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BEAD
Vistabeam has connected the first household in the nation under the BEAD program, the provider announced last week in Nebraska.
Edited by Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
A small household near Ogallala, Nebraska became the first in the nation to be connected under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, Vistabeam announced Thursday, a step company leaders and state officials hailed as a milestone for rural internet access.
Vistabeam, a hybrid fiber and fixed-wireless provider based in Gering, said the Ogallala home now receives speeds exceeding 800 megabits per second download and 200 Mbps upload, well above BEAD’s 100/20 Mbps baseline, after deploying next-generation fixed wireless equipment rather than waiting for a fiber build.
“BEAD is officially here, and we’re making history today,” Vistabeam CEO Matt Larsen said, adding that the company’s wireless capability allowed the connection to be completed “in a matter of days, not years.”
“A tremendous victory for Nebraska”
State leaders framed the connection as proof that federal and state funds can quickly translate into service.
“This is a tremendous victory for Nebraska,” Gov. Jim Pillen said, stressing the importance of broadband for schoolwork, health care and farm operations.
Patrick Redmond, deputy director of the Nebraska Broadband Office, described the activation as “just the start” of broader statewide expansion under the BEAD allocation administered by his office in coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Vistabeam credited equipment partners WAV and Tarana Wireless for the rapid deployment. Tarana’s vice president of government affairs, Carl Guardino, said the collaboration shows how public and private partners using “cutting‑edge technology” can deliver high-speed service efficiently and affordably.
WAV, meanwhile, which distributes fiber and fixed-wireless gear, praised Vistabeam’s “vision” and noted the company has received BEAD awards in Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming.
The newly connected household’s resident, Deb Armknecht, expressed immediate benefits: “My grandkids love the faster internet to use with their computers, and I can get on the computer to do our books for the farm,” she said.
Vistabeam also announced that it has been awarded funding for three tower upgrades worth $423,375 to serve 93 locations in Nebraska, and that the Ogallala activation will be commemorated at a media event with federal and private partners.
While the company presented this as a replicable model for quick BEAD deployments, the release makes clear the approach leans on fixed‑wireless technologies to provide near‑term service while larger fiber projects continue.
Additionally, Vistabeam said it also plans BEAD-funded fiber builds in Wyoming and Colorado.
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