There are so many reasons why broadband providers, community leaders, advocates, and vendors should attend the CBAN/IAMU 2025 Spring Summit on April 22-23, 2025 at Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames, Iowa. Here are just a few reasons you should register today!

Other confirmed speakers and moderators

• Kim McKinley, TAK Communications
• David Hollingsworth, Allo Fiber
• Dan Davis, Consortia Consulting
• Jon Willow, CBAN
• Ben Stineman, FuseTechnic
• Tom Esselman, DEPOT-KC

...and many more to be announced in the coming weeks!

We're going all out to make the 2025 Spring Summit the biggest and best ever. Here are some of the confirmed topics for our various sessions.

The Vendor Expo is always a highlight of the Spring Summit. This year,we're excited to have several amazing companies already signed up as major sponsors!

This year's Spring Summit has so much to offer, and we're expecting record attendance. So, what are you waiting for? Register today and reserve your seat at the table!

Audio Podcast (Spotify)  or search Broadband Action on your favorite podcast player
Video podcast on the CBAN YouTube Channel

ImOn Communications, a leading provider of fiber Internet services, announced today that the company significantly expanded its fiber Internet footprint and gave back over $580,000 to non-profits, community programs, and initiatives across its six service areas in 2024.  

The 2024 expansion efforts involved laying 265 miles (1.4 million linear feet) of fiber Internet cables in both new and existing service areas, representing a $67 million investment.  
More than half of the fiber laid last year (168 miles) was used to continue expanding ImOn’s existing network in the Cedar Rapids metro and the Greater Dubuque area.  

The company also invested in new metro areas, including Siouxland, which encompasses the communities surrounding Sioux City. Much of this expansion took place in South Sioux City, marking ImOn’s first Nebraska network.  

ImOn also grew in the east, bringing fiber Internet to Clinton, Iowa and Camanche, Iowa for the first time. The Camanche network was completed in early January 2025; Clinton will be built out in spring 2025. 

In addition, the company began building fiber Internet in Marshalltown, Iowa, in 2024 and will begin serving customers this spring.  

“2024 was an incredibly pivotal year for us,” said Patrice Carroll, President and CEO of ImOn. “We continued our rapid growth, both in our own backyard and in new communities—even new states. I’m immensely proud of the entire ImOn team, and our contractors, partners, and vendors, whose hard work made this possible. We are also deeply grateful to our customers—their demand for fast, reliable, high-quality Internet is what inspires us to keep expanding our fiber network each year.” 

ImOn plans to continue its fiber Internet expansion in 2025, focusing on bringing cutting-edge connectivity to underserved communities across the Midwest in need of enhanced, modernized Internet infrastructure. 

In addition to expanding Internet services, ImOn also grew its ImOn Gives program.  
In 2024, the company gave back $580,000 to their service areas through the ImOn Gives program, ultimately supporting over 190 organizations. The company focuses on four giving pillars: arts and culture, children and education, economic development, and social services. 
“Whether it’s a new community we’re entering or one we’ve served for years, our goal is always the same: to get involved and make a positive impact beyond providing our Internet service,” said Patrice Carroll, President and CEO of ImOn. “We’re honored to have been able to contribute over half a million dollars to our service areas last year, and I’m excited to see how we can continue supporting our communities in 2025.” 

For more information about ImOn Communications and its services, please visit www.imon.net. 
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Registration is open for the CBAN/IAMU 2025 Spring Summit on April 22-23, 2025 at Gateway Hotel in Ames, Iowa. Join us for two full days of amazing speakers and panels, engaging networking opportunities, and access to some of the biggest and most innovative broadband solutions providers in the nation.

CBAN is excited to welcome a number of great Summit sponsors!

CLICK HERE to learn about amazing marketing opportunities at the Spring Summit!

Now is the best time to register! CLICK HERE to get all the information you need to know and to register your team for the Spring Summit. If your organization is a member of either CBAN or IAMU, you get a $50 discount on registration!

CBAN's small but passionate team will be hopping around the country in 2025 to network with our members, seek new members, and continue our advocacy for community-focused broadband.

In February, Curtis Dean will be attending the Harmonic Broadband Summit in Miami.

March will be a busy month for our outreach efforts. Curtis Dean will attend and moderate a panel at the Connected America event in Dallas, Texas. And Marlena Pfeiffer, CBAN's Development Manager, will be making connections at the ITA Showcase in Portland, Oregon. And although it's closer to home, CBAN will be represented at the ICA Annual Meeting and Expo in Des Moines.

After a travel pause in April while we focus on the CBAN/IAMU 2025 Spring Summit, we're back on the road in May for the 2025 Merit Member Conference near Detroit, MI. Jon Willow will participate.

June sees Curtis Dean heading to Nashville, Tennessee for Fiber Connect, where he will be serving as a session moderator. Also leading a panel will be Jon Willow at the Broadband Communities Summit in Houston, Texas.

CBAN believes that it is vital for our continued growth and service to the membership, we need to be where our members and potential members are. But sending the team to these events is not an inexpensive proposition, especially for a nonprofit. So we'd like to appeal to our members to help us out by becoming a CBAN Ambassador Sponsor to underwrite these costs. To learn more about how you can help as a CBAN Ambassador, please reach out to Marlena Pfeiffer, [email protected]. Thank you all for your tremendous support!

Watch your inbox on Monday, February 3rd for important information about how to register for the 2025 CBAN/IAMU Spring Summit, to be held April 22 and 23, 2025 at Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames!

This year's Summit is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever - a must attend event for everyone with a stake in broadband access and adoption in the Midwest. 

Deb Socia, formerly with The Enterpise Center in Chattanooga, TN
Dr. Christopher Ali, Pioneers Chair in Telecommunications, Penn State University

In a recent communication to Fiber Broadband Association members, FBA President and CEO Gary Bolton outlined the anticipated trajectory of BEAD funding under the new administration. He expects several key developments in the near term:

A potential pause in the BEAD program is likely, with efforts to reform its existing structure. Howard Lutnick is anticipated to be quickly confirmed as Secretary of Commerce, though the nomination of an Assistant Secretary of Commerce and NTIA Administrator may take additional time. Bolton predicts that NTIA will review the program, focusing on streamlining broadband deployment by removing previous administration mandates related to labor, climate, and low-income provisions.

Despite potential administrative changes, Bolton emphasizes ongoing bipartisan support for broadband infrastructure investment. The Fiber Broadband Association continues to engage with individual states, recognizing their unique approaches to designing and implementing broadband programs tailored to local resident needs.

Bolton's key message is a call to action for industry members. He urges continued engagement with state broadband offices, state leaders, and federal representatives to maintain momentum in the BEAD program. The overarching goal remains ensuring universal connectivity and the broader societal benefits of a digitally connected nation.

The White House Office of Management and Budget has issued a directive ordering federal agencies to temporarily halt all federal grant and loan disbursements, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post. The pause, which took effect Tuesday, could impact tens of billions of dollars in federal funding. It also makes it uncertain if states will be allowed to move forward with the BEAD program for new broadband deployment and digital equity activities.

Acting OMB Director Matthew J. Vaeth's memo requires agencies to conduct a "comprehensive analysis" to ensure their grant and loan programs align with President Trump's executive orders on diversity initiatives and clean energy spending. While the order explicitly excludes direct assistance to individuals, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, it affects a broad range of recipients including universities, research programs, nonprofits, and healthcare organizations.

The memo specifically mentions targeting financial assistance for "foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal." Federal agencies must submit detailed lists of suspended projects by February 10, with oversight assigned to senior political appointees rather than career officials.

Democratic leaders have criticized the move, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling for immediate reversal. Budget experts note that while presidents can temporarily defer spending, the legality and scope of this pause may face challenges. The order creates significant uncertainty for grant recipients who depend on federal funding for operational expenses.

Read the full story at The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/27/white-house-pauses-federal-grants/

The new FCC Chairman is pulling the plug on a bulk billing ban initiated by his predecessor.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced on January 24, 2025, that the Commission has ended its review of a Biden-era proposal regarding bulk billing arrangements for internet service in multi-tenant buildings. The proposal, introduced in 2024, would have affected how internet services are billed in apartments and similar residential settings.

Carr strongly criticized the initiative, claiming it could have led to significant price increases of up to 50 percent for apartment residents' internet services. He argued that such increases would have particularly impacted vulnerable groups, including seniors, students, and low-income individuals, who already benefit from the current bulk billing arrangements that typically offer reduced rates.

The decision to halt the review was supported by what Carr described as a "broad and bipartisan coalition" opposing the plan. He framed the move as a step toward reversing what he characterized as costly regulatory overreach from the previous administration, linking the proposal to broader concerns about inflationary pressures during the Biden-Harris presidency.

The Chairman indicated this decision marks the beginning of broader efforts to address what he views as excessive regulations from the previous administration.