NATOA Announces 2026 Community Broadband and Digital Equity Award Winners

NATOA Announces 2026 Community Broadband

and Digital Equity Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 22, 2026 – The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) today announced the recipients of NATOA’s 2026 Community Broadband and Digital Equity Awards, recognizing innovative projects in government, business and local communities nationwide. Recipients will be honored at NATOA’s Annual Conference, being held September 14 – 17, 2026, at the InterContinental in Kansas City, MO.

“Broadband is no longer a luxury—it's essential infrastructure that powers education, economic opportunity, healthcare, public services, and civic engagement,” said NATOA President Chris Seidt. “This year's award recipients exemplify the innovation, collaboration, and dedication needed to ensure every resident can participate fully in the digital economy. NATOA is proud to recognize these outstanding leaders and projects that are helping shape a more connected future for communities across the nation."

The 2026 Community Broadband Award recipients are:

Community Broadband Project of the Year

The City of Boston, MA’s Wicked Free WiFi (WFWF), Boston's outdoor public Wi-Fi network built on the city's own BoNet municipal fiber, enabling deployment of outdoor broadband without the cost or service constraints that come with leasing capacity from commercial carriers. The initiative has expanded into underserved neighborhoods including Nubian Square, Mattapan Square, and Maverick Square — transit nodes where low-income, immigrant, and transit-dependent residents spend significant time, often without reliable mobile data. Placing free, FCC-speed broadband at these nodes means meeting residents in the moments and places where connectivity matters most, ensuring that the neighborhoods doing the most to make this city run are not left out of the connectivity infrastructure.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Digital Equity Project of the Year

City of Pharr, TX’s Pharr Connect - Digital Literacy and Workforce Development Program, Pharr Connect Digital Literacy is a comprehensive program designed to address the multiple barriers residents face in accessing digital resources and includes digital literacy training, access to devices, and community support services. Pharr’s newest initiative, Pharr Connect U – Workforce Development Program is a comprehensive program designed to expand digital infrastructure and create high-demand career pathways across the Rio Grande Valley. The initiative provides tuition-free fiber optic technician training utilizing the Fiber Broadband Association’s OpTIC Path™ curriculum, combining classroom instruction, hands-on labs and paid internships with local broadband employers.

Digital Equity Project of the Year

City of Alamo, TX’s Access to What Matters Most, redefining what digital equity looks like at the local level by meeting residents where they already are, within their everyday environments. By providing free, reliable Wi-Fi in Alaniz Villagomez Park, a safe and inclusive public space, the City of Alamo removed a critical barrier for families who may not have consistent internet access at home. Embedding connectivity into a space designed for health and recreation, the City of Alamo created an environment where residents can work, learn, and stay connected while enjoying the benefits of being outdoors. As the first park to implement free public Wi-Fi, Alaniz Villagomez Park serves as a model for future expansion, ensuring connectivity, wellness, and accessibility become standard components of every community space.

Public-Private Partnership (P3) of the Year

City of Memphis, TN’s Smart Memphis Fiber, a creative public-private partnership model, allowing Memphis to secure citywide fiber competition and a commitment to delivering fiber service to low-income neighborhoods through a partnership with mStreet Fiber. To reduce costs of private deployment, the City Council passed the “Smart City Fiber Access Systems” ordinance amendment to reduce permitting fees and create an exemption from right-of-way access fees for broadband investors. mStreet Fiber committed to delivering affordable fiber-based broadband service to 85 percent of the city’s population and the city also secured dedicated access to 12 strands of fiber optic cable and 100 connection points for its own use, positioning Memphis to become one of the most fiber-connected cities in America.

Civic Courage Award

Washington DC’s BEAD Program & Federal Advocacy Initiative, a swift response setting the record straight to an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal published by NTIA criticizing the District’s BEAD application. NTIA later denied all DC BEAD deployment funding, making the District the only eligible BEAD entity in the country denied outright. DC’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer’s (OCTO) immediate response to NTIA’s denial made meaningful contributions to the national digital equity conversation by correcting the public record on one of the most-read opinion platforms in the country. OCTO’s response not only provided essential context that altered the terms of the debate, but also identified and addressed a systemic flaw in BEAD program design. OCTO engaged directly, transparently, and constructively through official channels and public platforms, demonstrating that local government can be both an effective steward of federal investment and a credible advocate for the residents it serves.

For more information on the awards or recipients, click here.