With the CBAN/IAMU 2025 Spring Summit kicking off bright and early on the morning of Tuesday, April 22nd, you'll want to arrive at Gateway Hotel and Conference Center on Monday to get ready. Why not get in a bit earlier and enjoy some "pre-game" fun with your fellow Summit attendees!

Please join Bonfire & Friends for their unique Broadband Mystery Tour, an interactive, fun networking event modeled after your favorite mystery-solving gang. Solve real-world broadband challenges in planning, designing, building, and operating high-speed internet networks alongside industry experts like Nokia, COS, Vetro, Hexatronic, and Ocius-X. All while enjoying some good food and cocktails!

At 6:30pm we hope you'll all join us as CBAN's Curtis Dean presents Bonfire's Broadband Hero award to Deb Socia, the Spring Summit's kickoff keynote speaker!

Spots are limited to ensure quality interactions! For more information and to RSVP, CLICK HERE.

We're kicking off the Spring Summit with an informal evening full of good conversation, and community. Whether you're reconnecting or meeting someone for the first time, Monday night is a perfect opportunity to mix, mingle, and get a head start on the Summit energy.

The restaurant is open for your dining pleasure until 8:00pm and the bar is open until 10:00pm. Thanks to our Monday Mixer sponsor, Open Country!

The Community Broadband Action Network (CBAN) is proud to partner with the Fiber Broadband Association to promote Fiber Connect 2025, the industry’s largest annual gathering focused on fiber broadband deployment, innovation, and impact.

📅 June 1–4, 2025
📍 Nashville, TN – Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Whether you’re working to launch a locally-operated network or scaling up your current deployment, Fiber Connect 2025 offers unmatched access to insights, tools, and connections that empower communities to thrive.

This year’s agenda includes:

• The State Broadband Summit – Engage with national and local policymakers
• Pre-Conference Workshops – Deep-dive into deployment strategies, funding models, and technology
• Women in Fiber Luncheon – Featuring guests from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
• NEW: OpTIC Path Rodeo, Smart Home Open-House, ThoughtWaves Documentary, and more

From policy discussions and funding opportunities to hands-on training and community-driven solutions, this is where broadband leaders come to learn, collaborate, and lead.
CBAN Members Save 20%

Use code CBAN20 at checkout to receive 20% off your registration.

As we approach the CBAN/IAMU 2025 Spring Summit next week, we want to take a moment to thank our sponsors and exhibitors for making this event happen! 

Showcase Sponsor - Power & Tel
Gold Sponsors - Tejas Networks, Adtran, Patriot Communications, and RaDD Networks Solutions
Silver Sponsors - Calix and Open Country
Bronze Sponsors - RLM Underground, ISG, Consortia Consulting, Aureon, Scale Computing, Olsson, Harmonic, FARR Technology, AMT, Aprecomm, and the Fiber Broadband Association
OSS/BSS Spotlight Sponsors - Innovative Systems, ETI Software, COS Systems, Fibersmith, Camvio, and gaiia
Exhibitors: Ciena, Clearfield, Murphy Communications, NCTI, Relevant Systems, TelQuip, WISP Services, Spectrum Planning, and Interstate Power Systems
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A recent Ookla report ranked all 50 U.S. states based on their delivery of the FCC's minimum standard for fixed broadband (100 Mbps download/20 Mbps upload) to Speedtest users. Connecticut, North Dakota, Delaware, Maryland, and other northeastern states topped the performance charts, with at least 60% of their users meeting these standards.

Despite this progress, significant digital divides persist. Washington, Alaska, Illinois, and Oregon show the largest gaps between urban and rural broadband performance. In Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming—three of the least densely populated states—fewer than 40% of users receive the minimum broadband speeds.

New Mexico, Arizona, and Minnesota demonstrated the most improvement between 2023-2024, with New Mexico seeing a remarkable 50% increase in users meeting FCC standards.
Nationally, U.S. fixed broadband performs well globally, ranking 6th worldwide with median download speeds of nearly 280 Mbps as of February 2025. This represents dramatic improvement from just a decade ago when the U.S. averaged only 31 Mbps.

However, the rural-urban divide remains pronounced. While dense urban areas benefit from fiber deployment delivering speeds up to 1,000 Mbps, many rural Americans still struggle with basic connectivity.

In early April, the FCC dismissed five petitions seeking changes to the Enhanced A-CAM program, which provides funding for rural broadband deployment. The Commission maintained its technology-neutral stance, rejecting a petition from Michigan townships demanding fiber-only deployments despite concerns that DSL implementations would render locations ineligible for BEAD program funding, which prioritizes fiber.

The Commission defended this decision by explaining that requiring fiber would reduce the total number of locations receiving Enhanced A-CAM support, placing greater demands on limited BEAD funding. The FCC also denied NTCA and coalition requests to extend deployment deadlines from December 2028 to December 2030, stating that such delays would "significantly lessen the benefits for consumers in Enhanced A-CAM areas."

Additional rejected petitions included a request for 60-day deadlines on coverage challenge adjudications, NTCA's proposal to support locations with separate service commitments, and a coalition of RDOF winners' attempt to redirect funding to their program, which they've repeatedly sought due to pandemic-related cost increases.

Allison Ruhl, CBAN's Digital Navigator has been featured in a great article on the website of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA). CBAN is one of 18 cohorts nationwide in the NDIA's Digital Naviator Corps, made possible from a Google.org grant.

The article discusses CBAN's approach to providing devices and digital skills training and assistance in southern Iowa and shares some of Allison's experiences engaging with local communities.

The CBAN team is very proud of the work Allison is doing to help rural Iowans, and we encourage you all to read the article. And if you're coming to the CBAN Spring Summit, say hi to Allison and thank her for her passionate committment to helping her clients.

Operational and Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS) are the engines behind every successful broadband provider. As networks scale, choosing the right system becomes more important than ever—impacting everything from billing and provisioning to network performance and customer retention.

At this year’s Spring Summit, we’re giving you a unique opportunity to see and compare options--live and in person!

Join us for the OSS/BSS Spotlight, where five leading providers will showcase their platforms in 30-minute demos designed to help you understand what’s possible and what might be the right fit for your network.

If you’re planning a network build, scaling up, or simply rethinking your operations, this is your chance to compare tools, ask questions, and get clarity in one afternoon.

Join us on April 22nd  for LIVE SYSTEM DEMOS from:

• ETI Software: 1:30 in the Meadows Room                
• Innovative Systems: 2:00pm in the Cardinal/Gold room
• COS Systems: 2:30pm in the Meadows Room
• Fibersmith: 3:30pm in the Meadows Room
• Camv.io: 4:00pm in the Cardial and Gold Room
• gaiia: 4:30pm in the Meadows Room

Jon Willow, co-founder of the Community Broadband Action Network (CBAN), was recently featured on an episode of the Fiber Broadband Association's podcast, "Fiber for Breakfast" with FBA CEO Gary Bolton. The discussion centered on Michigan's digital divide, where approximately 30% of households (730,000) face barriers to internet access including affordability and digital literacy challenges. Willow shared insights from her Michigan State University fellowship research on how AI tools can enhance collaboration effectiveness among multiple organizations tackling these issues. Michigan's strategy recognizes that addressing the digital divide requires coordinated effort across agencies, as no single organization can comprehensively solve these complex problems alone.

Check out Broadband Breakfast on the FBA YouTube Channel!

The $42 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, initiated under the Biden administration to provide high-speed internet to rural America, is currently on hold as the Trump administration reconsiders its approach. As outlined in an article in the Washington Post (requires subscription), the program, which had bipartisan support when approved by Congress in 2021, is being revamped to be more "tech-neutral" and open to satellite internet solutions like Elon Musk's Starlink.

Rural internet providers like Cajun Broadband, which was awarded $33 million in January to serve Louisiana's estimated 450,000 households without reliable internet, are now in limbo. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced in March that the program would drop what he called "woke mandates" and "burdensome" regulations.

While the original program heavily favored fiber-optic infrastructure as the gold standard for speed and reliability, critics argue this approach is too expensive and time-consuming. Proponents of fiber, however, note that while satellite internet may have lower initial setup costs, it would cost households significantly more in the long run - approximately $120 monthly for Starlink versus $80 for the average fiber plan.

Some state broadband offices support streamlining the process, but providers worry that any major program changes could waste years of planning and millions in private investment. Evan Feinman, who resigned as the BEAD program director in March, expressed concern that the shift might favor Musk's business interests at the expense of rural America's long-term internet infrastructure needs.