Strategic Guidance for BEAD and Beyond.
Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding is a transformative opportunity for broadband providers and the unserved Americans who stand to benefit. Let Vantage Point’s team guide you in making the most of this unprecedented funding opportunity.
5 Steps to Access $42.5 Billion in Broadband Funding
BEAD funding—the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program – is not a “once-in a-lifetime” opportunity for broadband providers. It’s a “once” opportunity, and the clock is already ticking.
While policymakers and state offices finalize their plans in the coming months, network operators must take action now, focusing on five critical areas of preparation.
1. Look at the Map
Where do you want to expand? Examine your existing territory, strategic plans, and eligibility maps to identify potential areas of application. Vantage Point recommends a “go big or go home” attitude: you can always slim down your vision, but it’s hard to expand your plans later.
2. Develop Preliminary Plans
What does your preliminary network layout look like?
- Greenfield fiber?
- An upgrade?
- Buried or aerial construction?
- If it’s aerial, is make-ready necessary?
- Is it all contained in one state or multiple?
Answering these questions allows you to develop initial engineering designs necessary for strategizing for BEAD applications. The initial designs also allow for capital expenditure estimates and pre-planning construction hurdles.
- How much will it cost to build?
- How will inflation and prevailing wage requirements impact the cost?
- What services will be offered?
- Do you have additional building obligations to work around?
- Can you get a start on permitting or environmental headaches?
With Vantage Point, you don’t have to wait for state guidelines to start wrestling with these issues.
3. Financial Feasibility
With CapEx estimates established, conducting a project-specific feasibility analysis will help prioritize areas to maximize application scoring. Take a 10-year outlook, factoring in end-user revenues to determine the minimum funding required. This long-term perspective strengthens your scoring strategy, enabling a more competitive application.
4. Cybersecurity & Supply Chain Risk Management
A Cybersecurity Risk Management Plan and a Supply Chain Risk Management Plan are essential requirements for BEAD. Implementing these plans now removes them from your to-do list and ensures readiness, as both must be operational—or prepared to be—by the time services launch.
Remember, these plans must be submitted to the state before funds are allocated.
5. Engage Community Leaders
Building relationships and trust takes time, so start these conversations before you ‘need’ them.
- Engage local leaders about their community’s needs.
- Discuss the potential impact of a BEAD-funded network.
- Explore the economic benefits it could bring.
These discussions might involve city, county, or township officials, local stakeholders, anchor institutions, or influential community members.
