BEAD

State and Industry Leaders Offer BEAD Update

Panelists emphasized community, collaboration as essential to BEAD success

Ari Bertenthal

Oct 23, 2024 — 1 min read

Screenshot from left: INCOMPAS Executive Director of Public Policy Christopher Shipley, Tarana Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy Carl Guardino, Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director Brandy Reitter, NTIA Federal Program Officer Sarah Smith, and Visionary Broadband Chief Strategy Officer Brian Wagner

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2024 - A group of state and industry broadband experts said Tuesday that partnerships between government, service providers and communities were crucial to the success of the Biden administration’s $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.

“It’s really important to [work with] people from within the community because they’re trusted people and they know their communities very well,” said Executive Director of the Colorado Broadband Office Brandy Reitter in a panel that included Chief Strategy Officer at the Wyoming-based service provider Visionary Broadband Brian Wagner.

Wagner noted the importance of collaboration with communities in the development of census block groups. He said that census block groups assigned arbitrarily could split communities, raising difficulties in the BEAD application process.

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BEAD INCOMPAS show 2024 Colorado Brandy Reitter Brian wagner Carl Guardino Sarah Smith Christopher Shipley Visionary Broadband Tarana NTIA