After several stalls and an administration overhaul, BEAD money has at last started flowing into states, and — according to rural service provider Vistabeam — households. With funding now reaching actual crews on the ground, the program may be moving beyond its long-running limbo.
In May, a farm near Ogallala, Nebraska, became the first home reported to be connected through the program using both fiber and fixed-wireless equipment. Ricardo Moreno and Robert Stobel were the two technicians to complete the connection.
“They asked me if I wanted to be the first one. I was like, 'Of course, I'd like to be part of that,” Moreno, the senior field tech who installed the service in the home, told Broadband Nation. “I took the extra time because I knew it was an 11‑mile shot. So let's find the best signal in the house... Found the best signal, did the install, customer was happy."
Stobel, a veteran tower technician, serviced the tower feeding that 11-mile link. At first, he said it was like any other project, but after a few weeks, “it kind of blew up” with momentum as they were given the context.
Nearly half a decade after BEAD was signed into law as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, industry confidence in the program’s viability as a path to universal broadband coverage has waned — with nearly half of the funding leftover and still waiting on NTIA guidance.
But for the people doing the work, the broader goal is still moving forward.
"It was pretty cool to see the smiles on their faces when they had it installed and finished, and what they could actually get,” said Stobel. “It's pretty amazing for sure to be that far away, people out in the middle of nowhere, and get them service. And now, you know, I'm sure they have neighbors coming over wanting to chime in."
While BEAD is likely to leave behind many unconnected communities, the money that is coming in will mean new and stronger connections for many remote households — and for techs like Moreno and Stobel, more work.
“For the rural people, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado, we take care of all three states. It's a lot of miles, a lot of distance… I think it's a great thing,” concluded Stobel. “It keeps us busy. We'll have a job for quite a while.”
This story was originally published on Broadband Nation's Learning Center, Fierce Network's sister publication.