CostQuest Associates
CostQuest Associates is a 100% employee-owned broadband consulting, data, and technology firm that provides the FCC's official Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric dataset covering 116.4 million U.S. locations, serving federal agencies, state broadband offices, and 3,000+ broadband companies with cost modeling, compliance, and valuation services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersCincinnati, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CostQuest Associates does
CostQuest Associates is a 100% employee-owned broadband consulting, data, and technology firm founded in 2000 and headquartered in Cincinnati, OH with a Seattle, WA office. The company is the designated provider of the National Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric — a dataset of 116.4 million residential and business locations across the U.S. updated twice yearly — that serves as the foundational location reference for the FCC's Broadband Data Collection, NTIA's $42.5B BEAD program, and other federal broadband initiatives. The FCC formally adopted the Fabric as the data foundation for verifying high-cost program deployment obligations (RDOF, A-CAM, PR Fund, Connect USVI Fund) effective April 4, 2025, embedding CostQuest's data into federal compliance workflows.
The company operates across four service lines: (1) Broadband Planning (business case development, cost modeling for FTTP, Fixed Wireless, and 5G, and GIS-based service mapping); (2) Governmental Broadband Advisory at the state and national levels, including BEAD grant administration support; (3) Telecom Capital Advisory covering network valuation, M&A transaction support, and tax appraisal (the firm has valued over $1T in network infrastructure assets and assesses property/sales tax appraisals for over $20B in wireline and mobility assets annually); and (4) Address Matching & Georeferencing with confidence-ranked fuzzy matching. Technology products are distributed through the TrueVerra.io self-service portal and Python-based APIs, including Location Data, ServiceLandscape Data, NetworkPlan Data, the VerraV mapping tool, and the GrantLight compliance and reporting system for BEAD administration.
CostQuest monetizes through a mix of professional services (consulting, cost modeling, valuation), data licensing (Fabric data mandated for BDC/BEAD), recurring SaaS subscriptions (GrantLight), and annual conference revenue (Fabric Forward). It serves federal agencies (FCC, NTIA), state broadband offices (Wisconsin PSCW, Louisiana ConnectLA, City and County of San Francisco), Tier 1 telecom providers (Verizon, T-Mobile, Comcast, Frontier, Windstream, Consolidated Communications, US Cellular, Cincinnati Bell), and over 3,000 broadband companies nationwide. In 2025 the company launched the CQI partnership with Quadra Partners and ITG for BEAD post-award compliance, transitioned to 100% employee ownership, and grew to 65+ employee-owners.
CostQuest Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CostQuest Associates
- Legal name
- CostQuest Associates, LLC
- Website
- https://costquest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CostQuest Associates is a 100% employee-owned broadband consulting, data, and technology firm that provides the FCC's official Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric dataset covering 116.4 million U.S. locations, serving federal agencies, state broadband offices, and 3,000+ broadband companies with cost modeling, compliance, and valuation services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CostQuest Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cincinnati
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
CostQuest Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fabric Data Licensing: Licensing of Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric data to federal agencies, state governments, and broadband providers. Data is mandated for use in BDC and BEAD programs.
- Broadband Consulting Services: Custom consulting engagements including broadband planning, business case development, cost modeling, service mapping, governmental advisory, and telecom capital advisory services.
- GrantLight Software Platform: SaaS platform for BEAD compliance and grant reporting, licensed to state broadband offices and ISPs.
- Conference Revenue: Fabric Forward user conference with paid registration tiers for ISPs, state broadband offices, and industry participants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Early Bird Conference Registration |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Tier 2 Conference Registration |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Tier 3 Conference Registration |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Tier 4 Conference Registration |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Tier 5 Conference Registration |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
CostQuest Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CostQuest Associates designs, develops, and operates the National Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric — the authoritative U.S. location-level dataset used by the FCC's Broadband Data Collection (BDC) and NTIA's BEAD programs. The company combines this data with proprietary cost models for FTTP, Fixed Wireless, and 5G networks, complemented by consulting, advisory, and compliance reporting services for telecom and broadband stakeholders.
Product overview
CostQuest Associates offers a unified portfolio combining broadband consulting services with data and technology products. The consulting services include Broadband Planning (Business Case Development, Cost Modeling, Service Mapping), Governmental Broadband Advisory (State and National), Telecom Capital Advisory, and Address Matching & Georeferencing. The technology suite includes the core Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (Location Data, ServiceLandscape Data, NetworkPlan Data) accessed via APIs, supplemented by GrantLight compliance reporting and VerraV mapping tools. The Location Fabric serves as the foundational dataset powering the FCC's BDC and NTIA's BEAD programs, while consulting services provide the analytical and advisory layer for network planning, valuation, and government program support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TrueVerra: Data and technology portal providing access to CostQuest's core Broadband Fabric location, consumer, and financial datasets.
- GrantLight
- VerraV
Products and services
- Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric
Quantifiable outcome
- FCC distributes over $3B annually using CostQuest cost models for high-cost broadband deployment
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CostQuest Associates
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CostQuest Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
CostQuest Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CQI Team (CostQuest, Quadra Partners, ITG)coreStrategic partnership between CostQuest, Quadra Partners, and ITG (formerly Tilson) to provide end-to-end BEAD post-award compliance and reporting solutions for State Broadband Offices. The partnership delivers the GrantLight Compliance Reporting System and supports the unprecedented BEAD post-award oversight process, addressing location-level grant oversight requirements.
- WISDM Inc.minorFixed wireless network design expertise partner featured at Fabric Forward conference. David Burns, CEO of WISDM Inc., presents on precision in fixed wireless network design using structure-level data for tower placement, RF modeling, and serviceability decisions.
- Quadra Partners, LLCcoreConsulting partner in CQI Team for BEAD compliance and reporting. Jill Springer, Principal Consultant at Quadra Partners, provides permitting playbook sessions at Fabric Forward conference.
- ITG (formerly Tilson)coreImplementation partner in CQI Team for BEAD post-award oversight solutions for State Broadband Offices.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CostQuest Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tilson: Telecom infrastructure construction and consulting firm. Now operating as ITG, Tilson is CostQuest's partner in the CQI Team for BEAD post-award oversight, with overlapping capabilities in broadband deployment planning and network design.
- CCG Consulting: Telecom and broadband consulting firm providing business planning, financial modeling, and regulatory support to small and mid-sized ISPs. Comparable to CostQuest's ISP-facing broadband planning and business case development services.
- LightBox: Location intelligence and data platform for real estate, infrastructure, and risk. Comparable to CostQuest's location data, GIS, and address matching/georeferencing offerings, though focused on broader CRE/infrastructure.
- Connected Nation: Non-profit focused on broadband mapping, planning, and digital inclusion across the U.S. Highly comparable to CostQuest's broadband data, mapping, and state advisory offerings, though structured as a non-profit rather than commercial firm.
- Cartesian: Telecom strategy and consulting firm (now part of Accenture) that provides regulatory advisory, cost modeling, and strategic analysis for telecom operators globally. Comparable to CostQuest's governmental and capital advisory practices.
- Analysys Mason: Global telecom consulting firm providing regulatory, strategic, and financial advisory to operators and regulators. Comparable to CostQuest's broadband cost modeling, policy advisory, and capital advisory services.
- Vantage Point Solutions: Engineering and consulting firm specializing in broadband, telecom, and wireless network design, regulatory compliance, and rural broadband funding support. Directly comparable to CostQuest's cost modeling and BEAD-related services.
Others
- Esri: Dominant GIS mapping software platform (ArcGIS) used by CostQuest for VerraV and ServiceLandscape mapping. An enabling infrastructure provider whose tools underpin much of CostQuest's mapping and visualization capabilities.
Emerging players
- WISDM Inc. Fixed wireless network design firm featured at CostQuest's Fabric Forward conference. An emerging player in precision fixed wireless RF modeling and tower placement using structure-level data, partially overlapping with CostQuest's NetworkPlan data.
Broad incumbents
- CoreLogic: Large property data and analytics firm (now private under Stone Point/Insight) with extensive location, parcel, and infrastructure datasets. A broader incumbent in property/location intelligence that overlaps with CostQuest's location fabric use cases.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CostQuest Associates social profiles
Digital presenceCostQuest Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CostQuest Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CostQuest Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CostQuest Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CostQuest Associates
What does CostQuest Associates do?
CostQuest Associates designs, develops, and operates the National Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric — the authoritative U.S. location-level dataset used by the FCC's Broadband Data Collection (BDC) and NTIA's BEAD programs. The company combines this data with proprietary cost models for FTTP, Fixed Wireless, and 5G networks, complemented by consulting, advisory, and compliance reporting services for telecom and broadband stakeholders.
Is CostQuest Associates a public or private company?
CostQuest Associates is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was CostQuest Associates founded?
CostQuest Associates was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CostQuest Associates based?
CostQuest Associates is headquartered in Cincinnati, United States, in the North America region.
How does CostQuest Associates make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Fabric Data Licensing is the primary driver. The others are broadband Consulting Services, grantLight Software Platform and conference Revenue.
Who are CostQuest Associates's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tilson, CCG Consulting, LightBox, Connected Nation, Cartesian, Analysys Mason and Vantage Point Solutions. Esri is listed as an others. WISDM Inc. is listed as an emerging player. CoreLogic is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does CostQuest Associates have an API?
Yes. CostQuest offers APIs for accessing Broadband Fabric data. The Developer Portal at developer.costquest.com provides API access to their Location Fabric data, Network Plan data, and ServiceLandscape data. APIs support FCC BDC filings, state broadband programs, and internal business planning. Developer documentation is at developer.costquest.com/apis.