CostQuest Associates

? Empowering the #broadband industry for over 24 years, CostQuest Associates (CQA) offers a wide range of data products and consulting services to support?the diverse needs of the broadband industry! ??The team is dedicated to helping our clients reach their goals and committed to providing solutions that deliver the confidence and assurance needed to make effective decisions for the future. ?? Follow the link below to learn about who CostQuest is, company values, and a quick overview of the various services and data products CostQuest offers! #broadbandnetworks #broadbandaccess #broadbandforall

?? Exciting News! CostQuest is thrilled to announce the #BEAD Funding Data Module for OnLook, our #GIS Broadband Analytics Application at the Hex-9 level.??? This module provides the same trusted data CostQuest delivers to the NTIA and State Broadband Offices, with the goal of helping businesses navigate decisions for the BEAD funding program with confidence. ? ? What data is included:? ? ?? State’s NTIA-approved BEAD-Eligible locations ? ?? Fiber & Fixed Wireless cost investments ? ?? Fiber Net Present Value (NPV) & take rate? ?? Competition, service availability, demographics, & more!? ? ? Leverage this module to: ? ? Build grant applications ? ? Develop BEAD offensive/defensive strategies ? ? Uncover new business opportunities ? Compare & model Fiber/Fixed Wireless costs ? ? Calculate ROI and network project viability ? ? The CostQuest Team is excited about the release of the new BEAD Funding Data Module! We look forward to continuing to develop new ways to empower teams with the data they need to expand broadband networks efficiently, and close the?#digitaldivide, one region at a time.? ? Ready to see it in action???? Click here to explore: https://lnkd.in/gZqX4xa3? COMING SOON ? State Project Area Visualization: View data for each state’s unique project area – embedded with locations eligible for BEAD, cost investment, NPV, and more for each project area. (i.e., county, census block, school district, custom clusters, etc.) #broadband

?? Collaboration drives innovation, and what better way to work on new ideas than by working with the bright, young minds of the next generation!??? ? This quarter, CostQuest is teaming up with junior and senior Artificial Intelligence students at #CalPoly to test proof-of-concept projects aimed at:? - Enhancing the data and models that shape the Fabric, which identifies Broadband Service Locations (BSLs) in the FCC's National - Improving our network infrastructure identification and modeling techniques. ??Four student groups, guided by Marina Rosenwald, Leslie Stegeman, and Joseph Sales are bringing these projects to life: three are focused on infrastructure identification, while one is dedicated to land use classification.? ? This collaboration not only introduces students to potential career paths in broadband technology but also provides a hands-on opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world projects.? We’re excited to continue collaborating with students and pushing the boundaries of innovation together. ?#broadband #studentcollaboration #digitialdivide

? “Innovation thrives on strong teams – when unique minds bring their strengths to the table, magic happens.” ?? This is why CostQuest gathers the team each year in Cincinnati – to collaborate, share insights, and spark the innovation that helps drives us and the industry forward. ?? Our All-Team Meeting was about diving deep into the topics and solutions we’re creating for the #broadband industry, from funding program solutions for BEAD, to reliable data for efficient planning and operations, to network cost modeling, capital advisory, and more. ? All conversations were aimed at one common goal: empowering our users and clients to tackle complex challenges and make effective decisions that drive meaningful change in the broadband space. Each and every "CostQuester" is a valued and essential part of our team, and we're incredibly grateful to have a wonderful group working together to make positive impacts across communities. ?As we continue to shoot for the stars and invest in new models for the future – our team is looking forward to showing you what’s to come next! #digitaldivide #broadbandnetworks #BEAD

?? Heading to South Carolina for the “BEAD 2.0:?Maximizing Connectivity with?Non-Deployment Dollars” event this week?? ? Don’t miss the “Financing: Viability and Economic Resiliency” panel to hear from our cost and data expert Dan Gordon, CostQuest’s AVP, Product and Expert Modeling, on Wednesday, October 30, from 1:00 to 1:45 pm. Other panelists joining Dan include representatives from Connected Nation, EY, and Guidehouse. We’ll see you down south! Wireless Infrastructure Association https://lnkd.in/gs9b2vRC #broadband #broadbandnetworks #digitaldivide #BEAD

?? They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas - but there were so many great insights from #WISPALOOZA last week to not pass along! 1. There’s opportunities for wireless service providers in the world of #BEAD Funding, especially with NTIA’s draft notice of alternative technologies for BEAD. 2. Rachelle, CostQuest’s Chief of Staff, spoke on a panel on how providers can utilize location and cost data to assess areas with high-costs of fiber deployment, to identify potential areas where investments in fixed wireless or other alternative technologies may make more sense to stretch BEAD dollars. 3. Some states may have funding for fiber to the premise for all its eligible locations, but some states have already been vocal about the need for alternative technologies to help close the gap in fiber high-cost areas. ? Thank you to those we connected with at the conference! That's a wrap on the WISPALOOZA event. #broadband #broadbandaccess #digitaldivide

?? It’s a #BEAD world out there, and we’re just living in it! Whether you plan on applying for funding or not, you're living in the world of BEAD, and it’s important to understand how this funding program may impact your organization. ? If you’re at WISPA's #WISPALOOZA event in Vegas this week, be sure to stop by the “Living in the World of BEAD” panel to hear from Rachelle Medalia, CostQuest’s Chief of Staff, and other industry panelists about what factors to be aware of to be successful in this new BEAD reality. Rachelle will touch on the importance of using: - National Location Fabric - Service availability - Competition - Cost to serve & maintain - And other essential data When analyzing the economic viability of deploying fiber and potentially alternative technologies to state project areas and nearby locations.??? And when evaluating high-cost regions.? You can also find the CostQuest Team at booth #549 on the WISPALOOZA expo floor. We'll see you in Vegas! #broadband #digitaldivide

? From #BEAD program implementation to the future of USF funding, to hurricane disaster response and recovery – there was lots to talk about this week at the WTA’s Fall Education Forum in California, and the Broadband Nation Expo in Washington D.C. ?? At the forefront of these discussions are how providers are on the front lines of bringing internet and mobile connectivity to rural and urban communities – and how their essential services power our ability to communicate with one another remotely. ?? Great conversations this week, and a big thank you to everyone who connected with the CostQuest team at these events. We’ll see you at the next one! #BroadbandNationExpo #WTAFallEducationForum #digitaldivide

?? Headed to the Broadband Nation Expo this week in Washington DC? So are we! You can find Rachelle Medalia, CostQuest's Chief of Staff, speaking on the "Picking up the Tab - Funding Beyond BEAD" Panel, and Mark Rubin, Director of Government Affairs, networking around the show (and most likely talking about Boston sports ??). ?? Be sure to stop by Rachelle's panel to hear more about: ? How CostQuest's GIS Fabric data and cost modeling work helps private capital firms make more informed decisions when looking to invest in companies that have an influx of government funding from the #BEAD program. ? Discuss why BEAD funding is not just a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for ISPs to receive funding to expand services to all the hard-to-reach corners of the US, but also for private capital to enter communities that would not have been economically viable. ? Get more insight on how States can use our location-level cost model information to determine funding per location or geographic grouping. We'll see you in DC! Panel: Wednesday, October 9, 2024, from 1:25 pm - 2:00 pm EDT Gaylord Convention Center, in the Broadband Nation Theater - Expo Hall #BroadbandNationExpo #broadband #digitaldivide https://lnkd.in/eA7ubQHx

?? Closing the #digitaldivide is a big initiative not only in the US, but globally! The CostQuest Team is expanding its borders internationally to help other countries tackle their broadband connectivity challenges. ?? CostQuest’s Mark Kennet, Ph.D., and Mark Rubin recently attended the International Telecommunication Union’s World Telecom/ICT Indicators Symposium in Geneva, Switzerland last week to engage with global leaders working to connect their unserved communities. ?? At the Symposium, the two Marks learned that interest in digital inclusion worldwide is intense and that nearly every country in the conference is seeking ways to ensure that even its most remote citizens have broadband access. ?? The Symposium’s annual purpose is to synchronize definitions of measures used to identify internet penetration and usage. While some of that is slightly contentious, most participants are focused on reducing the number of unconnected users as much as possible. ?? The team also had the opportunity to spend time with the technical group working on broadband mapping in Africa. This group is leveraging funding to identify locations requiring broadband investment in several countries. ?? Using the methods we’ve learned through our national mapping work in the United States, CostQuest is looking forward to helping chart a way forward for mapping broadband access and the investment needed to connect unserved regions in Africa and globally. This is all part of our vision to help close the global digital divide. ?? P.S. Mark Rubin also enjoyed making new connections with the locals at the Geneva Botanical Garden (last photo). #broadband #telecom #digitalfutureforall