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State Broadband Office: BEAD Funding Progress Update

Fiber First, Connectivity Always

Monday, June 2, 2025
2:40 PM - 3:20 PM CT
Location: Governor's Ballroom C
Policy Deployment

    Moderator(s)

  • Ian Doescher

    Managing Editor
    Telecompetitor

    • Panelist(s)

  • Rebecca Dilg

    Utah Broadband Center Director
    State of Utah
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

  • Peter Voderberg (he/him/his)

    Chief
    BroadbandOhio
    Columbus, Ohio, United States

  • Eric Bathras

    Chief Technology Officer, Infrastructure
    Maryland Department of Information Technology
    Severna Park, Maryland, United States

  • Brian Mitchell

    Director, Office of Science, Innovation and Technology and State Broadband Office
    Nevada Office of Science, Innovation and Technology

The NTIA NOFO clearly declares a fiber preference as the infrastructure of choice for BEAD deployments and network operators are eager to deploy fiber broadband further over the next five years than it has been deployed to date. Fiber also plays a critical role if a community must look at other options, such as fixed wireless, to connect homes based on key logistical and demographic factors. This panel of state broadband office representatives will discuss the criteria for evaluating when exceptions to the fiber preference will be allowed and how each grantee will ensure that communities and people in those areas are not left behind.