Before the RFP

Issue 5 - October 19, 2026: Pennsylvania, Texas and Oklahoma, Virginia and North Carolina, Michigan

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Four connectivity purchases forming right now. Not five this week - only four held up, and three of the four are bank mergers again. None is an RFP yet. Every one is public, every one has a date.

This week's signals were gathered between September 27 and October 11, 2026, and only entries whose dates could be confirmed at the source were kept.

FOUR FORMING

Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority

OCTOBER 2 - Governor Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) announced "more than $448 million in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grants" for "projects in 50 counties across the Commonwealth." The rest of the BEAD money is to be awarded "before the end of this year."

This is the award step. In a BEAD program, construction, splicing, engineering and equipment buying comes after the grant agreements, and each awardee does its own. More awards are due before year-end, so this is likely not the last Pennsylvania entry.

Who should be watching: fiber construction and outside-plant contractors, splicing crews and engineering firms across the 50 counties. The vehicle is each awardee's own construction procurement.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, October 2, 2026: https://dced.pa.gov/newsroom/governor-shapiro-and-pennsylvania-broadband-development-authority-announce-more-than-448-million-in-bead-funding-to-expand-pennsylvanians-access-to-affordable-high-speed-internet/

Third Coast Bancshares and Great Plains Bancshares, Texas and Oklahoma

OCTOBER 7 - Third Coast Bancshares, Inc. of Houston, Texas, and Great Plains Bancshares, Inc. of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, announced a definitive all-stock merger agreement valued at "approximately $239.6 million," with pro forma assets of "approximately $9 billion." The close is expected in Q1 2027.

The bank merges and the brand stays - Great Plains will keep operating as Great Plains Bank, a division of Third Coast Bank. Same sign out front, but the charter merger, the core system and the branch connectivity behind it likely get folded in, planned around the Q1 close.

Who should be watching: WAN and network integrators, carriers and bank-technology firms that do bank-integration work in Texas and Oklahoma. This is a private integration - no public procurement vehicle here.

Source: Third Coast Bancshares, Inc., merger announcement (SEC filing, Exhibit 99.1), October 7, 2026: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001781730/000119312526416163/d146780dex991.htm

TowneBank and blueharbor bank, Virginia and North Carolina

OCTOBER 6 - TowneBank of Suffolk, Virginia, and blueharbor bank of Mooresville, North Carolina, announced a definitive merger agreement valued at approximately $154 million. The joint release puts blueharbor at "approximately $628 million in total assets," with five branches in the Charlotte area and the I-77 corridor. The close is expected in Q1 2027.

Five branches join a larger network. The branch circuits, WAN and carrier contracts behind them get consolidated, and that work is likely planned around the Q1 close.

Who should be watching: WAN and network integrators, carriers and bank-technology firms in the Charlotte metro and along the I-77 corridor. Again, private transaction - no public procurement vehicle.

Source: blueharbor bank and TowneBank, joint release, October 6, 2026: https://www.blueharborbank.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/456/PressRelease_20261006.pdf

Isabella Bank Corporation and Grand River Commerce, Michigan

OCTOBER 5 - The Federal Reserve Board approved Isabella Bank Corporation of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, acquiring Grand River Commerce, Inc., of Grandville, Michigan. The Board also approved Isabella Bank merging with Grand River Bank, operating branches at Grand River Bank's locations. Isabella's own release values the deal at "approximately $54.6 million" and expects the close in Q4 2026.

Federal approval in hand, and a close expected this quarter. Likely the first of this week's three bank deals to reach the branch connectivity, WAN and carrier decisions.

Who should be watching: WAN and network integrators and carriers serving community banks in mid- and west Michigan. Private integration here too - no public procurement vehicle.

Sources: Federal Reserve Board, press release, October 5, 2026: https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/orders20261005a.htm · Isabella Bank Corporation, company release: https://www.isabellabank.com/about/news/detail/isabella-bank-corporation-to-acquire-grand-river-commerce--inc

THE LAG

No Lag this week - the fourth week running. The nearest miss was a Washington public utility's BEAD fiber-optic cable bid, which traces back to the state's September 24 BEAD agreements. The bid's own posting date could not be confirmed at the source, so it stays out.

PATTERN

Three of the four are bank mergers again - two new agreements and one federal approval, none with a public bid to wait for. The fourth is Pennsylvania's BEAD awards, with the rest due before year-end. None of them is a construction or network contract yet - and each one has a date.

Also on LinkedIn: the newsletter issue

Issue 4 - October 5, 2026: Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, Washington, Oklahoma

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Four connectivity purchases forming right now. Not five this week - only four held up, and three of the four are bank mergers. None of them is an RFP yet. Every one is public, and every one has a date.

This week's signals were gathered between September 20 and October 4, 2026, and only entries whose dates could be confirmed at the source were kept.

FOUR FORMING

Peoples Bancorp Inc., Ohio

SEPTEMBER 25 - The Federal Reserve Board approved Peoples Bancorp Inc. merging with Citizens National Corporation, thereby indirectly acquiring Citizens Bank of Kentucky, Inc., both of Paintsville, Kentucky. The Board also approved Peoples Bank merging with Citizens Bank of Kentucky, establishing branches at their locations.

SEPTEMBER 30 - Peoples Bancorp and Capital Bancorp, Inc., of Maryland announced a merger agreement, "valued at approximately $728.1 million." The release describes the combined company as having "approximately $14 billion in total assets... with over 150 banking locations across eight states and Washington, D.C." The deal is expected to close in 2027.

One acquirer, one regulator approval and one new agreement, five days apart. Two branch networks to fold in.

When banks merge, the branch circuits, WAN and carrier contracts behind them get consolidated, and that work is planned around the close. Likely Kentucky first, and the Capital footprint into 2027.

Who should be watching: WAN and SD-WAN providers, network integrators and carriers who do bank-integration work. This is eastern Kentucky now, and across combined eight-state/D.C. footprint into 2027. No public procurement vehicle here - this is a private integration.

Sources: Federal Reserve Board, press release, September 25, 2026: https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/orders20260925a.htm · Peoples Bancorp Inc. and Capital Bancorp, Inc., merger agreement announcement (GlobeNewswire), September 30, 2026: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/30/3371896/0/en/peoples-bancorp-inc-and-capital-bancorp-inc-announce-merger-agreement.html

Washington State Broadband Office

SEPTEMBER 24 - Washington State Department of Commerce announced that Washington State Broadband Office (WSBO) has "finalized agreements with seven awardees... a combined investment of more than $165 million in federal, state and private BEAD funding." Commerce says work "will connect an estimated 28,452 households once construction is complete," with "most locations expected to be connected within 4 years of contract execution."

The agreements are final - this is the step after the award. In a BEAD program, the construction, splicing, engineering and equipment buying comes after the agreement, and each awardee does its own.

Seven agreements, and most of the build inside four years.

Who should be watching: fiber construction and outside-plant contractors, splicing crews and engineering firms in Washington. The vehicle is each awardee's own construction procurement - seven awardees, seven buyers.

Source: Washington State Department of Commerce, September 24, 2026: https://www.commerce.wa.gov/washington-state-broadband-office-signs-seven-contracts-to-begin-connecting-unserved-and-underserved-communities/

ODNB Financial Corporation and National Capital Bancorp, Inc., Virginia and Washington, D.C.

SEPTEMBER 30 - ODNB Financial Corporation of Virginia and National Capital Bancorp, Inc. of Washington, D.C. announced their bank merger had cleared the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The combined company will be named National Capital Bancorp, Inc., and the close is expected in Q4 2026, pending Virginia State Corporation Commission and shareholder approval.

A federal approval, with state approval and a shareholder vote left. If the Q4 close holds, the network, WAN and carrier integration behind it gets planned before the close, not after it.

Who should be watching: WAN and network integrators and carriers serving community banks in Virginia and the D.C. area. This is a private integration - no public procurement vehicle here. Watch for the Virginia State Corporation Commission's approval.

Source: ODNB Financial Corporation and National Capital Bancorp, Inc., company release (ACCESSWIRE), September 30, 2026: https://www.tradingview.com/news/acceswire:71dc664ab094b:0-odnb-financial-corporation-and-national-capital-bancorp-inc-announce-receipt-of-occ-approval-and-federal-reserve-waiver-to-complete-mergers/

BancFirst Corporation and Spirit BankCorp, Oklahoma

SEPTEMBER 22 - The Federal Reserve Board approved BancFirst Corporation's acquisition of Spirit BankCorp, Inc., of Bristow, Oklahoma, and indirectly SpiritBank, of Tulsa, Oklahoma. As of this check, the acquisition has not closed.

What follows a bank acquisition is the close, and then the decisions about branch connectivity, WAN and carriers.

Who should be watching: WAN and network integrators and carriers serving Oklahoma community banks, in the Tulsa area especially. Again, private transaction - no public procurement vehicle.

Source: Federal Reserve Board, press release, September 22, 2026: https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/orders20260922a.htm

THE LAG

No Lag this week - the third week running. A county's August 24 vote on a build-operate-transfer fiber ring is still being watched; when this issue was checked, no signed contract could be found.

PATTERN

Three of the four are bank mergers - three approvals and one new agreement, none with a public bid to wait for. The fourth is seven finalized BEAD agreements in Washington. None of them is a construction or network contract yet - and each one has a date.

Also on LinkedIn: the newsletter issue

Issue 3 - September 28, 2026: Three States

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Three connectivity purchases forming right now. Not five this week - only three held up. None of them is an RFP yet. Every one is public, and every one has a date.

This week's signals were gathered between September 13 and September 27, 2026, and only entries whose dates could be confirmed at the source were kept.

THREE FORMING

Helm Bank USA, Florida

September 16, 2026 - Florida Office of Financial Regulation notified Banco de Crédito del Perú (BCP), a Credicorp subsidiary, that it had granted Final Order of Approval for the acquisition of 100% of the shares and control of Helm Bank USA. Credicorp reported it in an SEC Form 6-K filed September 17.

The transaction is not complete. Credicorp says completion is still subject to "the required regulatory approvals in the United States from the Federal Reserve System" and "the fulfillment of other customary closing conditions." No closing date is given.

A state regulator's final order is one of the last public steps in a bank acquisition. Federal Reserve is what remains here.

Once it closes, a U.S. bank joins a foreign parent's operation - and the network, WAN, carrier and security integration behind that gets planned before the close, not after it.

Who should be watching: WAN and SD-WAN providers, network integrators and carriers who do bank-acquisition integration in Florida. There is no public procurement vehicle here - this is a private integration. Watch the Federal Reserve's action on the application.

Source: Credicorp, SEC Form 6-K, filed September 17, 2026: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1001290/000114036126036806/ef20082136_6k.htm

Pueblo of Zia, New Mexico

SEPTEMBER 18 - New Mexico's Office of Broadband Access and Expansion lists a Notice of Award to the Pueblo of Zia: $100,000 under its Grant-Writing, Engineering, & Planning (GWEP) program, award GWEP-26-009.

Telecompetitor reported on September 23 that the planning grant is meant to help extend fiber to 193 unserved homes and 12 Tribal community institutions in Sandoval County, and that the Pueblo intends to install roughly 12 miles of fiber and related infrastructure.

About $81,000 will go to professional services for an aerial survey and subsurface utility engineering, supplementing a separate grant the Pueblo received through the federal Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program. About $19,000 is earmarked for grant writing to pursue additional federal funds. It is the first GWEP grant the Pueblo of Zia has received.

This is the stage the series is named for. The money pays for survey and engineering, and survey and engineering come before anyone buys the construction.

$81,000 for the survey. The build comes after it.

Who should be watching: engineering, survey and grant consultants serving Tribal broadband applicants in New Mexico, and fiber construction and outside-plant contractors in north-central New Mexico for the construction that follows. Watch the Pueblo's own procurement and the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion's awards library.

Sources: New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion, awards library (Pueblo of Zia, GWEP-26-009, Notice of Award, 9/18/2026): https://connect.nm.gov/awards-library.html · Telecompetitor, Ian Doescher, Sep 23, 2026: https://www.telecompetitor.com/pueblo-of-zia-awarded-first-new-mexico-broadband-planning-grant/

State of Indiana

SEPTEMBER 23 - WBIW reported that the Indiana Broadband Office announced results of Round 18 of the Indiana Connectivity Program: $133,943 to expand broadband access, with 28 Hoosier households awarded across 15 Indiana counties. As of Round 18, the program has allocated over $14 million to provide service to more than 3,600 households, businesses and community anchor institutions across the state. Broadband providers must complete their projects within nine months of the contract date.

It is small, but not a one-off. The Connectivity Program runs in rounds, each one a set of small per-address builds on a nine-month clock that starts at the contract. This is the steady, low-dollar end of the market.

Small money, in rounds, on a clock.

Who should be watching: small rural ISPs and last-mile fiber contractors in Indiana. Watch the Indiana Broadband Office's Connectivity Program rounds.

Source: WBIW, "28 Indiana homes to receive $133,943 in broadband investment", Sep 23, 2026: https://www.wbiw.com/2026/09/23/28-indiana-homes-to-receive-133943-in-broadband-investment/

THE LAG

There is no Lag this week - the second week running.

One candidate is being watched: a county's August 24 vote on a build-operate-transfer fiber ring. When this issue was checked, no signed contract could be found.

PATTERN

An acquisition approval with the Fed still to act. A planning grant that pays for the survey. A round of 28 households on a nine-month clock. None of them is a construction contract yet - and each one has a date.

Also on LinkedIn: the newsletter issue

Issue 2 - September 22, 2026: Five States

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Correction, October 26, 2026

The first version of this issue ran a 2024 story as entry 2. Every figure in it was right; the year was two years off. It has been replaced with Harpers Ferry, Iowa, from a signed municipal record. Three smaller fixes: Indiana awarded the Paulding Putnam grant on July 22, not September 9; the seller in entry 4 is First Bank; and Centralia's target now reads "by December 31," as the source gives it.

Five connectivity purchases forming right now. None of them is an RFP yet. Every one is public, and every one has a date.

FIVE FORMING

Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative, Indiana

On July 22 the Indiana Broadband Office awarded Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative $13,174,476 in BEAD funding, matched by $10,350,060 of cooperative investment, for unserved segments of Allen, Adams, DeKalb and Noble counties.

A BEAD award is not the end of a process. It is the start of one: the grant agreement gets signed, and then the co-op's fiber arm has to buy the build - outside-plant construction, splicing, cable and materials. Electric cooperatives put most of that work out rather than carrying the crews in-house.

Four counties are named in the award. The route is roughly known before a single contract is let.

Who should be watching: fiber construction and splicing contractors, materials suppliers, and the vendors who serve electric-cooperative fiber arms across the Midwest. Watch the Indiana Broadband Office subgrantee portal. The buying starts when the grant agreement is signed.

Source: Indiana Electric Cooperatives, July 22, 2026: https://indianaec.org/2026/07/22/electric-cooperatives-first-to-receive-bead-funding/

Harpers Ferry, Iowa

The Harpers Ferry city council met on Monday, September 14, 2026 and approved AcenTek to install fiber optic cable, on a roll call of four ayes to one nay. The same motion set a pre-construction meeting with AcenTek for 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 16 - two days later - and the minutes record that "the public is welcome to attend."

Be precise about who is buying. The city approved AcenTek to install; it is not awarding a contract and there is no solicitation anywhere in this. The work that follows - boring and trenching, conduit, splicing and termination, restoration and right-of-way, traffic control, locating, drops - is bought by AcenTek, and the pre-construction meeting is where that sequence gets set.

Vote on Monday, pre-construction on Wednesday. No dollar figure appears anywhere in the record, and none is invented here.

Who should be watching: outside-plant fiber construction, splicing and restoration contractors in northeast Iowa, and anyone already subcontracting to AcenTek. Watch the city's agendas and minutes page - and watch AcenTek rather than the city, because the city's role in this one ends at the approval.

Source: City of Harpers Ferry, adopted minutes of the September 14, 2026 regular council meeting, signed by Mayor Jerry Valley and City Clerk Kelli Melcher: http://harpersferryiowa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/September-14-2026-Minutes.pdf

State of West Virginia

At its monthly meeting, reported September 10, the West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council recorded 45 active ARPA-funded projects with only 3 closed out, against a federal clawback deadline of December 31, 2026. Separately, the state's BEAD money - $546 million of the $1.2 billion approved - is waiting behind NEPA environmental review.

That is two clocks on one buyer, running in opposite directions.

The ARPA clock is the urgent one. Money that is not spent by December 31 goes back, and 42 projects that are open with a quarter to go is a state that has to compress construction, equipment and close-out work into the weeks it has left. Compressed schedules get bought quickly and they get bought from whoever can start.

The BEAD clock is the slow one, and it is the bigger number. When the environmental review clears, $546 million turns into subgrant agreements, and subgrant agreements turn into construction bids. Nobody gets to schedule that, which is exactly why it is worth watching the review rather than the bid board.

Who should be watching: outside-plant contractors and equipment suppliers who can absorb rush West Virginia work before December 31, and the engineering and grant consultants tracking the NEPA clearance. Watch the Council's public meeting materials and the state's subgrantee announcements.

Source: Weirton Daily Times, "W.Va. Broadband Enhancement Council receives updates on BEAD, ARPA projects", Sep 10, 2026: https://www.weirtondailytimes.com/news/local-news/2026/09/w-va-broadband-enhancement-council-receives-updates-on-bead-arpa-projects/

ABNB Federal Credit Union, North Carolina

Trade press reported on September 14 that ABNB Federal Credit Union has the regulatory approvals it needs - from the NCUA and the FDIC - to acquire two First Bank branches, in Roanoke Rapids and Louisburg, North Carolina. The deal is set to close October 9.

Two branches is a small number and a clean shape. Branches join a new owner on a known date, which means they end up on one network and one carrier contract, and the integration plan gets written before the sign changes. Circuits, firewalls, the branch WAN, the connection back to the acquirer's core - all of that has to be ordered ahead of a close date, not after it.

The close is October 9. The work that follows it is being planned now.

Who should be watching: WAN and SD-WAN providers and network integrators who do branch consolidation for financial institutions in Virginia and North Carolina. There is no public procurement vehicle here - this is a private integration, bought on relationships and speed. The window is now through the fourth quarter.

Source: The CU Daily, "ABNB FCU gets regulatory OK to acquire 2 bank branches", Sep 14, 2026: https://thecudaily.com/abnb-fcu-gets-regulatory-ok-to-acquire-2-bank-branches/ (trade-press reporting of the regulatory action; the NCUA and FDIC orders themselves are not linked here)

Centralia, Illinois

The Centralia City Council approved a right-of-way license agreement letting Wabash Communications install fiber optic cable citywide, reported September 15, with installation targeted for completion by December 31.

The right-of-way is the last administrative step before a build. Construction permits come next, and the city is on record engineering and inspecting the build alongside Wabash, which means the permitting is a sequence and not a question.

Approval to shovels inside one quarter, in a city that has already said yes.

Who should be watching: fiber construction and outside-plant contractors and materials suppliers in south-central Illinois. Watch the City of Centralia permit office - the permits are the public trace of who is actually doing the work. The December 31 target is the schedule everyone downstream has to hit.

Source: Southern Illinois Now, "Centralia approves right-of-way for Wabash Communications fiber", Sep 15, 2026: https://southernillinoisnow.com/2026/09/15/centralia-approves-right-of-way-for-wabash-communications-fiber/

THE LAG

There is no Lag this week.

There was one candidate. Its scope and its funding trace both hold up. Its posting date does not: the city's own link to the solicitation returns a 404, and the procurement portal that carries it would not render its open-opportunities list. The date was checked twice and is still unconfirmed.

The Lag's entire claim is a date. This posted on a day you can name, here is the public document that said it was coming, months earlier, and here is the gap between them. Without the posting date there is no gap, only an interesting document.

A digest that tells you every line carries a date does not print a date it cannot stand behind. That standard is the product, and it applies here first.

The Lag returns next week.

PATTERN

This week's five are not decisions waiting to be made. They are decisions already made, with the money attached and a deadline somebody else has to hit. Three of the five have to close or be built before December 31.

Also on LinkedIn: the newsletter issue

Issue 1 - September 14, 2026: Five States

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Five connectivity purchases forming right now. None of them is an RFP yet. Every one is public, and every one has a date.

FIVE FORMING

Worcester, Massachusetts

The city issued RFI-001, Fiber to the Premises Network, on July 30 and closed responses on September 2. An RFI is not a bid. It is the city asking the industry how a citywide fiber network should be built before it decides how to buy one. The answers shape the RFP that follows, and whoever helped write the question tends to be in the room for the answer.

Who should be watching: fiber network builders, open-access operators and ISPs in New England, and the engineering firms that design municipal networks. Watch the city's purchasing page. The RFP is the next public event.

Source: City of Worcester, RFI-001 Fiber to the Premises Network (open Jul 30, closed Sep 2): https://www.worcesterma.gov/finance/purchasing-bids/bids/rfi-001

Boulder, Colorado

ALLO Communications told the city in a July 10 email that it is pulling out of the 2025 lease agreement to build out Boulder's fiber network, and the city announced it on July 30. The city-owned backbone is around 65 miles of fiber, cost around $20 million, and was completed in 2024. The full network ALLO was to build would have spanned around 300 miles, reaching 80 percent of the city by 2028 and 97 percent by 2030. The city says it will "identify a new partner through a new procurement process" while exploring its legal options. A finished backbone with no partner is a purchase forming in public.

Who should be watching: ISPs and fiber operators along the Front Range who can lease a backbone and build the last mile, and outside-plant contractors who can do the roughly 300 miles ALLO was going to build. Watch the city's community broadband page and council agendas.

Sources: City of Boulder news release, Jul 30: https://bouldercolorado.gov/news/allo-communications-informs-city-it-will-pull-out-contract-build-out-fiber-network · Boulder Reporting Lab, Jul 30: https://boulderreportinglab.org/2026/07/30/allo-pulls-out-of-boulders-citywide-fiber-project-forcing-city-to-find-new-partner/

State of Minnesota

The Office of Broadband Development signed its first BEAD contract on July 30, with East Central Energy's fiber arm, for 3,750 locations between Minneapolis and Duluth. It has 93 more to sign by October 8. The full portfolio is 94 projects, 74,739 locations and about $569 million in federal and matching money. Every one of those contracts turns into construction, splicing, electronics and drop work that the grantee has to buy from someone.

Who should be watching: outside-plant contractors, splicers and materials suppliers across Minnesota and the neighbouring states, and the engineering firms that do environmental review and design for BEAD projects. The subgrantee list is public. The subcontracting is being decided now.

Source: Broadband Breakfast, "Minnesota's first BEAD contract lands", Jul 30: https://broadbandbreakfast.com/minnesotas-first-bead-contract-lands/

State of Illinois

On August 25 the NTIA approved Illinois's BEAD final proposal, the last of the 56 states and territories. $1.04 billion, more than 142,000 homes, businesses and anchor institutions, and 23 internet service provider grantees the Illinois Office of Broadband says it will formally on-board this fall. The Notice of Award starts a six-month clock to sign every grant agreement. After that, each grantee has to build, and building is where the subcontracting starts.

Who should be watching: outside-plant contractors, splicers, fiber and electronics suppliers, and engineering firms who can subcontract to the 23 grantees across Illinois. The grantee list is public. The subcontracting decisions come with the grant agreements.

Sources: Broadband Breakfast, "Illinois BEAD plan approved", Aug 25: https://broadbandbreakfast.com/illinois-bead-plan-approved/ · Illinois Office of Broadband announcement, Aug 25.

GECU and Bank of the Southwest, New Mexico

On August 27 GECU, the El Paso credit union, received regulatory approval to acquire Bank of the Southwest. The two combine on November 1 under the GECU name: 11 New Mexico branches, from Roswell to Farmington to Las Cruces, joining a $4.9 billion institution. Eleven branches changing owners on a known date is eleven sites that have to end up on one network and one carrier contract, and the integration plan gets written before the sign changes.

Who should be watching: WAN and SD-WAN providers, carriers with New Mexico and West Texas footprints, and network integrators who do branch consolidation for financial institutions. The window is between now and the integration that follows November 1.

Source: PR Newswire, Aug 27: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gecu-receives-regulatory-approval-to-acquire-bank-of-the-southwest-302862060.html

THE LAG

The Iowa Communications Network posted RFP 26-023 on September 5: pre-qualify vendors for telecommunications outside-plant services in five zones of the state, three vendors per zone, proposals due November 6. Nothing about it was a surprise. ICN's strategic plan, updated in May and public since, names "aging optical transport hardware" that has to be sunsetted and a network that needs constant, capital-intensive refreshes. And the last time ICN ran this exact solicitation was October 2021, as RFP 21-071, an annual contract with a pre-qualified bench. The plan said what the work was. The old RFP said how it would be bought. A contractor who read both had four months on everyone who waited for the posting.

Sources: ICN RFP 26-023 (due Nov 6, 3:00 pm): https://icn.iowa.gov/media/1018/download?inline · ICN Strategic Plan FY2026–2028 (updated May 2026): https://dom.iowa.gov/media/550/download?inline= · the 2021 edition, RFP 21-071: https://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/Home/GetBidOpportunityDocument/4a270e11-a4f1-4418-913f-e559c7976e3f

PATTERN

Every one of these five was decided in a room before it will ever reach a bid board - and three of them already have the date on a calendar. That is the whole thesis: the RFP is the receipt, not the decision.