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FBAs 20th Annual Fiber Report Marks Great Progress

The Fiber Broadband Association’s (FBA) 20th Annual Fiber Deployment Report captures a moment of undeniable momentum in the broadband sector. Released at a turning point for connectivity worldwide, the report documents how fiber deployment is accelerating at historic rates, not just reshaping communications infrastructure in the U.S., but influencing global access to high-speed internet.

Fiber broadband is no longer a luxury—it’s the backbone of digital transformation. From rural communities gaining reliable access, to industries powering next-generation applications, fiber continues to drive economic growth and close the digital divide. The report highlights three core achievements: unmatched deployment growth, innovation in deployment and technology, and measurable gains in digital inclusion.

What does this mean for American industry, businesses, and millions of consumers? Enhanced network performance, opportunities for smart infrastructure investment, and expanded access to 21st-century jobs and services. Dive into the data that’s defining the next decade of connectivity.

Momentum Builds: Accelerating Fiber Broadband Adoption

Key Fiber Adoption Metrics from the 2024 Report

The latest release of FBA’s 20th Annual Fiber Broadband Report shows fiber deployments now pass more than 78 million homes across the United States. That’s an increase of 13% year-over-year—a gain of over 9 million homes in just twelve months. These figures push fiber’s market share past 45% of all broadband connections nationwide.

Fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) adoption rates have also seen significant jumps. According to the report, nearly 30 million households now subscribe to a fiber broadband service, accounting for close to 39% of all fiber-passed homes. That adoption rate has doubled since 2018.

What’s Driving the Uptick in Fiber Usage?

Three main forces are propelling fiber's rise: superior performance, growing user demand, and improving affordability. Multi-gigabit symmetrical speeds and near-zero latency give fiber a technological edge that legacy networks can’t replicate. Consumers are responding. As applications like 4K streaming, cloud gaming, and smart home services become mainstream, the demand for high-capacity, reliable internet access has surged.

Affordability contributes meaningfully as well. Competitive pricing models and funding program incentives have expanded access in price-sensitive markets. Service providers no longer cater exclusively to urban customers—fiber has now gained traction in suburban and rural pockets, offering faster speeds at lower price points than ever before.

Real Outcomes for Households and Enterprises

On the ground, the shift to fiber has reshaped daily life and business continuity. Home users now experience seamless video conferencing, lag-free gaming, and fast downloads—even with multiple devices online simultaneously. Enterprises report marked gains in productivity thanks to robust cloud integrations and low-latency data transfers. Small and mid-sized businesses particularly benefit from fiber’s consistent upload speeds, which accelerate everything from online transactions to remote employee access to virtual desktop environments.

These gains extend beyond convenience. Properties connected to fiber often see increased valuations. A study from the FTTH Council Americas (now part of the FBA) showed homes with fiber connectivity can command a 3.1% price premium compared to similar non-fiber homes. For sellers and buyers alike, fiber access has become a tangible asset.

Comparison with African Markets

Contextualizing the U.S. fiber boom against African broadband trends reveals underlying disparities and strategic insights. While the U.S. has fiber connectivity available to 63% of all households nationwide, fewer than 4% of African households have similar access, according to GSMA’s 2024 Mobile Economy Report. The continent still relies heavily on mobile broadband, often plagued by congestion and coverage gaps.

However, this gap signals potential. Africa’s demand for high-speed broadband mirrors trends previously seen in the U.S. Growth in digital services, remote work, and online education is generating pressure for infrastructure expansion. As American providers refine scalable deployment strategies and leverage public-private partnerships, these learnings could help emerging markets leapfrog older technologies and accelerate next-gen network rollouts.

Unprecedented Growth in Fiber Infrastructure Deployment

Major Rollouts Signal Confidence in Future-Proof Networks

Over the past year, fiber deployment has reached historic levels. According to the Fiber Broadband Association's (FBA) 20th Annual Fiber Report, 2023 saw more fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) builds than any previous year. By year-end, more than 77 million U.S. homes were passed with fiber, a 13% increase from 2022 and up 27% over the past two years. That figure represents 58% of households nationwide—clear evidence of significant transformation in broadband access.

Investments Surge from Major and Regional Players

Private Internet Service Providers (ISPs) drove much of this momentum. National carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies poured billions into fiber expansions. AT&T alone added over 2.5 million new fiber locations in 2023. At the same time, regional and rural providers—electric co-ops, municipal broadband networks, and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs)—stepped up their deployments, backed by strategic capital and public funding streams.

In total, the industry invested a record $12 billion in fiber deployments over the year, according to RVA LLC’s research for the FBA. These figures don’t factor in parallel infrastructure initiatives like middle-mile networks, data center interconnects, or in-building wireline upgrades, which further amplify the reach of core deployments.

Urban Leads, but Rural Closes the Gap

Urban markets continued to see aggressive overbuilds, particularly in metro areas where demand for multi-gigabit speeds creates competitive pressure. Providers are layering fiber over existing coaxial and DSL networks, elevating speed caps and reliability benchmarks.

Rural regions, however, registered the fastest growth in relative terms. Cooperative-led projects and targeted broadband grants accelerated rollouts, narrowing connectivity gaps. By mid-2023, 39% of rural homes had fiber access—up from just 27% in 2020. For increasingly remote areas, this trend reflects both policy impact and improving economics of fiber builds driven by creative trenching methods and aerial deployment efficiency.

Persistent Challenges Temper Velocity

Despite the gains, logistical and systemic hurdles persist. Material and labor shortages continue to slow some builds, especially in high-demand regions. The cost of deploying fiber in difficult terrains—mountains, forests, low-density corridors—remains high.

Permitting delays and pole attachment disputes also hamper timelines for many projects. Some municipalities still operate with outdated policies that stall right-of-way access. In these areas, buildout timelines stretch from months to multiple years, limiting the positive momentum seen elsewhere.

Still, the momentum is undeniable. The 20th Annual Fiber Report underscores the scale and acceleration of the fiber footprint, confirming its role as the key infrastructure of the next-generation digital economy.

The Power of Federal and State Broadband Funding

Driving Fiber Deployment with Strategic Government Investment

Historic levels of federal and state investment have reshaped the landscape of broadband infrastructure across the United States. Programs like the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) have catalyzed large-scale fiber deployments that were previously unfeasible in low-density and economically challenged regions.

The BEAD Program, administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), allocates $42.45 billion to states for broadband expansion. Funding distribution is based on the strength of state plans and the accuracy of the FCC's updated broadband coverage maps. Meanwhile, ARPA’s Capital Projects Fund provided $10 billion, targeting critical connectivity infrastructure—especially in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Execution Excellence: State-Level Success Stories

Some states moved with remarkable speed and precision to transform federal funds into tangible broadband improvements.

Transforming Underserved and Rural Regions

The compound effect of federal programs and efficient state execution is evident in areas where broadband had long lagged. In tribal regions, agricultural zones, and small towns across Appalachia, fiber networks are bridging the digital divide—not just bringing faster internet, but enabling remote learning, access to telehealth, economic diversification, and remote job opportunities.

For example, the Hopi Tribe in Arizona used ARPA funds to expand middle-mile fiber infrastructure, which now connects schools, clinics, and households across 1.5 million acres. In Mississippi, coordinated investment through the Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) Office led to 1,000+ miles of new fiber in counties where coverage was previously under 20%.

What Comes Next for Public Funding

As states finalize initial proposals under the BEAD program and pivot toward execution, the next two to three years will see the largest publicly funded broadband buildout in U.S. history. Coordination at the federal, state, and local levels will determine the speed and sustainability of these efforts.

Longer term, ongoing maintenance funding, support for digital literacy programs, and mechanisms that ensure affordability will come into sharper focus. The $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), also created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will prove critical in ensuring that newly built networks remain accessible for low-income households.

Fiber Deployment Advances Digital Equity and Inclusion

Fiber Networks Are Closing the Digital Divide

FBAs 20th Annual Fiber Report outlines how an expanding fiber footprint is driving tangible progress in digital equity across the United States. Communities once excluded due to geography or income now gain access to reliable, high-speed broadband. Fiber's symmetric upload and download speeds eliminate throttling issues and enable full participation in the digital economy.

Low-Income, Indigenous, and Minority Communities See Real Benefits

Fiber network expansion has reached a wider array of demographic groups in 2023 than in any previous year. According to the Fiber Broadband Association, deployments in Tribal lands and historically underserved ZIP codes increased by over 20% year-over-year. These upgrades support more equitable opportunities in regions where limited or no internet access had previously restricted personal and economic development.

Programs Driving Inclusivity Through Infrastructure

Digital Equity's Direct Impact on Education, Healthcare, and Economic Vitality

As fiber reaches more homes, its effects ripple across sectors. School-age children in fiber-lit households experience improved connectivity for virtual classrooms, research, and learning apps. In healthcare, telemedicine use rose 38% in low-access regions once fiber infrastructure was introduced, according to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Economically, local employment rates improved in towns that added fiber during 2022–2023. Businesses in these areas reported higher efficiency and customer reach, and home-based employment opportunities expanded dramatically. Expanding fiber networks doesn't simply provide faster internet—it changes the trajectory of entire communities.

5G and Fiber Synergy: Building Tomorrow’s Networks

How Fiber Underpins the Success of 5G Networks

5G cannot operate at full capacity without the dense, high-performance infrastructure that fiber provides. Every 5G small cell needs a reliable backhaul to function, and fiber delivers the low latency, high throughput, and scalability required. This synergy allows 5G to deliver real-time services, from autonomous vehicle communication to industrial automation and immersive AR/VR experiences.

In essence, 5G rides on fiber. The ultra-fast wireless experience promised by 5G relies on fiber’s ability to transport data between cell sites and core networks with minimal delay. Without widespread fiber, 5G deployments remain constrained, especially in more complex urban environments where capacity demands spike rapidly.

Real-World Examples of Integrated 5G-Fiber Deployments

Telecom leaders in the United States and around the world have already demonstrated the power of integrating fiber and 5G. AT&T, for instance, expanded fiber to more than 19 million customer locations by the end of 2023, much of it supporting 5G builds. Verizon’s One Fiber initiative connects thousands of 5G small cells to a unified fiber platform, streamlining operations and maximizing performance.

Outside the U.S., Japan’s NTT DOCOMO reached near-universal fiber backhaul for 5G cells, supporting some of the world’s fastest mobile experiences. In Germany, Deutsche Telekom’s 5G rollout synchronizes with the extension of its fiber network, accelerating both mobile and fixed broadband performance.

Benefits for American Consumers and Businesses

These benefits cascade across sectors, increasing productivity, reducing costs, and enabling innovations that were impractical on legacy networks. The close coupling of fiber and 5G doesn’t just improve existing services—it creates entirely new markets and business models.

Forecasting Future Infrastructure Requirements in Emerging Markets

The deployment pattern observed in the U.S. and leading industrial nations will not remain confined to them. In emerging markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, demand for mobile broadband is skyrocketing. Analysts from the GSMA project over 200 million new mobile internet users across Sub-Saharan Africa by 2025. But to meet the bandwidth and latency limits of next-generation applications, those mobile networks will need a matching investment in fiber backhaul.

Fiber buildouts across Africa are accelerating. In 2023, Google’s Equiano submarine cable began powering networks along the West African coast, while projects like Kenya’s National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI) spread connectivity inland. Integrating these fiber systems with 5G deployments will drive urban expansion, streamline agriculture, modernize education, and support growing fintech economies.

Anticipate soaring demand for collaborative infrastructure investment in regions where fiber and wireless remain nascent. The synergy between 5G and fiber unlocks a digitally inclusive future—faster, more equitable, and globally interconnected.

Connecting the Last Mile: Rural and Underserved Connectivity Highlights

Fiber Reaches America's Remote Communities

The FBA’s 20th Annual Fiber Report reveals a record-breaking year for rural broadband access. More than 5.5 million new fiber broadband passings occurred in traditionally underserved and hard-to-connect areas. This marks a 20% increase over the previous year and brings fiber broadband coverage to over 40% of rural American households—up from just 30% in 2020.

Engineering Ingenuity in Action

To overcome geographic and logistical challenges, network operators implemented a range of customized solutions. In mountainous regions, aerial fiber runs on power poles were deployed to avoid rocky terrain. In flood-prone zones, micro-trenching techniques minimized infrastructure risk. Fixed wireless served as a temporary bridge in areas awaiting full fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) buildouts.

One particularly effective model included hybrid public-private builds where local cooperatives partnered with national fiber providers to expedite deployment. For instance, in North Dakota, BEK Communications and the state's broadband office jointly implemented a shared trenching initiative that lowered per-mile costs by 27%.

Voices from the Field: What Connectivity Transforms

The Backbone: Community Broadband and Cooperatives

Community-driven broadband continues to lead rural connectivity efforts. Over 260 electric and telephone cooperatives now offer fiber services, most of them in regions that mainstream providers previously deemed unprofitable. Collectively, these co-ops serve over 500,000 rural homes with affordable, high-speed internet.

In Oklahoma, a case study highlighted by the report shows how Lake Region Electric Cooperative achieved 82% customer adoption in less than two years by bundling broadband with previously existing utility services. Their replicable strategy focuses on local trust, rapid customer support, and low-overhead models.

Shaping the Landscape: Policy and Regulation as Catalysts for Fiber Growth

Recent Regulatory Developments Highlighted in the Report

The FBA’s 20th Annual Fiber Report underscores several pivotal regulatory shifts that have directly influenced fiber deployment across the United States. Among the most significant: the FCC’s 2023 decision to streamline pole attachment dispute resolutions. This adjustment has expedited timelines for resolving right-of-way conflicts, particularly between competitive fiber providers and dominant incumbents, accelerating time-to-market for new infrastructure projects.

State-level reforms have also played a role. Florida and Texas amended deployment permitting laws in 2022–2023, setting statutory deadlines for local governments to process broadband permit applications. These changes drastically reduced bureaucratic lag, allowing faster network rollouts in high-demand regions.

Policies That Accelerate—or Obstruct—Deployment

Policy alignment with deployment goals can drive record-breaking fiber installations, while regulatory fragmentation can effectively stall progress. According to the report, states that adopted “dig once” and “one-touch make-ready” (OTMR) policies observed fiber deployment rates increase by up to 40% year-over-year. These measures simplify infrastructure installations by minimizing repeated roadwork and reducing coordination delays with utility pole owners.

Conversely, deployment in states lacking streamlined permitting frameworks often faced multiyear delays. Restrictions on municipal broadband, still enforced in over a dozen states, capped local initiatives and limited options in high-cost, underserved areas. The report associates these bans with lower fiber availability rates and slower adoption curves.

The Role of the FCC and State Agencies in Market Dynamics

The FCC’s leadership in preserving open access has created a foundation for competition in the fiber market. The reinstatement of net neutrality under the proposed Title II revision, expected in late 2024, will reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service. This move reinforces consumer protections and gives the FCC stronger oversight, which may shape ISP practices around interconnection agreements and pricing transparency.

On the state level, public utility commissions (PUCs) have increasingly asserted themselves in managing equitable access. In Colorado, for instance, the PUC introduced affordability benchmarks tied to ISP participation in state-administered fiber grant programs. This tethering of subsidies to pricing parameters broadened access among low-income households without undermining carrier participation.

Looking Ahead: Policy Implications Beyond 2024

Future legislation is likely to grapple with three core challenges: closing remaining deployment gaps, reinforcing affordability, and ensuring provider accountability. The report anticipates that a national standard for broadband permitting—akin to a model building code—could reduce cross-jurisdictional inefficiencies. Such standardization would exert pressure on local regimes to abandon outdated, inconsistent rules that bottleneck fiber expansion.

Another proposed direction involves codifying long-term funding eligibility for fiber as the baseline technology in federal programs. Elevating fiber to a universal eligibility standard across all infrastructure grants would align with the Department of Commerce’s technical guidance and consolidate momentum behind full fiber builds, rather than mixed-technology solutions.

Legislative frameworks that foster transparency, embrace technological futureproofing, and target equitable public benefit will continue to shape competitive dynamics in the telecom market. The report leaves no doubt: regulatory clarity and consistency produce measurable acceleration in deployment, adoption, and innovation.

Building the Talent Pipeline: Workforce Development in the Telecommunications Industry

Scaling Fiber Infrastructure Demands Skilled Talent

The deployment of fiber infrastructure has accelerated across the United States, reaching over 78 million homes passed in 2023—an all-time high, according to the Fiber Broadband Association’s (FBA) 20th Annual Fiber Report. Behind this surge lies a critical factor: a trained, scalable workforce capable of executing design, engineering, deployment, and maintenance. Without continuous workforce growth, providers can't keep pace with elevated infrastructure demand, nor can they meet aggressive federal and state broadband targets.

The FBA projects a need for approximately 205,000 new fiber-related telecom jobs through 2026, based on data compiled with consulting partner Cartesian. This includes fiber splicers, outside plant engineers, network planners, and permitting specialists. Every mile of new fiber requires hands-on labor—compounded by the necessity to layer support for emerging technologies such as 5G and fixed wireless access that depend on dense fiber connectivity.

Training Programs That Close the Skills Gap

To meet labor demand, workforce development must expand beyond traditional education pipelines. Multiple initiatives have emerged to equip workers with the technical skills necessary to fill immediate roles in fiber installation and broadband operations.

Partner Networks Driving Scalable Impact

National and regional partnerships have amplified workforce impact by aligning technical training with on-the-ground deployment needs. Rather than isolated efforts, industry stakeholders now collaborate to close gaps in curriculum, certification, and employment access.

Opportunities for American Workers at Home and Abroad

The expansion of fiber infrastructure offers more than domestic job creation. American telecom workers equipped with fiber-specific certifications and field engineering experience are increasingly in demand across global markets. From the UK’s Project Gigabit to India’s BharatNet, fiber deployments require thousands of trained technicians, offering career mobility for U.S.-certified professionals.

Moreover, adjacent industries—such as traditional construction, electrical works, and IT networking—are fueling the fiber workforce. Cross-skilling programs have enabled electricians and utility workers to transition into telecom roles, while former military technicians enter the sector through veteran-specific training tracks.

Fiber workforce development, when matched with targeted investment and structured training, produces results at scale. Over the past five years, telecom employers have witnessed a measurable rise in trained job applicants, worker retention, and upskill-to-management pathways. These outcomes don’t happen by accident—they stem from coordinated planning, strategic funding, and clearly defined skill expectations across the ecosystem.

Private and Public Sector Collaboration: A Catalyst for Fiber Expansion

Success Stories of Public-Private Partnerships from the FBA’s 20th Report

The Fiber Broadband Association’s 20th Annual Fiber Report presents compelling examples of public-private partnerships (PPPs) delivering high-impact broadband solutions. Local utilities and private ISPs have co-financed deployment efforts in communities such as Ammon, Idaho and Westminster, Maryland, achieving gigabit-speed networks where major providers had previously declined to build. In Ammon, the city’s open-access municipal network enabled multiple providers to serve residents without new last-mile builds—cutting both time and capital expenditures.

In Georgia's Chattooga County, a partnership between the county government and a regional fiber provider brought 1 Gbps connectivity to more than 3,000 locations by pooling state broadband funds and private investment. These stories underline a trend: PPPs yield measurable results when local engagement and capital alignment occur together.

Collaboration Between Government, Academia, and Enterprise

Colleges and universities have emerged as critical players in fiber broadband advancement, especially through research and workforce development initiatives. The report highlights a three-way partnership in North Carolina involving Duke Energy, North Carolina State University, and the Department of Information Technology. Their joint initiative on smart grid deployment relied heavily on fiber backhaul and informed policy recommendations at the state level.

In California, a similar model enables cross-sector input into broadband grant assessments. Academic institutions provide GIS-based mapping expertise and socioeconomic data analysis, while tech companies and ISPs bring infrastructure know-how. The result? Faster decision-making, minimized overlap in served areas, and smarter grant utilization.

Cost-Efficiency and Enhanced Service Delivery Through Joint Ventures

Pooling infrastructure lowers capital expenditure per connected home. The FBA report points out that co-builds between utilities and ISPs can reduce rural deployment costs by up to 40%. In Colorado, municipal electric utilities and rural providers share strand counts within the same conduit system, significantly shrinking trenching and labor costs.

Beyond initial builds, operational efficiencies increase. One highlighted program in Minnesota integrates school district networks, local government systems, and residential service into a single core fiber ring. This consolidation cuts maintenance contracts by 27% and delivers symmetrical speeds to over 12,000 households alongside public agencies.

Extending U.S. Broadband Expertise to African Markets

The report outlines growing momentum in U.S.-Africa broadband partnerships, pointing to early-stage trials and MOU signings in countries such as Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria. Export-backed models administered through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) are funding pilot projects that replicate successful U.S. broadband deployment playbooks.

One such initiative—Fiber Africa Collaborative—brings together U.S.-based engineering firms, African telcos, and local governments to construct long-haul and metro rings. The venture leverages open-access principles learned from U.S. municipal networks and has already laid 250 km of fiber across underserved districts. Stakeholders aim to connect over 600 schools and healthcare centers within the next 12 months.

With scalable frameworks and proof points now documented, these partnerships stand ready to replicate their success in even more regions—domestic and global alike.

Charting the Course Ahead from FBA’s 20th Annual Report

Two decades of data, analysis, and advocacy—FBA’s 20th Annual Fiber Report doesn’t just mark a milestone, it signals momentum. Over the last year alone, the fiber industry added 7.9 million new homes passed, according to RVA LLC’s independent research, ramping total fiber passings in the U.S. to nearly 78 million. This cumulative progress reflects the coordinated efforts of policymakers, network operators, investors, and communities.

The fiber broadband sector has entered a transformative phase. In just five years, total fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) availability in the U.S. has grown by nearly 60%. Recent legislation, including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program under the IIJA, has directed billions into network expansion. As a result, access gaps are narrowing, especially in remote and economically challenged regions.

This trajectory now moves toward a clear target: achieving universal broadband access. The infrastructure is scaling. Demand continues rising. And fiber—with its unmatched reliability and capacity—is positioned as the foundational technology behind everything from telehealth and distance learning to smart grids and 5G backhaul.

Every figure in the report points to this reality: progress accelerates when collaboration deepens. State broadband offices, utility co-ops, tech firms, ISPs, and workforce programs are forming a mesh of partnerships that connect more than networks—they connect strategies. The data confirms: where collaboration is strong, deployment is faster and adoption rates are higher.

Innovation remains the constant variable. Advancements in fiber optics, passive optical networks (PON), and automation tools are boosting efficiency. Meanwhile, the labor pipeline is adapting, with specialized training programs preparing thousands of new technicians to scale rollouts without delay.

So what does the next chapter look like? It builds on the foundation of the last 20 years: strategic investment, smart policy, and persistent innovation. It means aligning economic opportunity with digital access. It demands staying agile in the face of technology convergence.

Ready to go deeper? Download the full FBA 20th Annual Fiber Report now or browse the resource library for maps, forecasts, and strategic insights that support planning, investment, and deployment at every level.