✨FBA to Host NTIA's Arielle Roth on 300th Episode of Fiber for Breakfast✨
Next week, FBA will celebrate its 300th episode of Fiber for Breakfast with special guest Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The episode airs live on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 10:00 AM ET.
Fiber for Breakfast has become a weekly forum for the broadband industry to examine many of the industry’s most consequential issues. Wednesday's conversation will explore BEAD implementation and early deployment, public-private investment, recent program changes, the role of American-made broadband infrastructure, and efforts to reach locations that remain unserved after initial awards.
Bolton and Administrator Roth will also look beyond BEAD to the rapidly evolving demands being placed on America’s communications infrastructure. Their discussion will examine fiber’s growing role in supporting artificial intelligence, data centers, quantum technologies, and other emerging applications that will require increasingly high-capacity, resilient, and low-latency networks.
✔️Guide on Accelerating Designs & Securing Permit Approvals Published✔️
FBA released the third chapter of its Building Better Broadband: Accelerating Designs & Securing Permit Approvals guide this week, continuing its effort to give broadband providers, engineering firms, and deployment teams practical guidance for moving fiber projects from planning through construction.
“Chapter 3: Low-Level Design (LLD) – From Intent to Execution” focuses on the stage where validated network plans and field data are translated into detailed designs needed for permitting and construction. As fiber deployment continues at a rapid pace and providers face rising labor and material costs, permitting delays and make-ready challenges, getting those details right before construction begins is increasingly important. Low-Level Design gives teams an opportunity to identify potential issues earlier, when they are easier and less costly to address.
Want to see your company's fiber news featured here? Email your press releases and related images to fiberforward@fiberbroadband.org by noon ET on Wednesdays.
Arkansas' Broadband Momentum
Arkansas entered this decade with a lot of broadband work left to do. In June 2022, about 73% of locations in the state had access to 100/200 Mbps service. By the end of 2025, that number had climbed above 90%, and the state is now preparing for another major wave of construction.
This week Fiber for Breakfast looked at how Arkansas got there and, more importantly, where it wants to go next. Gary sat down with Glen Howie, Arkansas Broadband Director, to discuss how the state built a highly competitive BEAD program, kept providers engaged through years of changes, and is now preparing to turn awards into construction.
👏Louisiana Breaks Ground on Largest BEAD Fiber Project to Date👏
FBA issued the following statement from President and CEO Gary Bolton on Louisiana breaking ground on the nation’s largest BEAD-funded fiber project to date:
“...This investment is about much more than closing today’s broadband gaps. Fiber provides the long-term infrastructure Louisiana’s communities will need to support economic development, precision agriculture, education, healthcare, small businesses, and the rapidly emerging AI economy.
“The measure of BEAD’s success will ultimately be the infrastructure we leave behind. Louisiana is putting fiber in the ground that will serve its communities for decades and ensure they can participate fully in whatever comes next.
“We congratulate Louisiana and ConnectLA on this important milestone and look forward to working with broadband offices across the country as America moves from BEAD planning to BEAD construction—and toward the goal of ensuring every community has access to reliable, future-ready fiber infrastructure.”
📆 Wed., Nov. 18 | Vancouver, B.C. | 5 PM local time
There is no cost to attend FBA Member Mingles. Remember to bring business cards to enter door prize drawings! RSVP to any of these events by emailing membership@fiberbroadband.org. Stay tuned for more upcoming Member Mingles and track all upcoming FBA events here.
🖥️Join FBA & AARP OATS to Improve Aging Through Broadband Adoption🖥️
FBA's initiative with AARP's Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) program
provides FBA member operators with a ready-made pathway to improve digital skills and benefits for the communities they serve. Get started today by contacting Deborah Kish at dkish@fiberbroadband.org.
💠Connect senior centers, libraries, and community hubs to fiber
💠Utilize Senior Planet's existing, proven digital skills programming for telehealth education, online safety, and social connection
💠Scalable tiered model that works whether you serve one town or 100 cities
💠Educate the aging population to safely participate in the digital world
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