The First State to Reach 100% Fiber? Meet North Dakota’s Broadband Director

North Dakota has the potential to be the first state in the country to bring a fiber connection to 100% of their broadband service locations. Brian Newby, the State Broadband Program Director, said North Dakota is in this position thanks to their forward-thinking providers: “The state had nothing to do with it.” Newby said a provider-led push led to the current reality in which North Dakota enjoys broad fiber coverage. “They went out on a limb as a group and borrowed money to do this over the years. It was their own foresight and leadership to do that.” Newby became North Dakota’s State Broadband Program Director in March 2023. He is one of just two full-time staff members in the state’s broadband office, working with Guidehouse to augment their small team. Because North Dakota has a relatively small number of underserved or unserved locations—compared to states of similar size—the state received $130 million in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds, just a little over the $100 million per-state minimum.