Navigating BABA Compliance for BEAD Projects: Insights from AFL at the Broadband Nation Expo

During this past year's Broadband Nation Expo, AFL's Will Miller, Program Manager of Strategic Programs for Broadband, and Josh Simer, Market Manager for Service Providers and MSOs, participated in a fireside chat titled, "Leveraging Vendor Relationships to Navigate BABA Compliance for BEAD." During this session, they discussed how strategic partnerships can unlock the potential of Broadband, Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding.

_{Pictured Above from Left to Right: Moderator, Alejandro Pinero and AFL’s Will Miller and Josh Simer} 

One central point of their discussion was the importance of strategic partnerships between service providers and vendors. The moderator asked a key question: when procuring materials for BEAD projects, what should purchasers keep top of mind and what steps should they take next? Will emphasized the importance for end users and service providers to partner with their vendors to understand and navigate that compliance landscape, stressing not to go at it alone.

Will also advised purchasers to be prescriptive and define what their funding program when requesting BABA-compliant products. “Strictly saying BABA is pretty restrictive,” commented Will. “There are other funding programs out there that may require BABA that don’t have the same waivers that BEAD does.”

Will and Josh further emphasized the importance of educating customers about BABA rules, particularly around understanding their specific funding sources. Josh noted that “AFL’s goal is to make things easy for our customers. We worry about the details of requirements.” However, to help, customers still need to communicate their specific funding sources for vendors to provide appropriate solutions.

Their conversation also covered the waiver process. Waivers are typically granted for two main reasons: There isn’t sufficient U.S.-based supply of a specific item and U.S-based supply is cost-prohibitive. Will explained that the government agencies, which administer broadband programs, support these waivers to help programs achieve their goals realistically, allowing flexibility where strict BABA compliance would result in key products being prohibitively expensive or unavailable.

Looking ahead, service providers and vendors will need to navigate complex landscape of government funding regulations. AFL’s expertise and commitment to compliance can help alleviate your regulatory burdens, allowing you to focus on building robust broadband networks.

Let AFL be your trusted guide through these intricacies, ensuring smooth navigation and compliance every step of the way! For further guidance on complying with BABA requirements, visit our Connecting America webpage or reach out to us at ConnectingAmerica@aflglobal.com.

Watch the full fireside chat here!