Published: June 23, 2025
By AGL Information and Technology Staff Writers
Deploying broadband infrastructure at scale—whether fiber to the home (FTTH), coaxial upgrades, or fixed wireless—presents complex engineering, safety, and compliance challenges. Independent certification programs ensure that construction adheres precisely to standards from the outset, reducing errors, rework, and costly delays.
A recent report by Lightwave underscores how labor constraints and build quality affect rollout speed. Industry analysts say labor is roughly 70% of build costs, and many technicians lack hands-on certification. One expert summarized:
“You only have one shot to make it right: when it is brand new.”
This “right-first-time” commitment hinges on verified skills, tools, and processes, but scaled deployments under the BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment) and other federal programs simultaneously amplify the pressure for quality and speed.
Why Independent Certification Matters
In the race to expand broadband infrastructure across the United States, industry stakeholders are turning to Independent Certification (IC) as a key strategy to speed up construction, reduce rework, and ensure long-term service quality. One provider leading this effort is Fiber Quality Services (FQS), whose work demonstrates how IC improves transparency, curbs waste, and enhances accountability across large-scale broadband builds.
FQS’s model has been actively deployed in Ireland under the country’s National Broadband Plan, where it independently oversees and verifies all network construction from design through testing. According to FQS’s case study, this approach helped reduce connection failure rates from 20% to under 2%, while decreasing remedial construction work from 8% to below 2%—a significant gain in both speed and quality, Independent Certification.
What Does Independent Certification Involve?
Independent certification consists of an external audit and validation process that evaluates broadband construction projects for design accuracy, material usage, optical test results, installation integrity, and milestone verification. Certification reports are used to approve or withhold funding disbursements based on verified deliverables.
According to FQS
For each premises passed, a full report detailing optical light levels, splice matrices, drop ports, and enclosure details is provided.
All claims (e.g., material use, address reach) are rigorously validated before milestone payments are approved.
Unverified projects are flagged for remediation or rejection, eliminating common risks like inflated pass counts or fraudulent test data. Independent Certification.
This framework improves network performance and enhances trust between funders (state/federal bodies) and building partners.
Strategic Advantages for Government and ISPs
For Government Agencies:
No cost incurred
Public accountability for quality and completion
Prevents underbuilding and unserved addresses
Protects the long-term viability of the funded network
Reduces the risk of public backlash from substandard rollouts
For Build Partners:
Fewer delays from post-build rework
Clear payment milestones based on verifiable progress
Encourages higher construction standards from subcontractors
Enables competitive differentiation through third-party verification
Results from Real-World Implementation
In Ireland, Independent Certification has directly contributed to:
1.1 million people connected via high-speed fiber
564,000 premises passed under full technical compliance
672 schools, 65,000 farms, and 26,000 businesses connected
Dramatically reduced failure and rework rates.
Materials optimization, including monitoring of pole type, cable sizing, and enclosures. Independent Certification.
These outcomes were achieved without additional government expense, reinforcing the model’s scalability for U.S. federal and state-level broadband programs.
U.S. Context and BEAD Implications
With over $42.45 billion allocated through the NTIA’s BEAD program, states are under pressure to deploy broadband networks efficiently, ethically, and sustainably. However, NTIA guidance currently places limited formal emphasis on third-party certification.
As Charles Thomas, broadband strategist of Rural Broadband Partners, noted in an AGL policy discussion, “The key to speed in broadband construction is getting it right the first time. Independent Certification enforces that discipline.”
Implementing third-party certification can:
Reduce delays from post-build inspections.
Ensure compliance with Build America, Buy America (BABA) mandates
Increase transparency for auditors and public officials.
Protect against fraud or poor workmanship in last-mile deployments.
Independent Certification is not just a quality control mechanism—it accelerates broadband infrastructure deployment. When build partners know they’re being independently audited, they deliver better, faster, and reliably. Programs like FQS prove that combining speed with accountability, cost-efficiency with transparency, and public funding with private responsibility is possible. As the U.S. looks to deploy once-in-a-generation broadband funding, IC should be seen as a best practice, not an afterthought.
