NextLink’s Aaron Clark briefs York County on BEAD funding, mix of fiber and carrier‑grade wireless

Aaron Clark, a NextLink Internet representative, told York County commissioners that the state-administered BEAD round will ask providers to bid on predefined project areas rather than allowing providers to define projects themselves. Clark said York County has 11 project areas in this funding round and that multiple providers will likely participate across the county.

“The broadband office has basically predefined project areas for this particular round of funding,” Clark said. “So now the providers will be essentially bidding on a predefined project instead of defining what they want to do.” He added that the review will weigh coverage, cost and merit, and that awards are expected in the coming months.

Clark explained the funding model: federal BEAD dollars will finance most costs but providers are typically required to provide a match (Clark said 25% was common); the program is federally funded and state administered in this round. He said the state prefers fiber when feasible but will consider licensed wireless and satellite to reach the hardest-to-serve locations. “They’re going to prefer fiber,” Clark said. “If they can’t satisfy everything, then they’ll go to licensed wireless, cable, DSL… and if there’s still locations nobody thinks they can do even with the funding, then they’ll start considering satellite options.”

Clark described NextLink’s local footprint and technology mix: the company operates fiber and carrier-grade wireless towers and leases commercial tower capacity when advantageous. He said carrier-grade wireless now can deliver gigabit-capable speeds in many rural settings and that most extended outages on his wireless network are caused by fiber cuts or long power outages rather than radio reliability problems.

County commissioners asked about reliability, timelines and whether existing providers would be displaced. Clark said reliability on his wireless network is high and that providers already present in a project area can have cost advantages and submit competitive bids. He also noted that the state has capped some project areas (roughly a $4 million project cap in the current planning) so smaller providers can participate, and that Nebraska’s total allocation for this round exceeds $400 million.

County staff were advised that when bids are accepted, local letters of support will be part of the application process and that counties should be prepared to provide them. Clark urged commissioners to review materials sent by state broadband staff to understand where each project area lies so the county can respond quickly once awards and bid windows open.

The board did not take action beyond hearing the presentation. Commissioners and staff said they expect providers to request letters and county confirmation when the state’s bidding process begins in the next few months.