Fiber Broadband Association Announces 2026 Awards Finalists

Top leaders, projects, and innovations to be honored at Fiber Connect 2026 25^th Anniversary Gala

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the finalists for the 2026 FBA Awards, recognizing outstanding individuals, companies, and initiatives driving the future of fiber broadband. Selected from a competitive pool of nominations, these finalists represent excellence in leadership, innovation, and community impact across the industry.

Winners will be announced at the Fiber Connect 2026 25^th Anniversary Awards Gala on May 19. Additional honors, including the Gene Scott Education Award, will also be presented at the Gala, while the Chair Award will be announced on the mainstage during the conference.

“These finalists reflect the very best of our industry. These leaders and teams are not only advancing fiber broadband, but transforming communities and shaping what comes next,” said Jessica Koch, FBA Conference Chair and Controller at Consolidated Business Services. “For policy leadership to groundbreaking innovation and meaningful community impact, their work is helping build a more connected, resilient future.”

The 2026 FBA Award finalists are:

• Photon Award – Honors an individual whose volunteer service demonstrates exceptional dedication to the Association and the industry.
  • Paul Breakman, VP of Americas Partners & Business Development — Adtran
  • Tzeitel Buchanan, Lead, Tribal Center of Excellence — Lumen
  • Patrick Mulhearn, Director of Government Affairs — Ripple Fiber

• Star Award – Recognizes a company or community that goes above and beyond in advancing fiber to the home.
  • EMPOWER Broadband
  • Ripple Fiber
  • Surf Internet

• Fiber Under Forty – Spotlights professionals born in 1986 or later whose contributions are driving meaningful results for their companies and the industry.
  • Alex King, Director of Broadband — Blue Ridge Mountain EMC
  • Matt Peaster, EVP of Fiber — C Spire
  • Amer Rodriguez, Senior Director of Growth Marketing — Surf Internet

• Women Changing Fiber for Good – Celebrates women whose leadership and actions are improving the industry in lasting ways.
  • Tzeitel Buchanan, Lead, Tribal Center of Excellence — Lumen
  • Kristy Harrison, Executive Vice President of Operations — Brightspeed
  • Smruti Naik, Vice President of Information Technology — Summit Broadband

• Advocacy Allstars – Honors individuals advancing fiber broadband policy at state and federal levels.
  • Chris Champion, Vice President of Government Relations — C Spire
  • Bobbie Gilbert, Chief Government Affairs Officer — Ripple Fiber
  • Rhonda Goddard, CFO — Next-Tech

• Community Impact – Recognizes fiber projects that enable communities and change lives across North America.
  • ALLO Fiber — Smart Schools Program
  • LFT Fiber
  • Surf Internet

• Product Innovation – Showcases technology innovation that expands fiber broadband’s ability to meet customer needs today and over the next decade.
  • Adtran Mosaic One Clarity
  • EPB Quantum Networks®
  • GOCare OutageIQ

• Constellation – Celebrates coalitions of companies that team up to advance fiber networks across communities, states, or regions.
  • ADB Companies and Render Networks
  • Adtran / GOCare / TEC
  • Position Access Solutions and Calix

Finalists were selected by the FBA Conference Committee, with winners to be determined by a panel of industry experts and the FBA’s Senior Council members.

The 2026 Awards program is part of the Fiber Broadband Association’s 25^th Anniversary celebration, bringing together industry leaders to recognize progress, partnership, and the people powering fiber broadband forward.

To buy tickets for the Anniversary Awards Gala, click here. To learn more about the Fiber Connect 2026 event, subscribe to FBA’s Fiber Forward Weekly newsletter here.

About the Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) is the voice of fiber, helping providers, policy makers, and communities make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. FBA is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists. Since 2001, FBA and its members have worked to advance fiber broadband deployment to accelerate innovation and increase quality of life by enabling every community to leverage the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MENA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.