Key Takeaways
- • The Broadband Communities Summit (August 25, 2026) will feature a specialized two-hour workshop on private equity, debt, and partnership financing models for ISPs and broadband operators seeking capital for network infrastructure projects.
- • Private equity criteria, public-private partnership structures, organizational readiness, and commercial debt lending requirements will be addressed by senior executives from Fifth Third Securities, Digital Infrastructure Group, The Broadband Group, and CoBank.
- • The workshop, moderated by Bradford Randall (Total Telecom editor) and sponsored by Calix, is designed to equip community broadband operators with actionable frameworks for meeting institutional lender criteria and structuring organizations to maximize investment appeal.
- • An extended interactive Q&A session will provide attendees direct access to panel experts to address specific financing challenges and capital formation strategies.
Summary
Internet service providers, community broadband developers, and digital infrastructure investors will have access to institutional-grade guidance on capital formation at the Broadband Communities Summit scheduled for August 25, 2026. The event will feature a dedicated, Calix-sponsored workshop titled "Unlocking Private Equity, Debt and Partnership Models for Modern Broadband Financing," designed to help operators navigate complex funding strategies required for modern network rollouts.
The two-hour session, moderated by Bradford Randall of Total Telecom, will convene a panel of senior financial and infrastructure experts to address four critical financing dimensions. Jason Nicolay, Managing Director of Digital Infrastructure Investment Banking at Fifth Third Securities, will outline due diligence criteria and investment thesis development from the private equity perspective. Rahul Bhardwaj, Partner and Senior Director of Corporate Development at Digital Infrastructure Group, will examine joint ventures and public-private partnership (P3) models increasingly used in network expansion projects. Jeff Reiman, President of The Broadband Group, will provide operational structuring insights to help ISPs position themselves as institutional-quality investment targets. Crayton Saby, Senior Relationship Manager at CoBank, will detail traditional commercial bank lending standards and debt navigation for broadband operators.
The workshop concludes with an extended Q&A session offering attendees direct access to panelists to discuss specific capital formation challenges and customized financing structures. This format provides an opportunity for operators to understand both equity and debt-based approaches to infrastructure financing in real time, with expert guidance calibrated to institutional investment standards.
The two-hour session, moderated by Bradford Randall of Total Telecom, will convene a panel of senior financial and infrastructure experts to address four critical financing dimensions. Jason Nicolay, Managing Director of Digital Infrastructure Investment Banking at Fifth Third Securities, will outline due diligence criteria and investment thesis development from the private equity perspective. Rahul Bhardwaj, Partner and Senior Director of Corporate Development at Digital Infrastructure Group, will examine joint ventures and public-private partnership (P3) models increasingly used in network expansion projects. Jeff Reiman, President of The Broadband Group, will provide operational structuring insights to help ISPs position themselves as institutional-quality investment targets. Crayton Saby, Senior Relationship Manager at CoBank, will detail traditional commercial bank lending standards and debt navigation for broadband operators.
The workshop concludes with an extended Q&A session offering attendees direct access to panelists to discuss specific capital formation challenges and customized financing structures. This format provides an opportunity for operators to understand both equity and debt-based approaches to infrastructure financing in real time, with expert guidance calibrated to institutional investment standards.
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