Nominations Open for 2026 Connect the Unconnected Award

Nominations are open for the 2026 Connect the Unconnected Award, which recognizes telecommunications leaders working to expand fiber broadband access to underserved communities. The deadline to submit nominations is April 24, 2026.

The award recognizes individuals who identify connectivity gaps and develop strategies to bring fiber infrastructure to areas that remain unserved or underserved. Recipients are recognized for both technical execution and for demonstrating a strong understanding of community needs and a commitment to local engagement. The 2026 winner will be announced at the Fiber Connect Conference and Expo, May 17–20 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.

Last year’s award was presented to Scott Mispagel, senior vice president of network engineering and operations at Frontier Communications. Mispagel was recognized for helping scale Frontier’s fiber deployment program to more than 8 million passings by integrating predictive AI tools, long-term vendor partnerships, and early cooperation with local agencies.

That strategy helped Frontier maintain deployment momentum even during industry supply chain disruptions. Mispagel has also stressed the role of community engagement in broadband expansion, including Frontier’s Broadband for Good initiative, which provides high-speed connectivity to community organizations.

Nominations for the 2026 award opened on March 9.