Telecom and utilities news and perspectives

• Fiber network construction
• Fiber network industry and markets
• Broadband funding
• 3-GIS telecom solutions

Telecom industry pulse: January 2026 recap

Network news roundup

January reinforced a trend the industry has been circling for months. Fiber investment is still moving forward, but it is being shaped less by federal optimism and more by private capital, workforce realities, and regulatory tradeoffs. Local expansions continued city by city, global operators posted strong financial signals, and policymakers wrestled with how broadband, AI, and labor intersect in practice—not theory.

• Fiber network management
• Broadband funding
• GIS
• FTTH

Why your BEAD build needs a GIS fiber asset management system

Back in 2021, Congress allocated $42.45 billion to the NTIA to create the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program—or BEAD. This was done to bring 100/20 Mbps service to every unserved and underserved location in the country.¹

Why the major investment in fiber? Because our communities depend on it for growth, adding over $1.6 trillion in household income and 380,000 in new jobs, according to a Fiber Broadband Association study.²

• Fiber network industry and markets
• Broadband funding

The vital role of connectivity in modern agriculture

The importance of high-speed internet connectivity stretches across all facets of our lives, impacting sectors we may not think of, such as agriculture. Connectivity is not only important, but essential for sustaining agricultural communities in the United States, as emphasized by Andy Berke, the administrator of the Rural Utilities Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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• Fiber network construction
• Broadband funding
• Communications service providers

Got broadband funding? Now what?

Have you received or considered applying for public funding to complete your broadband buildout? Governments across the globe are allocating more resources than ever before to increase the availability of high-speed internet access in underserved areas. In November 2021, the United States Federal Government passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocating $65 billion¹ toward the expansion and affordability of broadband coverage to aid in closing the digital divide–the largest sum set aside by the government for internet improvement initiatives in the country to date.

The passing of IIJA and similar funding initiatives have opened up space for additional opportunities in both the private and public sectors. In response, numerous proposals have been submitted in an effort to add sources of revenue or diversify offerings. However, with various avenues to achieve coverage objectives, newcomers may find themselves unsure of where to begin. Below are four considerations before starting on your grant-funded broadband projects.

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• Fiber network construction
• Fiber network management
• Fiber network planning and design
• Broadband funding

5 reasons asset management system is needed for RDOF fiber deployment

While there are many challenges that arise during any fiber optic deployment, construction and reporting requirements and deploying fiber in rural areas bring some unique challenges to RDOF projects. One of the most important actions that you can take to meet these challenges is to invest in an asset management system that can meet your current needs and scale with your changing business operations.