The 2023 Broadband Communities Summit paved the way. Now consider these top events to learn even more about opportunities for funding, investment, deployment and technology innovation.

Last year, Broadband Communities Summit attendees anticipated soon-to-flow federal and state money. This year, the Summit provided a space to prepare for those now in-process developments and covered issues well beyond the deployment of high-speed broadband. Affordability and access to training and devices were all part of a broad push toward digital inclusion and digital equity. Following are some highlights.

The latest offerings from top suppliers and distributors helping keep the broadband installation boom from going bust.

Fiber Connect 2023 will bring together industry leaders and others who want to learn about the possibilities and challenges of building fiber-based broadband for homes and businesses.

Permitting delays can inhibit competition in high-density areas.

Almost everybody has a facile opinion about the future of remote work. It turns out that the future will vary widely by industry and job function, existing housing stock, a region’s workforce age and household size. Here’s a roadmap. I’ll show the way in even greater detail in future issues.

Asset sales and mergers are increasing, even as federal money is about to pour into new and improved broadband deployments. Policy has yet to keep up. More guidance and rulemaking may be needed, not less.

Broadband is helping communities close the digital divide and manage their transformation across multiple domains: business services, wholesale service opportunities, education and economic development. Learn more at the Broadband Communities 2023 Summit.

As municipalities and service providers pursue fiber expansions, a larger labor force is required to transition plans from paper to reality.

P3s have the potential to accelerate fiber buildouts that could create new job and revenue opportunities.

Broadband Communities recently talked to Sandra Motley, president of fixed networks at Nokia, about how the company helps large and small providers make the most of their fiber-based broadband deployments. She also shared her vision of fiber-based broadband and the ways broadband can enable new education and employment opportunities.

The best sources of equipment, software and services for delivering voice, video, data and more

Current maps exclude nearly every small business in the rural U.S. That’s a big deal.

Cities prioritize broadband to drive economic development by attracting and retaining businesses and residents.

Broadband Communities’ list of fiber-to-the-home leaders and innovators for 2022.

New sources of federal funding combined with a base of bandwidth-hungry applications are prioritizing fiber-to-the-home investments.

Communities’ broadband efforts drive diversity and enable more work, education and entertainment choices.

How a company focused on space flight provides a critical connection during times of crisis.

By proactively focusing on maintaining quality of experience, service providers can thwart costly customer churn.

It is a transformational time for broadband in the U.S. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will dole out $42.2 billion to states to provide funding for new projects. During the INCOMPAS Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., a group of Congressional leaders, service providers and public advocacy groups discussed the impact of federal funding and how to drive new competition in the multiple-dwelling-unit market.

In the last issue, I concentrated on the regulatory and technical issues embedded in the evolving rules for handing out $42.5 billion in new federal broadband infrastructure funds. Before that, I talked about labor and materials shortages. In this issue, I discuss the financial planning issues for prospective deployers.

Partnerships in many U.S. communities are making successful broadband rollouts and expansions possible.

Broadband Communities asked industry colleagues what will drive broadband in 2022. Hint: Fiber will play a starring role for most industry players.

Given the benefits of reduced costs and increased flexibility, it’s no wonder more service providers are considering or are in the midst of investing in network disaggregation.

Offering high performance at a relatively low cost, the advent of 400G ZR/ZR+ pluggables could be the next disruption in IP in the optical networking market.

COVID-19 has highlighted how the U.S. lags global competitors in critical infrastructure, including rural broadband.

States are poised to leverage pandemic funding to enhance broadband availability and affordability for residents and local businesses.

Service providers and communities have a plethora of federal funding sources they can tap into to expand broadband. But what’s the best method to ensure providers can meet needs today and into the future?

Here’s a roadmap for reviewing your deployment plans in these exciting but strange times.

The CEO of NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association shares her vision for the rural broadband industry.

In this first issue of 2022, Broadband Communities looks ahead to how the industry will adapt to changes and challenges and pursue opportunities, especially given new funding sources.

At the Broadband Communities Summit 2021, participants shared stories and expertise about new methods to build broadband to rural markets, new trends in broadband for MDUs and new applications for broadband, such as precision agriculture. Following are some highlights of conference sessions.

The best sources of equipment, software and services for delivering voice, video, data and more

Use geographic information systems to improve business with data and analytics.

Broadband supply chain issues the pandemic caused are holding up providers’ fiber-to-the-home rollout plans.

Forget the politics. There are issues yet to solve: mapping, disbursement rules, and training enough folks to build new deployments over the next five or six years.

Communities see broadband as a linchpin for a multitude of opportunities – creating jobs, working remotely and attracting and retaining businesses.

The Fiber Broadband Association’s annual conference, Fiber Connect, held in Nashville in July, showcased many fiber community success stories and a variety of innovations that promise to expand fiber deployment. As one of the telecom industry’s first in-person trade shows since the pandemic began, it highlighted fiber’s role as the preferred way of delivering symmetrical broadband speeds, state and federal funding mechanisms, open-access, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks and pricing. It also brought to light how broadband newcomers, particularly municipal broadband providers, need to overcome political and lobbying challenges from incumbents and think tanks, and the significance of public-private partnerships.

Fiber-to-the-home leaders and innovators for 2021

The new head of the Fiber Broadband Association shares his vision for the industry.

Connecting more parts of the world with affordable broadband will require collaboration between governments, businesses, service providers, telecom infrastructure companies and other players.

This technique is gaining popularity across the country because it costs much less than other deployment methods and can be done in days instead of weeks.

With $20 billion already committed for deployments and customer subsidies, and another $45 billion quite possible, the broadband industry should be in booster mode. Broadband stakeholders must stop arguing about which technologies and entities get the most funding.

As broadband becomes a necessity, Broadband Communities’ Fiber-to-the-Home Top 100 winners are making big investment bets on expanding their FTTH network reach.

State and local governments can leverage $350 billion in federal funding to provide immediate relief and long-term support for U.S. veterans and military spouses.

Resolving broadband affordability and coverage issues for low-income families requires accurate, reliable data.

Recording network data on a software-based system of record enables providers to capture and disseminate knowledge before it escapes the business.

President Biden’s infrastructure plan could help communities build future-proof broadband networks that serve their distinct needs.

Contact these companies to learn more about their broadband solutions.

A shortage of fiber, chips, other materials and skilled labor could impact the expansion and rollout of new broadband networks.

Transitioning to fiber may pose a number of installation challenges, but they’re easily outweighed by the need for symmetrical broadband.

Westmoreland, New Hampshire, is one of many rural towns partnering with Consolidated Communications to provide Gbps FTTH broadband to businesses and residents.

The two towns devise a plan to bridge the state’s digital divide through collaboration, advanced tools and new federal and state funding.

The latest round of broadband funding proposals should focus on long-term effects and return on fiber investment with an emphasis on the economy, the environment and subscriber satisfaction.

Communities engage in diverse broadband buildout strategies to accommodate long-term residential and business needs.

The event covered key issues for competitive broadband providers, including the homework gap, net neutrality, broadband mapping and the FCC’s RDOF reverse auction.

Access to quality data will make or break service providers financially as they work to provide high-performance broadband to communities in the post-pandemic world.

Tier-1 and rural telcos enhanced their broadband speeds and reach to meet the needs of consumers who relied on Zoom conferencing, remote learning, video streaming and the use of multiple internet-connected devices when the COVID-19 pandemic turned their lives upside down.

Findings from a survey of more than 120 state and local leaders confirm a need for investment in broadband infrastructure nationwide and a new approach to funding deployment.

Low-Earth-orbit satellites face various challenges meeting Rural Digital Opportunity Fund requirements.

The pandemic has redefined economic development for many rural communities.

As the USDA prepares for a third round of about $600 million in ReConnect rural broadband grants, here’s a detailed look at the results of the first two rounds.

Broadband Communities may be passing the editor torch but will continue to provide insight and perspective on the ever-changing broadband industry segment.

The digital divide has held back the United States for too long. Now is the time to end it.

The first virtual edition of the Fiber Broadband Association’s annual conference, Fiber Connect, held in December, showcased many fiber community success stories and a variety of innovations that promise to expand fiber deployment. The show highlighted how communities are banding together and working with state and federal agencies to build out broadband in underserved communities. It also brought to light the need to increase bandwidth and provide flexible service during the pandemic, along with the problem of permitting obstacles and other challenges.

The new head of the Fiber Broadband Association shares his vision for the industry.

The 2021 broadband plans of incumbent telcos, independents, cable operators and electric co-ops will have a ripple effect on consumers and businesses.

More than 5 million premises are likely to get broadband connectivity, but for some, it may not be as good as promised.

Broadband should bring people together, not drive them apart.

Charlie Vogt, a telecom veteran who has led a mix of voice, video and optical vendors, took the reins of DZS in August. He aims to solidify the company’s position in fiber to the home (FTTH), 5G, smart homes, connected building/city solutions and software-defined networking.

Because of COVID-19 facility closures, 50 million K–12 public school students have had to learn remotely from home.

Americans know how to design and build fast networks. Now we need to identify how to use them to make our lives better.

In its annual conference, which will be held virtually from December 14–16, 2020, the Fiber Broadband Association will bring together experts in all aspects of fiber to the home (FTTH).

This year’s event is our best ever – 30 sessions with more than 100 of the industry’s top experts plus plenty of opportunities to network and engage.

At the Broadband Communities Virtual Summit 2020, participants shared stories about finding new methods to extend broadband into underserved and unserved rural markets. Following are some highlights of conference sessions focused on the rural broadband market.

Electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities are partnering with competitive providers and telcos to close the systemic rural broadband gap.

The emerging model presents a scalable option for communities that lack the expertise or interest to operate networks or act as ISPs themselves but want to own and control the core communications assets in their communities as a means of securing the benefits of broadband internet. Here’s a look at the model’s business case, technical elements and risks.

A town may not be ready to take the plunge on building a network, but there are steps it can take to attract private investment.

Investors have been needlessly spooked about new satellite technology. Individual satellites are cheap, but thousands must be deployed and periodically replaced. So satellites are competitive – and welcome – but only in limited situations.

Broadband partnerships can take many forms. Communities in search of better broadband should familiarize themselves with a wide range of successful solutions.

The partnership takes on Germany’s goals to nationally expand gigabit networks by 2025 and to expand fiber infrastructure in schools and local enterprises.

It’s actually cheaper to build in rural than in urban areas, and FTTH systems in rural areas can be profitable even with very few subscribers.

There are provisions common to multiple pending broadband funding bills; expect them to end up in H.R.2, which the Senate should vote on after the November 3 elections.

2020 is a challenging year for multifamily broadband, but it presents opportunities as well as dangers.

Many strategies used to promote universal telephone service are in use to expand broadband access today, but one needs a few tweaks.

Expanding broadband access and consumer cost-reduction subsidies is a cost-effective way to reduce child poverty. In fact, it can easily pay for itself.

With demand for remote health care and mental health services on the rise, pursuing telehealth is a smart marketing strategy for broadband service providers.

To provide more people with broadband, Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation quickly installed Wi-Fi hot spots and is launching a neighborhood program to gauge community interest in accessing its network.

ACE collaborates with other co-ops, confronting cost and culture challenges and providing broadband to more residents in Alcorn County.

There’s a new reason to provide more funds for broadband deployments, and a new tool for deployers to target the counties most in need – especially in rural areas.

The I3 Connectivity Explorer allows users to assemble and analyze essential data needed to assess their communities’ current situations, envision their goals, and develop action plans.

The FCC’s support for mmWave wireless systems in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund gives rural operators another option to extend broadband services to more customers.

New research identifies tactics for connecting unserved communities.

The FCC’s upcoming RDOF auction, scheduled for October, will give rural communities a chance to bid on support for fiber-to-the-home networks.

Communities hoping to improve their broadband service have several different models to choose from. Here’s how to go about making the choice.

By defining goals, gathering data and asking the right questions, communities can develop broadband master plans that lay the groundwork for high-speed networks.

As the community overcomes its business-sector broadband challenges, it looks for ways to extend services to residents who have poor broadband access options.

UTOPIA Fiber is expanding through Utah and beyond, proving that fiber-to-the-home deployments can succeed even in small, rural towns.

Stacking subsidies may be the only way to get fiber to the home built in some of the most rural areas.

There’s more than one way to get better broadband – but how should communities decide what’s best?

It is suddenly cost-effective to borrow money for small deployments, or to arrange a self-amortizing lease. Here’s why – and how.

The pandemic sheds light on the gaps in online education today – and opportunities for improving it now and in the future.

The USDA’s ReConnect Program and the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund will help bridge the digital divide and drive the community broadband movement.

The electric cooperative’s fiber broadband service attracts second homeowners and telecommuters to communities in the Southeast where broadband was once nonexistent.

Large incumbent telcos, independent telcos, cable operators and electric cooperatives set bold broadband plans for 2020.

People in rural areas simply can’t rely on the same fiber-rich, centralized split model that works in more densely populated areas. Distributed tap architectures may offer a solution.

Broadband is essential to a community’s survival, but building out service to rural areas comes with financial challenges. Service providers have several options to help.

At the Broadband Communities economic development conference in October, FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks delivered a powerful call to make internet inequality across the United States a thing of the past. A data-driven review of what has and hasn’t worked over the past 10 years will help determine the path forward, he says.

The proposed rules favor grant bidders who least need the money and are unlikely to bring permanent, high-quality broadband to rural areas.

Verizon is leveraging state and FCC funds to connect several rural New York state communities with FTTH. This service will offer residents and businesses access to services typically found in larger cities.

The digital divide is widening. Without public and private policy changes, we’ll lose the battle for universal access.

They offer an affordable, accessible way for smaller and rural providers to gain spectrum and deliver on the promises of 5G.

Speakers at the 2019 Broadband Communities Summit, held in Austin in April, agreed that every community wants – and needs – great broadband. How best to deliver great broadband to MDUs, master-planned communities, underserved towns and rural areas is still up for debate, however. Following are some highlights of speaker presentations.

For many small communities, the USDA’s latest grant program may be too complex to be worth applying for.

Communities across the United States have shifted from “Why fiber?” to “How?”

Rural providers are taking aim at rural businesses with fiber and DOCSIS 3.1–based broadband services. But providers must educate this segment about using these new services to become more viable in the online world.

To encourage new, local broadband providers, consider easing the regulatory burdens that make starting a new broadband venture costly.

The Department of Agriculture experiments with new ways to drive rural broadband deployment.

A special section on rural broadband will help you prepare for the Broadband Communities Summit.

Do you hope to serve a rural area that already has some broadband service?  Work around it. Literally.

Providing broadband locally – with help from electric utilities – can be a good way to anchor rural economies.

The passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act and the opening of a funding window for the ReConnect program will help narrow the rural digital divide.

The technology challenge for a rural community is closing the gap between the digital infrastructure that is profitable for commercial providers but serves only part of the community and the infrastructure necessary to serve all community members. Local leaders, driven by a clear, aspirational vision of their community’s future, can proactively address this gap.

Hundreds of electric co-ops are considering deployment of residential or business broadband – and almost all want to use fiber.

To deliver broadband cost-effectively, a community’s best option may be to partner with the incumbent telephone company.

For rural communities struggling to connect to the internet, working together at any point in the process can yield benefits. 

Only fiber to the premises can support the new knowledge economy.

The RUS has new funds to spend on connecting unserved areas. But how can applicants prove an area is unserved?

Auction winners will likely serve between 200,000 and 400,000 rural households and businesses – at best, about 40 percent of those eligible.

Communities need to take all the costs and benefits into account – and if the answer is “yes,” they need to revisit the question every few years.

Regulations for spending the $600 million appropriated in March for rural broadband will be slow in coming. Here’s why.

Highlights of the 2018 Broadband Communities Summit held in May in Austin, Texas

If you’re wondering which rural broadband funding programs to apply for – or which will solve the rural broadband problem – here’s a brief primer.

The Broadband Communities Summit brings together participants in the multifamily, rural, economic development, technology and policy worlds. This issue of the magazine has something for all of them.

Springtime was especially good to rural broadband hopefuls, with new money and potentially more flexible ways of disbursement.

The evolution of technology is enabling cable companies to transition gradually to all-fiber networks.

Technology, economics and political change are driving a very special Broadband Communities Summit this year.