Fiber Connect 2024 - What did I learn?
I’ve been to many tradeshows and conferences in networking, broadband, cable, video, and consumer electronics but it was my first time to Fiber Broadband Associations, Fiber Connect 2024 in Nashville.
1. There are over 1700 Fiber Broadband operators in the US, an average of 34 per state and if all things were equal each would average 74,000 homes passed. Many operators only cover one small city or town say 6,000 residents. Strict boundary rules mean if a household or enterprise is on the other side of the street they are out of luck even if there aren't any other alternatives.
2. Permitting & Planning Approvals were the most talked about challenges for Fiber Broadband operators, for public and private property access. And yes multiple permits are required to complete an installation. Combined with any need to use utility poles and thus a utility’s workforce and tenacity becomes foremost in bringing broadband to the underserved in rural and urban areas.
3. Over 100k jobs abound to come close to the goal of 'Broadband for All' in 10 years. Job Corps, and Fiber Broadband Community Colleges are all creating training programs to educate people on the skills required to install, splice, and build aerial and underground fiber networks. Encourage friends, High School Graduates that there are alternate paths to successful careers. Not just jobs, create your own Optical ‘Plumbing’ Field Tech business with employees and become a fiber Millionaire.
4. Typical networks may have 80% fiber on poles (aerial) and 20% underground.?Rural networks expect no more than 6-8 homes passed/mile compared with 50 homes passed/mile in towns or small cities.
5. Data centers and distribution warehouses are more cost-effective in rural areas yet power and broadband remain significant obstacles. Robotics, data, and analytics drive their day-to-day operations and the critical need to be connected means redundancy is often required, one fiber provider is not enough.
6. Farming/agriculture seems to be an area of strong demand for broadband fiber. And it’s the full gamut of farming - fisheries, livestock, grains, and other produce. Combine this with the FDAs?FSMA 204 efforts for Jan 2026 and farm-to-fork food traceability requirements and the needs are clear.
7. Technology is important but it didn’t seem to be the most critical item in achieving gigabit broadband for everyone across the US.
8. Money, funds are available to build fiber broadband networks through various governmental and state programs. However, only 26 states have publicly announced plans and received financial approvals for their Digital Equity plans with 19 receiving over $1B each.
9. Some 15% of homes with children do not have Internet access, and 8.8m homes are either underserved or unserved.
10. The average peak time usage per consumer is ~7Mbps.
#Fiberconnect2024 #FiberBoradband #BEAD #Govermentfunding #Broadband #DigitalDivide