Articles from Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced The State Broadband Summit will return to Fiber Connect on Wednesday, June 4, for a crucial exploration of the impact of broadband policy at the state level, including impacts to the NTIA BEAD program as state broadband offices put shovels in the ground. The State Broadband Summit at Fiber Connect 2025 gathers the entire fiber broadband ecosystem to discuss the path forward—to clear up misconceptions, address market misinformation, and put politics aside to focus on the impact of fiber broadband on our communities and the people they serve.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today released a groundbreaking report, Accelerating AI with Fiber: Systems and Strategies, highlighting fiber broadband as the foundation for AI-driven innovations across data centers, networks, and smart home applications. To create the report, FBA engaged with advisory firm Entropy, Inc., to study the impact of AI and fiber. The research simply reveals that AI needs data, data needs data centers, and data centers need fiber connectivity.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) is proud to announce the first annual OpTIC Path™ Rodeo, an exciting competition highlighting the skills and expertise of fiber technicians, taking place June 2-3, 2025, at Fiber Connect 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced the release of its latest resource in its Fiber 101 Series, “Introduction to Passive Optical Network Splitter Architectures,” developed by the FBA Technology Committee. The purpose of the guide is to demystify the terminology, configurations, and best practices associated with PON splitter deployment. This foundational document explores how splitter architecture choices impact fiber counts, splicing, and customer connections while setting the stage for a more detailed follow-up analysis of centralized versus distributed splitting architectures.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has officially opened submissions for its annual FBA Awards program, celebrating outstanding achievements from across the fiber broadband industry. Winners will be announced and honored at the FBA Awards Luncheon at Fiber Connect 2025, held June 1-4, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.

Today, the Fiber Broadband Association released a study that reveals the transformative impact of fiber broadband in Charlottesville, Virginia, underscoring its role as a catalyst for job creation, housing value growth, and digital entrepreneurship. The findings underscore fiber's potential to transform communities nationwide, providing critical insights as federal and state governments continue to invest in broadband expansion under programs such as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI).

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced the results of its Fiber Deployment Cost Annual Report. Conducted by Cartesian, the study examines the evolving costs of fiber broadband deployment, finding that broadband service providers are predicting future cost changes to be largely the same as in 2024 or increase slightly (less than 10%) which is a marked improvement from the previous year’s study. The year-over-year network median costs for underground deployment increased 12% year-over-year but the median cost for aerial fiber deployment remained largely the same. The report highlights how cost trends impact the expansion of fiber networks, providing critical insights for policymakers and industry leaders navigating the financial landscape of broadband infrastructure.

The Fiber Broadband Association officially opened its registration for the upcoming Fiber Connect 2025 event – the largest fiber broadband event in the world – held June 1-4, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The event boasts a fresh theme highlighting the industry’s progress in lighting the nation’s fiber optic critical broadband infrastructure that will elevate lives for generations to come. The 2025 conference will feature expanded educational programs and exclusive networking opportunities for its expected 5,000+ fiber broadband ecosystem attendees.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced the results of the Fiber Deployment survey by RVA LLC Market Research & Consulting (RVA). The survey concludes fiber broadband deployments reached a new annual record of 10.3 million U.S. homes passed in 2024. Including homes with more than one passing, there are now a total 88.1 million homes passed with fiber in the U.S. with continued growth expected over the next five years.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the call for submissions for the Fiber Connect 2025 Proof of Concept (PoC) showcase. Early Bird Registration is now open for Fiber Connect 2025, which will be held June 1-4, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. This year FBA will again partner with the Broadband Forum (BBF) to host the POC showcase that features the latest technological advancements and collaborations across the fiber broadband industry. This year, each PoC must address the Connected Home and the broadband subscriber experience, leveraging one of three BBF specifications for fiber access interoperability, ONT/Home Gateway manageability, and/or Wi-Fi performance.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced that it has welcomed a stream of new schools to the list of institutions offering the Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program. FBA estimates that 180,000 new workers will be needed over the next decade to meet the construction, maintenance, and expansion demands associated with the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The OpTIC Path program provides crucial skills to jumpstart a future-proof career in fiber broadband while also helping fill the broadband technician workforce gap that plagues North America.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the growth of its 2025 Board of Directors as FBA looks to support organizational expansion and lead its members through the largest fiber broadband investment cycle ever. This year’s Board has an additional member, and FBA will add an additional member each year for the next two years for a total of 12 members by 2027. The 2025 Board of Directors has a combined expertise and commitment to accelerating connectivity across North America that will benefit FBA and its members as they look for innovative strategies to push fiber further and close the Digital Divide for good.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) is pleased to announce that its Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program, a comprehensive fiber optic technician certification course, has been submitted by Wilson Community College and officially endorsed by the North Carolina Workforce Credential Advisory Council. The OpTIC Path program is now listed on the NC Careers site, placing it among a select group of high-value, non-degree credentials sought by employers. This designation offers students a direct pathway to sustainable-wage careers in the expanding fiber technology field.

The Fiber Broadband Association has announced the seven cities selected for its expanded 2025 Regional Fiber Connect Workshops, bringing invaluable fiber broadband expertise to new communities across North America. As BEAD funding becomes available for broadband expansion in 2025, these workshops will help regional leaders and broadband operators gain critical insights on effective network rollouts, community engagement, and the economic and societal impacts of fiber broadband.

The Fiber Broadband Association awarded the 2024 Dr. Charles Kao Award to Larry Sevier, former CEO and General Manager of Nex-Tech, in recognition of his pioneering work in bringing fiber broadband to rural America. The award celebrates individuals, organizations, and companies that harness innovation to connect communities through broadband. Sevier is being honored for his early and lasting contributions to expanding rural fiber networks and for his ongoing legacy in broadband leadership.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today opened the Call for Speakers for Fiber Connect 2025, the world’s largest fiber broadband conference, held June 1 - 4, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced its OpTIC Path™ Membership Bundle that combines FBA membership with FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path) program. The bundle offers access to a deep ecosystem of broadband operators, suppliers, policymakers, and innovators, and is a wise option for organizations investing in workforce development and training.

Hosted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by the Fiber Network Council APAC, who holds this year’s presidency of the FTTH Councils Global Alliance (FCGA), the summit brought together over 25 senior leaders from the six regional councils forming the platform for two days of networking and discussions over the differences and commonalities of fibre deployment and adoption at international level. The event has been an opportunity for the FTTH Councils Global Alliance to regroup on their shared objectives and common activities, and for fibre stakeholders across the globe to exchange and learn from the successful experiences of their peers, with an outlook at the challenges and priorities ahead for each region.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced it hosted the fourth annual Women in Fiber (WIF) Luncheon at Fiber Connect for the organization’s WIF Committee that has grown to 300 members in just two years.

Today, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced a new membership program for State Broadband Offices. Open to all state and territory broadband offices, this program includes access to FBA research, events, and the OpTIC Path™ fiber optic technician training program, as well as networking and social events. This new program codifies FBA’s ongoing work with State Broadband Offices now as members, creating a stronger connection throughout the entire fiber broadband ecosystem.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced it presented Julie Kunstler with the Fiber Lifetime Achievement Award. Kunstler dedicated more than 30 years of her career to the communications industry before retiring in April 2024 from her role as Chief Analyst at Omdia. FBA recognized her for outstanding support of the fiber broadband industry and for educating communities on the importance of broadband connectivity for all.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced the winners of the Proof of Concept (PoC) Showcase. The PoC Showcase featured eight demonstrations that leveraged fiber’s capacity, speed, scale, and security to improve Connected Home innovations and services.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) presented Mark Boxer with the 2024 Chairman’s Award for his exemplary dedication to the fiber broadband industry and his leadership throughout FBA’s organization for more than two decades.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced the Learning Alliance Corporation received the 2024 Gene Scott Education Award. The annual award is given to a person, community, or institution that has significantly impacted the advancement of FBA’s fiber education initiatives. The Learning Alliance is a strong supporter of FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program, in addition to its own workforce development efforts across multiple trades.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced the winners of the Star and Photon Awards. The awards are presented each year at Fiber Connect to celebrate outstanding contributions to the fiber broadband industry. The 2024 Star Award was presented to Jim Baller from Keller & Heckman, LLP, and the 2024 Photon Award was presented to Heather Burnett Gold from TAK Communications.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association announced the winners of the 2024 Fiber Forward AMPLIFY Awards. The award program was developed to recognize individuals, companies, and innovations advancing and strengthening the fiber broadband industry.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced its Sustainability Working Group published a new white paper focused on analyzing carbon footprints of Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) versus Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) 4.0 networks. The paper, titled “Fiber Broadband Networks are Far More Sustainable Than Hybrid Fiber Coax Networks,” reveals the carbon footprint of FTTH networks is lower than HFC networks on every sustainability metric, from embodied carbon to carbon in the operational phases, including customer premise equipment (CPE).

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced its Fiber 101 Series—a collection of concise resources designed to demystify and clarify technical fiber topics. The series currently includes two documents on aerial fiber deployment and the series will grow to include topics of value and interest to FBA members.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and the Power & Communication Contractors Association (PCCA) announced the results of their “Broadband Market Workforce Needs” study. Continuum Capital, an independent consulting firm, completed the nationwide study and found that the unprecedented injection of federal and state funding into the broadband market is a disruptive force requiring an extraordinary volume of engineering and construction activity that the market is not prepared to support and will result in broadband deployment delays.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced an increase in its members’ All Fiber Certification. The accreditation is reserved for FBA members that demonstrate a high-level of strategic commitment to all fiber deployment by ensuring 90% or more of their networks rely on fiber optic infrastructure. Twelve FBA members recently achieved All Fiber Certification in North America since Fiber Connect 2023.

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced a new study, performed by RVA LLC Market Research & Consulting (RVA), that confirms users should subscribe to the fastest level of broadband service (gigabit+) offered by their provider as time, efficiency, and productivity benefits quickly add up financially. That is money in the pocket of gigabit+ subscribers. With a gigabit or more of fiber broadband service, the research estimates that the U.S. could add $326 billion to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Today at Fiber Connect 2024, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced its Deployment Specialists Committee published a new white paper on “Accelerating Timeliness of Utility Locates.” Underground locates are a public safety requirement and a growing concern as network operators look to expand fiber broadband services into new markets and neighborhoods. Operators must take necessary precautions to prevent damage to utilities, ensure utility services remain intact, and prevent serious injury to telecommunications installation teams and residents.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced that Fiber Connect 2024 attendees will now earn 10 BICSI Continuing Education Credits (CECs) for attending the event. BICSI’s CEC program is designed to maximize training resources in expanding knowledge while maintaining current credentials in an efficient manner. CECs from Fiber Connect 2024 will be posted on the BICSI website and will be valid for a two-year term.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the Pre-Conference Workshops and Breakout Sessions scheduled for Fiber Connect 2024. Fiber Connect is the largest fiber broadband event in the world and will be held July 28-31 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced highlights and speakers that will be featured at Fiber Connect 2024–the largest fiber broadband event in the world–held July 28-31, in Nashville, Tenn. During the event’s standing-room only general sessions, the industry’s most dynamic leaders will explore Middle Mile Networks, Federal Broadband Policy, Innovation and Disruption, AI, and Deployment Challenges and Opportunities.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations planned for Fiber Connect 2024, July 28-31, in Nashville, Tenn. Seventeen companies will participate in eight PoC demonstrations that showcase how Connected Home innovations and services improve subscriber experience by leveraging the capacity, scale, latency, and/or security that only fiber broadband provides.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced that FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program is now available for Maine residents through Central Maine Community College (CMCC). The course will train the skilled fiber technicians needed to expand local networks and connect Maine communities to high-performance fiber broadband services. The OpTIC Path program also delivers important opportunities to graduates, enabling them to enter a professional industry with long-term value.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the finalists for the 2024 Fiber Forward AMPLIFY Awards. These awards recognize individuals, companies, and innovations that strengthen and advance the fiber broadband industry. The Fiber Forward AMPLIFY Award recipients will be announced at Fiber Connect 2024, July 28-31, in Nashville during the Awards Luncheon on Monday, July 28.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced its Technology Committee published a new white paper on “The Benefits of Retiring Copper Today.” Many telecommunications providers still face unnecessary complexity and expense by continuing to operate legacy copper last-mile broadband infrastructure, especially if they already migrated to fiber in the core and access network. The white paper explores the cost benefits and reasons why operators should accelerate the removal of copper completely and deploy future-proof fiber, including improved reliability, substantial ESG benefits, and the scalability to support new bandwidth-rich services both today and in the future.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced that Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center, a free public school in Everett, Washington, offering technical training for junior and senior high school students, is the first high school and latest education institution to offer FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program. Graduating with a certification from this course gives students the crucial skills to jumpstart a lucrative career in fiber broadband and helps fill the critical broadband technician workforce gap that exists across North America.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today unveiled its first annual Fiber Forward AMPLIFY Awards program. The awards recognize individuals, companies, and innovations that demonstrate the ability to amplify and advance the fiber broadband industry. The Fiber Forward AMPLIFY Award winners will be honored at Fiber Connect 2024, July 28-31, in Nashville, Tenn.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced that its Technology Committee has published its “Fiber Broadband Scalability and Longevity” white paper—the latest FBA research that explains optical fiber is the only communications medium that can support both existing and future applications for many decades with no infrastructure changes. The white paper concludes that due to fiber optic cable’s high levels of scalability and longevity, fiber broadband has no known expiration date.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the call for Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations at Fiber Connect 2024 in Nashville, Tenn., July 28-31. This year, FBA has partnered with Broadband Forum (BBF) to focus demonstrations on the applications and services that will be leveraged within the Connected Home and are best delivered over fiber broadband. Each PoC demonstration must leverage one of two BBF interoperability certifications and showcase how innovative Connected Home services improve subscriber experience by leveraging the capacity, scale, latency, and/or security that only fiber broadband provides.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced its Trusted Fiber Working Group published “Measures to Define and Deploy Trusted Fiber” white paper that outlines recommended measures to advance the deployment of fiber in the U.S. While the Fiber Broadband Association continues to publish an expanding library of research proving fiber to be the most trusted, reliable technology to deliver broadband services, this whitepaper goes one step further in providing a complete checklist of critical factors that service providers and government purchasers can leverage to ensure the fiber they are procuring is, in fact, “trusted.”

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced the results of its 2023 Fiber Deployment Cost Study, conducted by Cartesian, which provides the industry’s benchmark to help fiber broadband service providers evaluate their cost profile and identify areas of inefficiency. FBA’s comprehensive study identifies that, on average, labor contributed to 73% of underground build costs and 67% of aerial costs. The study also provides regional cost variations, along with the cost differential between deployment methods.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today opened the Call for Speakers for Fiber Connect 2024, held July 28-31, 2024, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. Fiber Connect is the world’s largest fiber broadband conference and this year’s event is expected to draw more than 4,000 attendees from across the fiber broadband ecosystem. Network operators, service providers, state broadband offices, technology innovators, and broadband industry leaders will gather to explore fiber’s ability to connect communities, municipalities, economies, and people to a brighter future and better opportunities to learn, grow, share, and contribute.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced its 2024 Board of Directors as the organization leads the industry through its largest investment cycle ever. The new Board is comprised of a diverse assortment of industry leaders who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to FBA and its mission to accelerate fiber broadband deployments and close the digital equity gap across North America.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced the results of its 2023 North America Fiber Provider Survey. The research was performed by RVA LLC Market Research & Consulting (RVA), and the survey concludes that 2023 set a new record for the highest annual FTTH growth, with nine million homes newly passed by network operators this year alone.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced that College of The Albemarle is the latest education institution to offer FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program. Partnering with broadband internet provider Fybe, the two organizations will leverage the OpTIC Path course to produce a pipeline of expertly-trained fiber broadband technicians that will connect rural, eastern N.C. communities to high-quality fiber broadband networks.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced that its Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program has been approved as the primary Fiber Optic Technician Credential for Job Corps. Piloting the program at its Oneonta, N.Y. campus first, the partnership would significantly broaden the availability of the OpTIC Path program across the nation as more Job Corps campuses adopt it. With more than 120 campuses across the U.S., Job Corps would become the second-largest producer of OpTIC Path graduates, helping to develop the technical workforce needed to connect every community to fiber broadband networks.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today celebrates the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) and its Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) as it signed an agreement with its 100th employer partner. FBA supports TIRAP and its accomplishments in improving the quality of training and safety of the broadband workforce.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced graduates of the Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program will be featured in the Learning Alliance’s Talent Link applicant tracking system. FBA members and Learning Alliance partners can leverage Talent Link to gain a direct pathway to certified fiber technicians who are qualified to safely and efficiently build the fiber broadband networks that many communities still need.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association today announced the complete Broadband Infrastructure Playbook 3.0 is now available. Playbook 3.0 combines four deep-dive modules that aim to help state broadband offices as they make decisions on key aspects of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and complete their initial proposals for NTIA review before a December 27 deadline.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced that it presented the 2023 Dr. Charles Kao Award to James Salter, founder and CEO of Atlantic Engineering Group. The annual award recognizes individuals, organizations, and companies that leverage innovation to connect communities with fiber broadband. Salter was awarded for his leadership as an early champion of fiber broadband since the early 2000s and for his continued fiber advocacy ever since.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced the five cities it has selected to host Regional Fiber Connect Workshops in 2024. The regional events will be held in Richmond, Va., on February 8th; Little Rock, Ark., on April 16th; Deer Valley, Utah, on June 4th; Des Moines, Iowa, on September 10th; and Albuquerque, N.M., on November 7th. By selecting new cities for its Regional Fiber Connect series each year, the Fiber Broadband Association is making its invaluable workshop content accessible to more regions, communities, state broadband offices, operators, utilities, and cooperatives looking to build reliable, high-performance fiber broadband networks.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced that Deborah Kish, FBA Vice President of Research and Workforce Development, has joined the N.C. Broadband Workforce Plan Advisory Committee convened by the NCDIT Division of Broadband & Digital Equity. FBA’s involvement in the Committee is its latest effort to ensure the fiber broadband industry has enough skilled technicians to safely and efficiently build the networks that will connect every community to reliable, high-quality broadband.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced the winners of the Fiber Connect 2023 Proof of Concept (PoC) Showcase. The PoC Showcase featured seven demonstrations from Fiber Broadband Association member companies and their partners that exemplified fiber’s ability to disrupt markets and push the boundaries of what is possible.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced the winners of its Photon Award and Star Award at Fiber Connect 2023 this week. The awards are presented each year at the Fiber Connect event to celebrate outstanding contributions to the fiber broadband industry. This year, Brendan O’Boyle from Preformed Line Products (PLP) won the 2023 Photon Award and Northern Colorado Community Fiber won the 2023 Star Award.

Today at Fiber Connect 2023, the Fiber Broadband Association announced it presented Stephen Hardy with a Fiber Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his more than 40 years of covering the industry. Hardy, who retired on June 30, 2023, as Editorial Director for Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, has been a trusted pillar of the fiber broadband editorial community, leaving an editorial legacy that will be difficult to match.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced that it presented S&N Communications, Inc., with the Gene Scott Education Award on Tuesday at Fiber Connect 2023. The award recognizes a person, community, or institution that has significantly impacted the advancement of education in the fiber industry.

Today at Fiber Connect 2023, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced its Board Chair, Joseph Jones “JJ,” presented the 2023 Chairman’s Award to Gary Bolton, President and CEO of FBA. Bolton received this year’s award for his leadership in fiber broadband advocacy and championing FBA members’ ability to advance fiber deployments across North America. His work is helping to close the digital equity gap so that every community can access the benefits of reliable, high-quality internet.

Today at Fiber Connect 2023, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced a suite of Broadbandtoolkit.com geospatial planning tools for FBA members to visualize existing broadband deployments and areas of opportunity. Members can now access Fiber Finder, the Fiber Strategy Toolkit, and the National Hex Toolkit through FBA’s Research and Resources library to identify the current reach of broadband technologies, understand key differences in quality of service, find BEAD-eligible areas, and develop data-driven strategies to connect Americans that are unserved or underserved.

Today at Fiber Connect 2023, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and Cartesian unveiled their BEAD Threshold Financial Model that helps states calculate their Extremely High Cost Per Location Threshold (EHCT) for fiber broadband deployments using Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The sophisticated tool leverages geospatial analysis to build a financial model that states can use to develop their own cost thresholds for fiber deployments. The BEAD Threshold Financial Model is FBA’s latest resource that will help state broadband offices and others within the fiber broadband ecosystem connect every community to high-quality broadband and close the digital equity gap.

Today at Fiber Connect 2023, the Fiber Broadband Association and RVA LLC Market Research & Consulting (RVA) released an annual consumer research report titled, “The Status of U.S. Broadband: The Growing Preference to Fiber Broadband.” The 2023 study reveals fiber broadband is considered the best internet service delivery method in terms of speed and reliability among 63% of all U.S. consumers, including 54% of cable users.

Today at Fiber Connect 2023, the Fiber Broadband Association announced a mini course for its Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) fiber technician training program, titled “Broadband Basics: Your Future in Fiber!” The mini course will introduce broadband concepts and career opportunities, attract new students, and help close the gap in skilled technicians needed to connect every community to reliable, high-speed fiber broadband services.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced Erie County Community College is now offering FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification (OpTIC Path™) program. The course will train the skilled fiber technicians needed to expand local fiber networks in and around Erie, Pa., and connect their communities to high-performance broadband services.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced it will host The State Broadband Summit on Wednesday, August 23, at Fiber Connect 2023 in Orlando, Fla. As state broadband offices submit their five-year broadband plans, the Summit will bring together critical players from within the fiber broadband ecosystem to explore the best path forward.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced the Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrations planned for Fiber Connect 2023. The PoCs will showcase how the fiber broadband industry is creating innovative applications, services, and technologies. Each PoC this year will explore fiber’s ability to support disruption, change market dynamics, and push the boundaries of what is possible.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced general session keynotes and Operator Light Talks planned for Fiber Connect 2023, August 20-23, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. Fiber Connect is the world’s largest fiber broadband event, and this year’s program will feature new themes and content styles. Attendees will access four days of elevated programming that explores the investment, deployment, and operation of next-generation gigabit broadband networks. Keynotes and Operator Light Talks will feature insight from AT&T, Consolidated Communications, EPB, Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, Google Fiber, Lumos Fiber, Nokia, NTIA, Ting Internet, and many more thought leaders from across the fiber broadband marketplace.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced a series of Technical Deep Dives and breakout sessions planned for Fiber Connect 2023. There will be 12 tracks of content throughout the afternoons of the event that include more than 40 sessions presented by over 130 industry experts. Content has been curated to tailor to themes that will help the fiber broadband industry address existing challenges and future opportunities and depart the event with a better understanding of how to close the digital equity gap in their communities.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the Pre-Conference Workshops scheduled for Fiber Connect 2023, including the popular FBA Fiber Broadband Starter Toolkit. FBA’s Pre-Conference Workshops will explore the topics and trends associated with expanding fiber broadband universally, including new deployment best practices, sustainability, middle mile, strategies for municipalities and utilities, and local government partnerships and resources.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today published its Workforce Development Guidebook—a comprehensive resource for state broadband offices (SBOs), state and local workforce/economic development boards, and other equivalent agencies as they formulate their workforce development strategy for the NTIA’s $42.45B Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced updates to its recently-published Fiber Broadband Supply Chain white paper, noting significant improvements in industry supply chain lead times. The FBA’s Supply Chain Working Group published the paper in September 2022, and recently discovered new data that shows up to 92% faster lead times in some fiber broadband equipment categories.

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced the agenda for Fiber Connect 2023, held August 20-23, 2023, at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Fiber Connect 2023 is expected to be the largest, most successful Fiber Broadband Association event ever. This year’s theme is “What Fiber Disrupts Next,” showcasing how fiber is a catalyst for change and fundamental for innovation in any market, including gaming, streaming entertainment, Internet of Things, precision agriculture, healthcare, machine learning, and augmented reality. Registration for Fiber Connect 2023 is now open and can be accessed here.

The FTTH Council Global Alliance (FCGA) announced it has published the results from its global Sustainability Survey. The survey explored Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies throughout the telecom industry with network operators, service providers, and vendors across five geographical regions. The results reveal that some regions are far more advanced than others, but fiber’s sustainable properties will help the global telecom industry achieve ESG and CSR goals.