2026 Broadband Leaders Workshop

On April 21-22, the National Governors Association convened public and private sector leaders in Alexandria, Virginia for its fifth annual Broadband Leaders Workshop. Over the two days, broadband officials from 34 states and territories met with federal officials, internet service providers and industry leaders to share best practices for accelerating broadband connectivity and closing the digital divide, with a particular focus on implementing the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger welcomed attendees with a keynote address, highlighting that since 2017, nearly 300,000 homes and businesses across Virginia have gained internet access and broadband projects funded through BEAD are set to break ground soon in remaining unserved areas.

Federal Broadband Program Updates

Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) provided updates on the status of federal broadband programs. Agencies described active coordination efforts to avoid overlapping coverage with BEAD, including bi-weekly cross-agency meetings. Panelists acknowledged that some grant defaults are inevitable and outlined collaborative strategies for absorbing unserved locations. All three agencies agreed that state broadband offices will remain essential partners for monitoring, compliance, and carrier accountability during and beyond the construction phase.

Virginia's Model: Working with Internet Service Providers

Leaders from Virginia's Office of Broadband joined Internet Service Provider (ISP) partners to discuss the commonwealth's experience navigating the BEAD buildout. Pole attachment emerged as one of the main construction obstacles, with some areas facing high costs and delays. . Virginia created a release valve for these challenges by establishing a program that would pay certain pole attachment fees, with underground construction developed as a backup option. Speakers shared that environmental permits should cover both aerial and underground options upfront to preserve flexibility. Panelists emphasized the importance of treating ISPs as partners throughout the process, funding dedicated positions for broadband permitting, and building transparent public dashboards.

Environmental Review and Permitting

State broadband directors joined federal and industry partners to discuss strategies for reducing permitting delays. Panelists identified a designated single point of contact as the most effective tool for cutting through bureaucratic friction, and that front-end communication can prevent back-end delays. Speakers suggested that permitting roundtables should go beyond dealing with emergency escalations - regular meetings can build relationships and lead to better outcomes. For federal permitting, it was suggested that pre-application meetings with providers are critical to avoid incomplete applications, and that there is merit in states and territories building relationships with state historic preservation offices, tribal preservation officers and relevant agency field offices early.

Utility and Agency Coordination

Broadband directors and federal officials discussed best practices in coordinating with utilities and other agencies during deployment. Panelists advised that utilities need advanced warning about the volume of requests coming their way, and that early and proactive engagement with utilities is critical. Some states require sub-grantees to submit a utility engagement plan and prove ongoing communication at each milestone, which can support communication between internet service providers and their utility partners. Some states have implemented working groups which convene utilities at both the executive and frontline levels on a biweekly basis, and this was cited as a model for states acting as active coordinators rather than passive funders. Panelists also identified that railroads can be challenging counterparties and outlined practical tactics for managing those relationships, including wireless and laser backhaul as alternatives to track crossings.

Workforce Development

In this session, state broadband leaders and private sector workforce providers shared lessons learned in building the broadband workforce pipeline. A recurring theme was that top-down classroom-based certification programs were not as successful as anticipated, while direct engagement with internet service providers to understand their actual workforce needs proved transformative. In one state, this led to the development of a successful three-week pre-apprenticeship screening program with high levels of job placement. Panelists highlighted virtual reality as an emerging tool for reaching non-traditional candidates and stressed the importance of framing broadband careers as long-term pathways into adjacent fields such as cybersecurity, AI and data infrastructure.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Stakeholder Communication

Broadband leaders and private sector stakeholders discussed best practices for monitoring and reporting federal programs and maintaining productive relationships with internet service providers. Weekly touchpoints with providers, proactive education about state-specific procurement rules, and structured communications plans across multiple channels were identified as essential practices. Regarding semi-annual reporting requirements for BEAD, speakers emphasized the importance of working backwards from the submission deadline and preparing internet service providers well in advance. Panelists also stressed that political navigation - serving as a translator between ISPs, legislators, permitting agencies, and constituents - is a core skill for state broadband directors.

Planning for Non-Deployment Funds

Two back-to-back sessions examined how states and territories should approach BEAD's non-deployment funding in the absence of guidance from NTIA. Industry panelists recommended that states should prepare ahead of any guidance so that they have plans ready in advance. These speakers suggested that states and territories could use non-deployment dollars to establish a reserve fund to address defaults and map gaps, facilitate pole attachments, permitting and easements, and prioritize digital adoption and skills training alongside physical infrastructure. State broadband directors echoed these themes while flagging that the continued absence of federal guidance is hampering internal planning and legislative engagement. Panelists recommended developing a set of rough program concepts that can be quickly matched to whatever guidance ultimately allows and emphasized that whole-of-government collaboration is essential for these dollars.

Data Strategy and Outcomes Tracking

This session discussed the importance of consolidating fragmented broadband data into a single platform capable of supporting real statistical analysis across deployment, program, and non-deployment outcomes. Speakers identified dedicated data personnel and cross-agency relationships as critical infrastructure investments for small broadband offices managing billion-dollar grants. These efforts are critical now to ensure that there is sound data available to illustrate the benefits of broadband infrastructure programs on health, education, and workforce outcomes, as well as meet reporting requirements set out by federal agencies.

In addition to these sessions, NGA hosted Governors' advisors for closed-door state and territory-only time throughout the convening. These discussions touched on a range of issues, including sub-grantee contracts, the role of broadband offices as deployment progresses, and planning for non-deployment guidance.

Conclusion

Building on the discussions and peer connections from Alexandria, Virginia, participating states and territories will continue to engage through NGA's Governors' Broadband Advisors network as federal program implementation accelerates across the country.

For more information about NGA's work to support broadband initiatives, view NGA's broadband resources and infrastructure resources.