Eric Bethras: From Fiber to Fabric, the Next Evolution of BEAD
Maryland officials are urging NTIA and Congress to let states use remaining BEAD funds for integrated, multi-use infrastructure rather than single-purpose broadband builds.
States sit at the center of a rapidly evolving digital infrastructure landscape, one where connectivity is no longer optional, but the backbone of economic participation, emerging AI capabilities, public safety and responsive government services. Yet across the country, connectivity strategies remain fragmented, limiting public and private sectors’ ability to support the digital fabric of today.
This fragmentation creates a costly blind spot. Key routes and rights-of-way are among the most strategic intermediaries between the public and private sectors, yet too often they are developed for a single purpose rather than leveraged as the backbone of a multi-use and multitenant digital ecosystem. That model is no longer sustainable.
In Maryland, we are working to change this paradigm through the Statewide Digital Infrastructure Group (DIG), a coordinated approach that aligns key transportation routes, vertical assets like towers, government facilities, and un(der)served communities under a single strategy. At its core is a simple principle: every public dollar invested in digital infrastructure should deliver the maximum possible return.
This is the foundation of what we call the “digital fabric”, an integrated environment where streets, buildings, communities, and systems are connected to support everything from intelligent transportation and public safety to healthcare, education, and AI-driven applications. Enabling this approach is “Single View,” the state’s in-house geospatial platform that provides a real-time inventory of infrastructure assets, fiber, towers, facilities, and un(der)served areas, allowing agencies to coordinate planning, align funding, and prioritize investments based on data rather than silos.
To execute on this vision, Maryland has adopted a “Goldilocks approach” to infrastructure investment, avoiding both overbuilding and underbuilding in favor of solutions that are deliberately scaled to serve multiple needs. Infrastructure deployed along key routes becomes a shared platform, supporting broadband expansion, public safety, and next-generation services, while being sized appropriately to meet both current demand and future growth. The result is faster deployment, less duplication, and far greater long-term value.
Just as importantly, this coordinated model creates a more predictable environment for privatesector engagement, enabling stronger public-private partnerships and unlocking additional investment.
Maryland’s experience underscores a broader point: the next generation of connectivity will not be achieved through isolated projects or fragmented investments. It requires integrated planning, shared infrastructure, and a deliberate focus on maximizing the return on every public dollar, while preparing for the demands of an increasingly AI-driven economy.
That lesson comes at a critical moment.
As federal policymakers evaluate the future of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, including how to allocate remaining non-deployment funds, there is a risk of reinforcing the very fragmentation that has slowed progress to date. For years, federal broadband funding has focused on single-purpose deployment. While that mission remains essential, it is no longer sufficient on its own.
The next challenge is not just where we build, but how we build, and whether those investments position states for what comes next.
Remaining BEAD funds present a rare opportunity to modernize the federal approach. Rather than limiting these resources to traditional deployment models, Congress and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) should empower states to invest in the foundational capabilities that enable scalable, future-ready infrastructure: middle-mile networks, shared-use assets, integrated planning platforms, and corridor-based strategies built around key routes. These investments not only expand access but also create the capacity required to support emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Equally important, federal policy should encourage models that enable public-private collaboration. Infrastructure designed for shared use lowers barriers to entry, attracts private investment, and accelerates deployment in ways government cannot achieve alone.
This is not a departure from BEAD’s mission—it is an evolution of it.
When infrastructure is planned for multi-use outcomes, the return on investment multiplies. A single fiber build can support transportation systems, expand broadband access, enable nextgeneration public safety, and provide the backbone for AI-driven applications. The alternative, continuing to fund disconnected, single-purpose builds, will leave states with networks that are harder to scale, more expensive to maintain, and less capable of meeting future demand.
The path forward is clear. NTIA should provide explicit guidance allowing states to apply BEAD residual funds toward integrated infrastructure strategies, and Congress should reinforce that flexibility. If the goal is a truly connected, resilient, and competitive nation, federal policy must move beyond siloed funding models and enable states to build infrastructure that is shared, scalable, and built for what comes next.
The next generation of infrastructure will not be defined by how much we build, but by how intelligently we build it and whether it positions states to lead in an increasingly digital, AI driven economy.
Eric Bathras, Chief Technology Officer for the Office of Infrastructure at the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT), brings over 30 years of experience in broadband networks across the public and private sectors. In his role, he leads critical state infrastructure programs, including networkMaryland, Maryland MD FiRST, Cloud & Datacenter Services and DoIT's Infrastructure Agreements. This Expert Opinion is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.
Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media. The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.
Member discussion