Each quarter, the Excigent team compiles the market signals we consider most significant for principals operating across broadband, ICT, and security. This edition covers the key movements from Q1 2026 and what they mean for channel strategy in the months ahead.
Federal funding disbursements continue to drive fiber deployment activity across underserved regions. Principals with OSP, FTTH, and broadband CPE solutions should be actively engaging with ISPs and co-ops that are entering construction phases — the procurement window is narrowing as projects move from planning to execution.
Optical LAN continues to gain specification traction as an alternative to traditional copper-based structured cabling. We’re seeing increased specification activity from architects and engineers in new construction and campus retrofit projects. Principals in this space should be prioritizing specification engagement now to influence projects that will begin procurement in late 2026.
The convergence of physical security with IT infrastructure is accelerating. Access control and video surveillance vendors who can demonstrate integration with IT management platforms are winning evaluations. Principals who have not yet built this narrative into their channel enablement materials should do so immediately.
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Notes from the field on what really moves the needle for principals expanding into Latin America and the Caribbean.