech and telecom regulation in 2025

Who Will Dominate AI: The U.S., China, Both or Neither?
A ‘Sputnick moment’ for AI. A new cold war – the race to superintelligence – is on.

12 Days of Broadband: Brendan Carr, Deregulator or Speech Police?
The Federal Communications Commission's 39% problem

Happy Holidays! Read Your 12 Days of Broadband Booklet
This 43-page booklet captures the top 12 stories in the world of the Internet, utilities and technology for 2025: The 12 Days of Broadband

ISP Consolidation Success
Improve your business case by Optimizing your
Infrastructure and Leverage Each Brand’s Unique Strength.

Budget Law’s Spectrum Auction Mandate Raises Stakes for Wi-Fi, CBRS
The legislation would task the NTIA with finding about 500 megahertz and the FCC with finding another 300 megahertz for auction.

Rep. Erin Houchin to Keynote Broadband Breakfast Panel on AI's Impact on Children
To participate, make sure to log in to your FREE account on CHAT.BroadbandBreakfast.com!

What Are The 12 Days of Broadband?
Don't miss the 12 Articles published Dec. 1-Dec. 16! Don't miss the 12 Online Events, hosted at 2 p.m. ET from Dec. 1-Dec. 16!

Empowering Rural Alberta with an Open Access FTTH Network
The Council adopted a multi-year Open Access
program to deliver county-wide high-speed connectivity.

The Need for Ongoing Network Performance Monitoring by U.S. States
Establishing Best Practices for U.S. State Broadband Program Accountability

What You Can Expect From Broadband Breakfast and From BroadbandLive Events
These are the values that we espouse, as a company and as a community.

Protecting The Nation's Critical Communications Infrastructure From Theft & Vandalism - Fall 2025
Fiber cuts and related acts can paralyze critical operations, creating cascading disruptions that may affect millions of citizens simultaneously.

The 5G Promise Falls Short of Reality: Examining Economic Impact Claims
To protect economic and public safety interests, regulators, legislators, law enforcement, municipalities, and communications providers must work together.

Exclusive Interview with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr
On restoring U.S leadership in wireless, the C band auction that we have to conduct within the next two years is probably one of the top priorities inside the building, Carr said.

‘Social Media is a Cancer’: Making Sense of the Charlie Kirk Assassination
Connecting the dots between Utah politics and culture, the hyper-partisan world of social media, and a tragic political assassination.

Updated Speaker List for Resilient Critical Infrastructure Summit
Updated list of speakers and panelists for the in-person event on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 8:30 a.m. ET

BEAD Supporting Funds Could Fill Critical Infrastructure Gaps, Panel Says
Experts warn that 14 states lack internet exchange points as billions in broadband funding await clearer guidance

Broadband Breakfast at LION Publishers' Conference
'There isn't any other space where you, as an independent publisher, can go to really find your people.'

Jostling in the Airwaves Resumes After Passage of Trump’s Budget Bill
Trump’s budget law mandated a ‘spectrum pipeline’ to sell off 800 megahertz of spectrum. Coupled with FCC pressure, the law is quickly re-arranging the commercial airwaves

Quarterly Numbers By Technology Type for Breakfast Club Members
The bottom table shows each of the public broadband providers, as well as their fiber, cable, DSL and fixed wireless subscribers at the end of Q2 - by technology type.

BEAD Unplugged Panel: Don’t Count on Receiving Non-Deployment Funds
‘Howard Lutnick cares about making money and saving money,’ says Gigi Sohn.

Quarterly Numbers, and Other Charts, for Breakfast Club Members
Broadband Breakfast is tracking wireline and wireless broadband subscribers by technology.

August 12, 2025: BEAD Unplugged: The Controversies, the Questions, and What Comes Next
In this candid and timely webinar, three leading broadband policy experts will dive into a digital 'grab bag' of hot-button BEAD topics.

Jase Wilson of Ready.net to Keynote Resilient Digital Infrastructure Summit 9/18
Jase Wilson will deliver a keynote address about the seven key principles of resilient critical infrastructure

Join the Resilient Digital Infrastructure Summit on September 18, 2025
This one-day event will address ensuring that our nation's telecom and electric grids can withstand threats and attacks.

Connecting America: Are We There Yet in Broadband Deployment?
America's journey towards universal broadband access has so far been hampered by geography, infrastructure, and funding.

Bringing Ookla Speed Test Data to Bear on BEAD Program
To help state officials assess new entrants within a short time span, Ookla brings historical performance data to the table.

Speeding BEAD Summit Adds Panel on New Notice About NOFO
Event features analysis of June 6 NOFO, Congressional keynotes, state broadband leaders and others addressing the $42.5 billion Program

Where Fiber Doesn't Fit
There are a variety of technologies to consider for environments where fiber isn't a viable option

Broadband Breakfast Announces ‘Speeding BEAD Summit’ on June 12, 2025
A one-day conference on expediting BEAD in Washington, D.C.

Powering the Digital Future: Broadband Breakfast Summit Captured in Photos
The photo gallery captures not just the presentations, but the engaging conversations and networking at the event.

Final Call for Data Centers, Nuclear Power, and Broadband Summit – March 27, 2025
The event will take place at Clyde’s of Gallery Place starting at 8:30 a.m. Doors open at 8:15 a.m.

USF Proponents ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ After Supreme Court Arguments
Justices are set to decide whether the $9 billion-per-year program is unconstitutional

Fired FTC Official Slaughter: Trump Put Big Tech Above the Law
Democrat says FTC lost two Big Tech watchdogs over Meta, X, and Amazon.

FCC Asked to Block Provider from Shutting Down in Pennsylvania
Shutdown could leave 911 call centers more vulnerable to outages, Zito Media claims.

FCC’s Gomez Defends DEI Against Government Intrusion
Democrat says government interference with DEI initiatives could have long-term economic and social consequences.

Supreme Court Appears Reluctant to Rule Against USF
The $9 billion-per-year fund is being challenged as unconstitutional nearly 30 years after its creation.

States Approach Readiness for the Broadband Rollout, But Federal Nod is Elusive
No BEAD final proposals have been posted since late 2024, but many are due over the next few months.

Thune: More Congressional Review Act Votes Coming
Wi-Fi hotspots CRA still pending.

Rep. Hudson Wants to Rewrite Many BEAD Requirements
Republican lawmaker targets rules on labor, DEI, and price caps in the name of faster rollout.

Phoenix Center Challenges Brattle Group’s Fiber Value Impact
Ford said that fiber is too expensive in many rural areas to be a practical solution.

Dean Bubley: Does AI Drive Demand for Mobile Spectrum?
Hundreds of millions of people are using mostly text-based AI applications.

USDA Scrubs DEI Criteria from Rural Broadband Grant Programs
Removal of DEI scoring may shift broadband funds away from Tribes and disadvantaged areas.

Cruz Still Aiming For Spectrum Pipeline in Reconciliation Bill
The Defense Department has opposed the idea of auction authority with a 'pipeline' of projects for auction.

FTC’s Ferguson Says Tech Censorship Practices May Violate Antitrust Law
Chairman signals agency’s expanding role in countering Big Tech censorship

An Interview With Former BEAD Director Evan Feinman
In an interview with Cardinal News, Feinman talked about how BEAD helped Virginia, and why he’s worried about its future growth.

Earth, Ether, Fire and Water: An Elemental Data Center Story
A convergence of interest between the energy-hungry needs of major Internet players and the Trump administration's 'energy dominance'

April 10, 2025: Citywide Wi-Fi Projects
The broadband team and chief technology officer in St. Louis will discuss the city's goal of revitalization and community connectivity.

Data Center Tension Between Power Demands and Sustainability Goals
In Europe, environmental standards 'are not a hope, not a wish, not a best effort—it's a regulatory mandate.'

Because of Power Availability, Fiber Providers Racing to Connect Remote Data Centers
Power availability is now dictating location decisions, forcing fiber providers to adapt with unprecedented long-haul infrastructure builds.

With Unprecedented AI-Driven Demand, New Financing Solutions Needed
In 2024, there was 6.7 gigawatts of data center demand, said Kush Urs of Guggenheim Partners. That was more than 6X since 2020.

On-Site Gas Generation a Solution to Data Center Power Crunch: Expert
'On-site generation would be up to 85% efficient when you capture waste heat on site,' Summers said, versus 33% grid efficiency.
