Bridging the Digital Divide in the Silver State: Inside Nevada’s Ambitious Broadband Vision

Bridging the Digital Divide in the Silver State: Inside Nevada’s Ambitious Broadband Vision

On this week’s Fiber for Breakfast, Brian Mitchell, Director of the Nevada’s Office of Science, Innovation & Technology (OSIT), joined to walk through the state’s bold $1 billion broadband vision—High Speed Nevada. Mitchell offered a detailed look at the state’s phased approach to broadband deployment, the complex mix of terrain and ownership that shapes infrastructure strategy, and how Nevada is leveraging public-private partnerships and multiple funding sources to bring fiber to all corners of the state.

The Three Phases of the High-Speed Nevada Initiative

Mitchell outlined a three-phased approach designed to ensure both near-term impact and long-term sustainability:

• Phase 1 focused on connecting community anchor institutions (CAIs)—including schools, libraries, healthcare facilities, and government officials—with middle mile fiber. These institutions serve as broadband “hubs” in rural and underserved communities. By connecting them first, OSIT established essential broadband infrastructure that would later support last-mile expansion.
• Phase 2 builds on that foundation by constructing a state-owned middle mile backbone, stretching from Las Vegas to Reno and traversing some of the most remote and difficult terrain in the West. The goal is to create affordable backhaul access for ISPs and other providers seeking to serve rural communities—a key barrier to entry in low-density markets.
• Phase 3 is the full-scale deployment of last-mile networks, funded primarily by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. OSIT’s challenge process is complete, and Nevada’s BEAD proposal has already been approved by NTIA. With this phase, the state aims to connect all remaining unserved locations—around 52,000 in total—with reliable, affordable internet.

Navigating Nevada’s Unique Challenges

Deploying broadband in Nevada isn’t just a matter of laying fiber, it’s a lesson in navigating geography, federal bureaucracy, and economic feasibility.

Nevada is the 7^th largest state in the U.S., yet the vast majority of its population lives in just two metro areas: Las Vegas (about 70%) and Reno (another 20%). That leaves a huge amount of land, most of it sparsely populated, without the economies of scale that typically attract infrastructure investment.

Mitchell noted that 86% of Nevada’s land is federally owned, mostly by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. That means fiber routes often require lengthy permitting processes and are constrained to existing road corridors. These limitations not only slow deployment but also increase costs.

In fact, Nevada’s rocky terrain and long distances between endpoints contribute to some of the highest cost-per-foot fiber deployment rates in the country. That’s why OSIT was careful to design a deployment model that balanced technical viability, affordability, and long-term scalability.

A Technology-Neutral but Fiber-First Approach

One of the most interesting takeaways from Mitchell’s remarks was how Nevada’s BEAD process prioritized outcomes over technology, while still ending up with a surprisingly high percentage of fiber coverage.

When planning began, OSIT projected fiber would be used for about 74% of the unserved locations. After running a competitive, transparent, and technology-neutral subgrantee selection process, they found that fiber was proposed for over 80% of the eligible areas, a testament to how strong design and market incentives can drive fiber-first outcomes without mandates.

The remaining locations are expected to be served by a mix of fixed wireless (about 10%) and low earth orbit (LEO) satellite service (about 10%), often in regions where fiber and fixed wireless were economically or logistically infeasible.

Mitchell noted that LEO providers did not bid in some of the very remote rural area which has a small cluster of homes as LEO satellite can only support 1 home per square mile without running into capacity limitations. In many cases, fiber ended up being the most cost-effective solution and scalable option, contrary to the perception that fiber is always more expensive in rural builds.

Building for the Long Term

Beyond just meeting minimum requirements, Nevada is clearly planning for future-proof infrastructure that will support its residents for decades to come. By investing in a robust middle mile network and taking a phased, regionally responsive approach, OSIT is setting up local providers for success —and helping to ensure that the most remote parts of the state aren’t left behind.

As Mitchell put it, Nevada’s broadband plan is not just about coverage —it’s about creating opportunities, enabling telehealth and education, supporting small businesses, and building the infrastructure backbone for the state’s digital future.

With construction already underway and BEAD funds soon to be distributed, High Speed Nevada could become a national model for how to navigate geographic challenges maximize public investment and build a broadband network that meets the needs of today and tomorrow.

Click here to listen to the full episode or find previous episodes of Fiber for Breakfast.