Viewpoints
BEAD’s new direction tells us that the technology we use to bridge the digital divide no longer has to be fiber.
By: Helge Tiainen, Business Development Director, InCoax Networks
Fiber technology has long been considered the obvious choice for U.S. broadband deployments. Not only does it offer greater bandwidth and faster speeds, but – more importantly – it has been federally favored. Regardless of the costs involved or the installation times, fiber was often chosen as the technology for high-speed internet delivery. However, on June 6, 2025, something changed.
The U.S. Government’s $42.5 billion BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) program has recently made an announcement that has far-reaching consequences. The program that helps expand broadband to unserved and underserved communities dropped its fiber-first preference. This underscored the BEAD program’s commitment in placing connectivity and the user experience first. The dilemma of which broadband technology to select when connecting the broadband service has suddenly become less important.
Improved broadband reliability, faster speeds, and lower cost are the only attributes that matter.
Updated guidelines need updated thinking
What the BEAD official announcement actually tells us is that the technology we use to bridge the digital divide no longer has to be fiber. Instead, the focus should be (and rightfully so) on making sure the user has a great broadband experience regardless of how that service is delivered.
In BEAD’s updated guidelines, states and subgrantees have been advised to prioritize broadband solutions that adhere to certain benchmarks. This includes performance at or above 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream, low latency, low cost per location, and swift broadband deployment.
Smarter apartment connectivity – we need you!
The likes of multi-dwelling units (MDUs), such as hotel blocks and apartment complexes, as well as other residential properties, cannot be easily rewired. Not only is the approvals process with tenants and building owners strenuous but installing fiber or twisted pair cabling inside MDUs involves significant costs and time. While much investment has been spent on tower builds and fiber runs (coined the ‘middle-middle’), service providers still have hurdles to overcome when it comes to broadband delivery for the final few hundred feet: the last-mile. This is often what delays – or sometimes, prevents – projects completing. The last mile is a persistent challenge and one that is often overlooked.
The last-mile bottleneck
BEAD funding has helped deliver greater broadband capacity to buildings, but not necessarily to the users inside those buildings. For those underserved in brownfield MDUs, it can be costly to retrofit.
Helge Tiainen, Business Development Director, InCoax Networks
This is why other alternatives are being considered and growing in prominence. Service providers are now broaching options that can deliver fiber-like performance and multi-gigabit speed, while removing the difficulty of laying fiber or Cat 6 twisted pair cabling.
Utilizing existing infrastructure can be a smarter alternative to fiber or twisted pair cabling for last-mile connectivity, as it alleviates the painstaking challenge of rewiring buildings. To truly transform the way high-speed internet is delivered into these properties however, industry network standards for MDUs should be considered for the last mile.
High-speed broadband…already in the walls
Industry standards, such as MoCA Access 2.5 technology, can deliver multi-gigabit broadband over coaxial cabling. MoCA is middle-mile technology agnostic and extends high-performance services, like fiber and modern fixed wireless access (FWA). This in-building infrastructure typically runs from the basement to all individual apartments, and this is already in millions of apartment complexes and brownfield settings across the US.
While coaxial cabling was originally used for cable TV, it can be the foundation for delivering gigabit broadband and an improved user experience successfully, both now and in the years ahead. When upgraded to MoCA Access 2.5, the infrastructure can facilitate physical layer throughput of up to 2.5 gigabit per second and maintains a sub-3 millisecond one-way latency. The latter is crucial for latency-sensitive applications, which are increasingly prevalent inside our connected homes. Network nodes can then integrate seamlessly with IP networks.
Significantly, no rewiring, drilling, or disruption is required. A smart last-mile solution can be the final part of the chain once fiber or FWA has been delivered to the area. A fiber-like experience can be delivered at just a fraction of the time and cost typically associated with fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) rollouts due to faster deployments and use of existing cabling.
Choose your technology vendor wisely
The right partner can help service providers deliver a broadband connection that offers reliability, speed, and is standards compliant. A solution that can operate effectively regardless of how the premises is connected is crucial – whether that be through fiber, a licensed or unlicensed spectrum fixed wireless access link, or a hybrid set-up.
A solution harnessing the MoCA Access 2.5 standard can meet BEAD’s updated guidelines of rapid deployment, low cost and latency, and high-speed broadband performance. An MDU deployment might take a few days rather than weeks, or even months, when rewiring with fiber or twisted pair. Additionally, tenant disruption is kept to a minimum as the existing infrastructure is utilized and tenants can self-install modems to receive their broadband service.
Choosing a sustainable last-mile broadband solution can eliminate waste of unnecessary cabling, the use of new materials, and reduce carbon emissions associated with producing and transporting cabling. Service providers can make sure BEAD funding stretches further, addresses more households, and connects the unconnected across the United States.
In many cases, the expense of connecting apartments is less than half of new fiber installation costs. Faster installations then result in faster service activations and billing cycles. In turn, service providers can enjoy a shorter time to revenue and return on their investments. Not only are last-mile broadband solutions greener, but they are smarter both financially and operationally.
Fixing the last mile for meaningful reach
Following BEAD’s updated guidelines, the broadband industry has shifted from a fiber-only mindset to one focused on meaningful reach to address all those underserved. The framework recognizes this transition and understands that no one deserves to be left behind when it comes to digital inclusion. In MDUs this could have been accomplished without lowering the performance standard to 100/20 Mbps, using MoCA Access equipment.
The last mile has long been a blind spot in broadband project planning, and this is often a precursor to whether tenants get connected or projects simply do not amount to anything. Service providers should not need to compromise, and a future-proof, standards-based investment provides a platform for them to expediate their broadband rollouts, both at scale and cost-effectively.