This episode features Kerry Haughan, senior vice president for commercial strategy at Calix, where he leads Calix's funding team in helping broadband providers understand and apply for grants.
We discuss the federal government's $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program – including the work Calix is doing internally to prepare its broadband service provider (BSP) customers to participate, and why he's advocating for BEAD funding to go to smaller, more local providers over Tier-1s.
We also discuss the challenges small and local providers might face in participating in BEAD – particularly with the expected demise of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) – as well as possible solutions to some BEAD hurdles, and more.
Here are a few topics covered in this conversation:
How Haughan's team helps broadband service providers understand public funding options (00:58)
How Calix is preparing for BEAD through 'Buy America' compliance and with its partnership with Ready.net (03:50)
Why Haughan wants BEAD funds to go to co-ops and other small, local service providers over Tier-1s (08:22)
Top hurdles for smaller providers when it comes to BEAD (13:10)
How the demise of the ACP will impact small/local provider participation in BEAD (20:00)
Thoughts on where local providers might have more success with BEAD based on how states are writing their plans (24:15)
How to sustain BEAD-funded networks long-term (27:40)
Related:Calix boosts US equipment manufacturing for BEAD
For a lightly edited transcript, click the caption button on the podcast player.