As states across the nation are poised to begin awarding BEAD grants as part of the single-largest federal investment in U.S. history to build new high-speed Internet networks, a sizable share of the funding is going to the big cable and telecom giants, with hundreds of millions in subsidies slated for Starlink and Amazon Leo.

Yet, eight community and independently-owned networks are in the running for this year’s Broadband Provider of the Year Award – a reminder that bigger does not always mean better and BEAD isn’t the only way to solve the digital divide in local communities.

“From municipal pioneers to digital equity champions and rapidly scaling fiber builders, the 2026 shortlist for the Broadband Communities Broadband Provider of the Year represents the best in high-speed connectivity, customer-first service, and network innovation,” Broadband Communities, one of the nation’s leading digital and broadband technology publications, announced in the run-up to its Broadband Communities Summit 2026.

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The winners will be revealed live during a special awards ceremony at the end of Day 1 at this year’s summit, which will be held on August 26 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.

And Nominees Are…

The shortlist of standouts competing for top honors this year are the following:

As states and local governments look to leverage the flood of federal funds for the creation of ubiquitous high speed Internet access, an upcoming conference promises to be packed with practical insights from leading broadband experts on how to maximize the moment.

The Broadband Communities Summit 2022, which will once again be held in Houston, Texas at the downtown Marriott Marquis from May 2nd through May 5th, is an annual four-day event. Expected to draw over 1,200 participants, this year’s theme will be “Fiber: The Lifeblood of the New Economy.” It will be organized around a multitrack agenda, numerous workshops, and showcase an exhibit hall with dozens of vendors – all of which provides attendees with valuable networking opportunities with broadband systems operators.

The agenda will offer a variety of key features, including:

• Expanded program addressing the booming multifamily housing segment 
• Exclusive closed-door sharing session in owners' forums 
• Insight into evolving business models 
• Special hot topic clusters grouped around central themes, including financing opportunities and partnership models 
• Expert advice and strategies for using broadband to create jobs and attract and keep businesses 
• Legal strategies symposium

The opening day of the summit kicks off with several workshops, including a Broadband Breakfast mini-conference that focuses on both private and public financing; a workshop on the “flavors of open access (networks)” moderated by our own Christopher Mitchell and UTOPIA Fiber’s Chief Marketing Officer Kim McKinley; and a workshop on how the public and private sectors can work together to develop successful broadband partnerships, presented by the Coalition for Local Internet Choice (CLIC) President Jim Baller, CTC Energy and Technology President Joanne Hovis, Executive Director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance Angela Siefer, and Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Gary Bolton.