Florida

As states begin to receive their allocations from the $42 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment or BEAD program, Florida is leading the way in preparing the workforce needed for new high-speed internet networks. State officials were quick to convene industry stakeholders as part of their broadband planning process last year, and the state’s BEAD proposal has an unusually detailed section on workforce readiness.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Alabama and Florida’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. This approval enables Alabama and Florida to request access to funding and begin implementation of the BEAD program. One year from Initial Proposal approval, states must submit a Final Proposal that details, among other things, the outcome of the subgrantee selection process and how the state will ensure universal coverage.

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Tillman Fiber, a leading developer of open-access fiber infrastructure, announced the successful closing of $815 million in committed debt financing. The financing will support the deployment of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks throughout Florida, with the new credit facility providing for up to $200 million of additional term loans. This significant capital infusion comes on the heels of Tillman Fiber's Florida expansion and will enable the rapid deployment of high-speed and reliable fiber infrastructure across the state. 

LiveOak Fiber, which operates fiber broadband networks in Georgia and Florida, has secured $250 million from J.P. Morgan to fund its fiber network expansion in the southeastern United States. The quarter billion investment will be used to expand LiveOak’s 100% fiber broadband network in Florida, Georgia, and beyond. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Brunswick, Georgia, LiveOak Fiber has grown quickly.

In a deal between two providers focused on multifamily broadband, Smartaira has acquired Florida-based Lux Speed Inc. Smartaira provides multi-gigabit, symmetrical service via both fiber internet and managed Wi-Fi. It markets to homeowner-association, condo-association and multi-tenant rental properties in 26 states. The company said that the acquisition is its fourth since 2021 and that it will strengthen its operations in the southeast. 

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with rural cooperatives, local organizations and Tribes to support high-speed internet deployment in 11 states. USDA is awarding $5.2 million in cooperative agreements through the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, which is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Mediacom is proving that even though it's a cable and fiber provider, it's happy to use fixed wireless access (FWA), too. Mediacom will use Tarana’s next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) broadband technology in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina—states where it’s won funding from the Federal Communications Commission's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). The operator’s required RDOF buildout target is 5,694 locations, said Thomas Larsen, Mediacom’s SVP of government and public relations.

Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez and Congressman Darren Soto (D-FL) hosted a roundtable at the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) with Veterans Affairs (VA) social workers and community stakeholders to discuss the positive impact of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) on Veterans and their families. “The Affordable Connectivity Program is about making sure everyone, everywhere in this country has access to Internet service that connects them to economic and educational opportunity as well as healthcare services, for example connecting Veterans with VA appoint