Verizon’s Kevin Smith talks the kind of mettle ISPs need for BEAD

Preparation. PON. Previous experience. Persistence. These are just some of the attributes states should be looking for when choosing ISPs to carry out builds for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, said Verizon executive Kevin Smith. “The ISPs and the builders also have to have those people and those teams internally that are making sure that you’re delivering what you signed up for,” he said. “Whatever you agreed to in that bid, you need all that program management. It’s not just about hanging the fiber. That’s only one aspect of this entire thing.” In addition to massive amounts of prep work and finishing the initial deployment, Smith said ISPs should be capable of executing on the “long-term care and feeding of that network over time.” Smith advised new and small ISPs to be thorough when preparing their bids to ensure they can actually deliver what is promised. That means taking their time and doing “a lot of socializing” within their organization to run the bid plans by different departments. He stressed it is especially important to vet the proposal with the ISP’s outside plant and engineering teams.