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Brightspeed has spent the last several years building one of the largest new fiber networks in the country. In April 2026, the company announced that it had surpassed 3 million fiber-enabled locations across its 20-state footprint after completing more than one million new fiber passings for the second consecutive year.

The expansion isn't finished. Brightspeed expects to reach 4 million fiber-enabled locations by the end of 2026, with an ultimate goal of connecting more than 5 million homes and businesses. That scale represents an enormous infrastructure investment—but building the network is only the first half of the equation.

Once fiber reaches a neighborhood or business district, the challenge shifts toward customer acquisition. Homes and businesses need to understand that service is available, why fiber may benefit them, and which options best fit their connectivity needs. That's where local sales organizations and Authorized Dealers can play an important role.

For dealers operating within Brightspeed's footprint, the company's transition toward customer growth could create significant opportunities. Infrastructure creates the addressable market. Sales, education, and customer relationships turn that infrastructure into a business.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

The Scale of Brightspeed's Fiber Expansion

Brightspeed surpassed 3 million fiber-enabled locations in April 2026 and expects to reach 4 million by the end of the year. Its longer-term target exceeds 5 million homes and businesses across 20 states.

For Authorized Dealers, those numbers matter because every expansion into a new neighborhood or commercial area potentially creates another group of customers who can purchase fiber service.

Why a Fiber Passing Isn't the Same as a Customer

Building fiber past a home or business makes service possible—it doesn't automatically create a subscriber. Customers still need to learn about availability, understand their options, and decide whether switching providers makes sense.

That gap between network availability and customer adoption is where sales and marketing become critical. As more locations become serviceable, customer acquisition becomes increasingly important to generating returns from the infrastructure investment.

Brightspeed's Shift Toward Customer Growth

Brightspeed's leadership has described the company's next phase as becoming a high-growth fiber business. That represents an important evolution from concentrating heavily on construction toward increasing customer adoption while continuing to expand the network.

For dealers, this shift is worth watching. A carrier focused on converting network availability into customers has a natural reason to strengthen the sales channels capable of reaching those customers.

New Fiber Locations Create New Sales Opportunities

Thousands of additional fiber locations coming online can continually expand the addressable market for dealers operating in Brightspeed territory.

Instead of thinking about fiber availability as static, dealers can treat it as an evolving prospecting opportunity. Newly serviceable neighborhoods and business locations can create fresh conversations with customers who may not have had access to fiber previously.

Why Brightspeed's Partner Strategy Matters

Brightspeed Business is placing visible emphasis on channel growth, including dedicated channel management, marketing resources, streamlined processes, and partner compensation.

For independent telecom businesses, a strong channel strategy matters because selling the service is only one part of building a sustainable fiber business. Dealers also need processes, information, training, and ongoing support that help their teams execute consistently.

Business Fiber Is Expanding Beyond Basic Connectivity

Brightspeed's introduction of 5 Gig and 8 Gig business fiber options illustrates how broadband requirements continue to evolve. Cloud applications, large data transfers, connected operations, and AI-driven workloads are increasing connectivity demands for some businesses.

For dealers, these higher-capacity services create opportunities to have deeper conversations about what customers actually need from their networks rather than focusing solely on price.

Why Local Relationships Give Dealers an Advantage

A national network can provide infrastructure at scale, but local businesses often have something equally valuable: existing relationships.

Authorized Dealers understand their communities, know local business owners, and can have conversations that a national advertising campaign cannot replicate. That local credibility can help translate network expansion into actual customer adoption.

How RS&I Supports Brightspeed Authorized Dealers

Adding a new fiber opportunity requires more than receiving permission to sell it. Dealers need to understand the products, processes, reporting, marketing resources, and expectations involved.

RS&I supports Brightspeed Authorized Dealers with ongoing product and program training, dealer reporting tools, marketing assistance, and support from Area Sales Managers. Those resources can help dealers integrate Brightspeed into their existing sales operations and identify opportunities within their markets.

How Dealers Can Find Opportunities Today

Start by understanding where Brightspeed fiber is available within the markets you already serve. Then compare those areas with your existing customer base, retail footprint, business relationships, and prospecting activity.

The goal isn't simply to add another product. It's to identify customers who have a real connectivity need and determine where Brightspeed Fiber gives you another solution to bring to the conversation.

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Welcome to The Dealer Download, powered by RS&I.

On August 18–19, the All Wireless & Prepaid Expo returns to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, bringing together companies, industry experts, and retailers from across the wireless and telecommunications industry.

For telecom retailers, a trade show can be much more than a chance to walk through rows of booths and collect business cards. Done well, it provides an opportunity to discover new products, compare business models, learn from other retailers, strengthen existing partnerships, and start conversations that could create new revenue opportunities.

The All Wireless & Prepaid Expo has also grown beyond its prepaid wireless roots. Today's show brings together businesses representing wireless services, distribution, accessories, device repair, technology, insurance, financing, software, and other areas that support the modern wireless retail industry.

For Authorized Dealers, the key is approaching the Expo with a plan. Knowing what you want to learn, who you want to meet, and which challenges you're trying to solve can turn two days in Las Vegas into an investment that continues creating value long after you return home.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

What to Expect at the All Wireless & Prepaid Expo

The Expo brings a broad cross-section of the wireless retail ecosystem together in one location. Dealers can meet providers, distributors, accessory companies, repair businesses, software providers, financing and insurance companies, and other organizations supporting telecom retail.

That variety gives retailers an opportunity to explore multiple areas of their business without having to schedule dozens of separate meetings throughout the year.

Why Face-to-Face Conversations Still Matter

Digital communication makes it easier than ever to connect with vendors and partners, but there is still value in sitting across the table from someone and having a real conversation.

Trade shows create an environment where dealers can ask detailed questions, discuss their specific business challenges, and develop relationships with people they may otherwise know only through email, phone calls, or online meetings.

How to Find New Revenue Opportunities

One of the biggest reasons to attend an industry event is exposure to opportunities you may not encounter during your normal workday. A new product, service, partnership, or business model could complement what your stores already offer.

For telecom retailers, that could mean opportunities involving wireless, fiber internet, broadband, accessories, repair, insurance, financing, software, or other services that expand the value provided to customers.

What Other Retailers Can Teach You

Some of the most useful conversations at a trade show may happen with people who operate businesses similar to yours. Other retailers can offer perspectives on what's working in their markets, what challenges they're encountering, and how customer expectations are changing.

Those conversations can provide practical insights that are difficult to get from a presentation or sales brochure.

Why Industry Experts Are Worth Your Time

Industry events provide access to people who spend their careers studying the trends affecting wireless and telecom retail. Their perspective can help dealers better understand where the market is moving and which developments deserve attention.

The goal isn't to chase every new trend. It's to gather enough information to make better decisions about your own business.

Why You Need a Plan Before You Arrive

Walking onto a large trade-show floor without a strategy can quickly become overwhelming. Before arriving, identify the companies you want to meet, the questions you want answered, and the business challenges you're hoping to solve.

A short list of priorities can make the difference between simply attending the Expo and actually accomplishing something while you're there.

Ask Better Questions on the Expo Floor

Instead of asking every exhibitor, "What do you sell?" start with questions related to your own business. Ask how their solution fits into a telecom retail environment, what successful dealers are doing with it, what implementation requires, and how it could create value for your customers.

Better questions lead to better conversations—and make it easier to identify opportunities worth pursuing.

Turn Conversations Into Action After the Show

The value of a trade show doesn't end when you leave Las Vegas. In many cases, the most important work begins afterward.

Organize your notes, identify your most promising conversations, follow up quickly, and assign specific next steps. Without follow-through, even an excellent conversation on the Expo floor can become another forgotten business card.

Meet RS&I at Booth 806

RS&I will be exhibiting at the 2026 All Wireless & Prepaid Expo at booth 806. Dealers can meet the RS&I team, discuss their business, and explore opportunities across wireless, fiber, broadband, and other telecom services.

Whether you're already an RS&I Authorized Dealer or you're exploring ways to expand your telecom business, the Expo provides an opportunity to have that conversation face-to-face.

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Welcome to The Dealer Download, powered by RS&I.

Fiber internet represents a growing opportunity for independent telecom retailers, but entering the fiber business can seem complicated. Carriers, Master Sales Agents, Authorized Dealers, commission structures, service territories, fulfillment processes, and training requirements can all vary depending on the program.

The important thing to understand is that becoming a fiber dealer doesn't mean building or operating a fiber network. Dealer programs allow independent businesses to sell services delivered over a carrier's existing infrastructure. That gives telecom retailers an opportunity to expand their product portfolio while leveraging the customer relationships and sales capabilities they've already built.

However, not every fiber dealer program operates the same way. Some emphasize upfront commissions, while others may provide recurring compensation. Some carriers manage much of the fulfillment and billing after the sale, while other channel structures give partners greater involvement in the customer relationship.

For Authorized Dealers, choosing the right opportunity requires looking beyond a single commission number. Network availability, market coverage, training, fulfillment, support, compensation, and scalability all influence whether a program is a good fit for your business.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

What Is a Fiber Internet Dealer Program?

A fiber internet dealer program allows an independent retailer or sales organization to sell a carrier's fiber services without owning the underlying network. The carrier provides the infrastructure and service, while the dealer helps identify customers, explain solutions, and generate qualified sales.

This model allows telecom businesses to expand into fiber without making the enormous capital investment required to construct a broadband network.

How Carriers, Dealers, and Master Sales Agents Work Together

Telecom distribution often involves multiple organizations working together. The carrier owns and operates the network, Authorized Dealers interact with customers and generate sales, and a Master Sales Agent can help connect dealers with carrier opportunities while providing resources such as onboarding, training, and ongoing support.

For retailers, understanding this structure is important because the organization supporting the dealer can have a significant impact on the experience after enrollment.

How the RS&I and AT&T Dealer Relationship Works

RS&I works as a Master Sales Agent and distributor supporting Authorized Dealers with opportunities that include AT&T Fiber and AT&T Wireless. This structure gives independent telecom businesses a path to participate in carrier programs while receiving assistance with areas such as onboarding, training, and dealer support.

For a retailer, that means adding AT&T Fiber doesn't require becoming a network operator. The dealer can focus on developing customer relationships and identifying connectivity opportunities while working within an established carrier and distribution ecosystem.

Why Carriers Use Independent Dealer Channels

Even the largest telecommunications companies benefit from independent sales channels. Local dealers already have relationships, market knowledge, sales expertise, and physical or community presence that can help carriers reach customers more effectively.

For dealers, that creates an important role within the broader telecom ecosystem. A local business can provide the personal guidance customers value while connecting them with the infrastructure and services of a national carrier.

Upfront Commissions vs. Recurring Revenue

Compensation structures can vary significantly between programs. Some opportunities emphasize upfront commissions when a customer activates service, while others may include residual or recurring compensation tied to the customer relationship.

Neither structure is automatically better. Dealers should evaluate how compensation fits their cash flow, sales model, customer strategy, and long-term business objectives rather than comparing programs based solely on the largest advertised payout.

Why Geography and Fiber Coverage Come First

A great compensation plan means very little if the service isn't available where your customers live or operate. Before evaluating other program details, dealers should understand which carriers have meaningful fiber coverage within their target markets.

This becomes particularly important for multi-location retailers. A carrier that is an excellent fit for one store may have limited availability around another, making geographic analysis an essential part of selecting a scalable fiber strategy.

Why Training, Fulfillment, and Support Matter

Commission rates naturally attract attention, but operational support can have just as much influence on a dealer's success. Training helps sales teams understand what they're selling, while efficient ordering and fulfillment processes make it easier to deliver a positive customer experience.

Strong dealer support also becomes valuable when questions or problems arise. A program that's easy to sell, fulfill, and support may ultimately create more value than one with attractive compensation but significant operational friction.

What Multi-Location Telecom Retailers Should Consider

Retailers operating multiple stores need to think beyond whether a program works at a single location. Coverage across the entire footprint, training consistency, sales processes, reporting, and the ability to onboard additional locations can all affect long-term scalability.

The objective should be to find opportunities that complement the existing business rather than create unnecessary complexity for store teams.

Questions to Ask Before Joining a Fiber Dealer Program

Before joining any program, understand where service is available, how compensation works, who owns different parts of the customer experience, what happens after an order is submitted, and what training and support your team will receive.

Dealers should also ask how the program scales. A good partnership shouldn't simply help you complete your first fiber sale—it should provide a practical path for making fiber a sustainable part of your business.

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Welcome to The Dealer Download, powered by RS&I.

For many telecom retailers, wireless has traditionally been the foundation of their business. Yet as customer expectations evolve and carriers continue investing billions into fiber infrastructure, dealers have an opportunity to expand beyond a single product category and provide more complete connectivity solutions.

Some retailers hesitate because fiber seems like an entirely different business. In reality, today's dealer programs have made it easier than ever to offer fiber services without building networks, managing infrastructure, or becoming an internet service provider. Instead, success comes from doing what great dealers already do—building relationships, understanding customer needs, and recommending the right solutions.

For Authorized Dealers, adding AT&T Fiber represents more than another product on the shelf. It creates an opportunity to deepen customer relationships, increase lifetime value, and become a more trusted technology advisor for both residential and business customers.

In this episode, Michael Shiverdecker explains why fiber has become one of the telecom industry's fastest-growing opportunities and how dealers can begin integrating it into their business with confidence.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why Fiber Has Become a Strategic Priority

Major telecom providers continue making substantial investments in fiber because they view it as a long-term growth platform. Expanding broadband infrastructure supports increasing customer demand while strengthening long-term competitiveness across the industry.

What Carrier Investments Tell Us

When companies like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all prioritize fiber expansion, they are signaling confidence in where the market is headed. Understanding these investment trends helps dealers align their businesses with the industry's long-term direction.

Your Existing Customers Are Your Best Opportunity

Many wireless customers also need reliable home internet. Rather than constantly searching for new prospects, dealers can often create additional value by helping existing customers explore fiber solutions that complement the services they already use.

Fiber Creates Stronger Customer Relationships

Internet service becomes part of a customer's everyday life. By helping customers solve both wireless and broadband needs, dealers create more comprehensive relationships built around ongoing service rather than one-time transactions.

Think Beyond Individual Products

The most successful sales professionals focus less on individual products and more on solving customer problems. Conversations centered on connectivity, reliability, productivity, and convenience naturally open opportunities to discuss multiple solutions that work together.

Becoming a Trusted Connectivity Advisor

Customers often appreciate guidance when comparing internet options. Dealers who educate first, explain the benefits of fiber clearly, and recommend solutions based on customer needs position themselves as trusted advisors rather than transactional salespeople.

Practical Steps to Introduce Fiber

Getting started begins with education. Learn the products, understand local availability, ask customers about their current internet experience, and include fiber as part of every connectivity conversation. Small changes in daily sales habits can create significant long-term growth.

Preparing Your Business for the Future

As broadband demand continues to increase, dealers who expand their expertise today will be better prepared for tomorrow's opportunities. Adding fiber isn't about changing your business—it's about expanding the value you already provide.

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Welcome to The Dealer Download, powered by RS&I.

For more than two decades, businesses have invested heavily in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve their visibility online. The goal was straightforward: appear prominently in search results when potential customers looked for products or services.

That strategy remains important—but customer behavior is evolving. Millions of people are no longer beginning every search with a traditional search engine. Instead, they're asking artificial intelligence platforms direct questions and expecting immediate, conversational answers.

For Authorized Dealers, this shift represents an opportunity rather than a threat. Businesses that create clear, helpful, and well-structured content today will be better positioned as AI becomes an increasingly common way for customers to discover local companies and trusted service providers.

In this episode, Michael Shiverdecker explains the rise of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), how it complements traditional SEO, and why preparing your business for AI-driven discovery is one of the smartest marketing investments you can make.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why AI Search Has Become Mainstream 

Artificial intelligence has rapidly moved from an emerging technology to an everyday business and consumer tool. Customers increasingly use AI to research products, compare providers, and answer questions before ever visiting a website. 

What AI Adoption Means for Businesses

As AI platforms continue to grow, they are becoming another gateway between businesses and customers. Companies that understand this shift early can position themselves to benefit as customer search behavior continues to evolve.

SEO and AEO Work Together

Search Engine Optimization helps your business rank in traditional search engines. Answer Engine Optimization focuses on making your content understandable and trustworthy enough for AI systems to confidently reference and recommend. The strongest digital strategies now include both.

Your Website Has Two Audiences

Your website still exists to educate and convert human visitors, but it also serves another purpose: helping AI understand your business. Well-organized content, clear explanations, and authoritative information make it easier for AI to accurately interpret what you offer.

Why Helpful Content Matters More Than Ever

AI systems favor content that answers real questions. Blogs, FAQs, videos, podcasts, and educational resources don't simply improve your website—they increase the likelihood that your business becomes part of AI-generated answers.

Building Trust with AI and Customers

Artificial intelligence doesn't invent expertise—it identifies it. Businesses that consistently publish accurate, helpful, and customer-focused information strengthen their authority with both AI systems and the people using them.

Practical Steps to Improve AI Visibility

Start by answering common customer questions, expanding educational content, organizing your website logically, implementing structured data where appropriate, and keeping business information accurate across your digital presence. Small improvements today can create meaningful advantages over time.

Preparing for the Future of Customer Discovery

Search behavior will continue to evolve as AI becomes more integrated into everyday life. Businesses that embrace both SEO and AEO now will be better prepared to reach customers regardless of how technology changes.