The IT edge will play an important role in what 5G becomes and how it is optimized, but ownership of that edge remains an open question. The answer could be transformative for telcos and data center operators alike.

CenturyLink cites time to market and network speeds as the reasons to migrate to XGS-PON as the next evolution in its fiber-based broadband plan for consumers and business customers.

The city is the first in the nation to enable 911 staff to take and dispatch calls from home during the pandemic.

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.

At the Broadband Communities Virtual Summit 2020, participants shared stories about how they are driving broadband into multifamily properties to enable higher speeds and provide a host of IoT services for residents and building owners. Following are some highlights of conference sessions focused on the multifamily market.

Private construction of multiple-dwelling-unit buildings is hitting a new record this year, with about 525,000 housing starts expected.

The pandemic has laid bare the critical importance of network infrastructure and the importance of the multifamily industry’s relationship with connectivity providers.

Gigabit services often bypass MDUs and home clusters because of the construction disruption and high cost of bringing fiber to each housing unit.

Emerging broadband technologies and smart devices have the potential to provide strong value for channel partners and their MDU customers.

New solutions promise faster installation of high-speed broadband in MDU buildings.

Service providers find new opportunities to build managed Wi-Fi networks that support voice, data and building-management applications.

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.

Service providers bidding on the FCC’s RDOF auction should consider the long-term cost variables of using fixed wireless or FTTH to extend broadband to rural areas.

Fixed wireless access is set to become a key driver in current and future 5G deployments, offering greater bandwidth and better spectral efficiency than LTE networks.

New research by the Fiber Broadband Association shows that all-fiber networks are much less expensive to operate than cable or copper networks.

COVID-19 is accelerating tech adoption in multifamily housing. Technologies that remain relevant post-pandemic will need strong connectivity, underscoring the importance of critical broadband infrastructure.

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.

Bulk managed Wi-Fi must have airtight network security plans to protect multifamily owners and residents. Here’s what that takes.

The technology allows providers to engineer, provision and transfer capacity around networks via software control.

Fiber networks are susceptible to failure when damaged by extreme weather such as hurricanes, floods, fires, snowstorms and earthquakes. Disaster recovery plans that include proper procedures and tools are essential to keep networks functioning.

Service providers have a wide variety of last-mile optical PON platforms to converge multiple wireline consumer broadband, business and wireless services.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights how the U.S. broadband deficit remains a glaring and painful gap between haves and have-nots.

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

Communications infrastructure has the power to help rural, underserved areas of the United States achieve greater success, but it means the broadband industry must ramp up its commitment to connect more of the country.

Speed, continuity, flexibility and creativity enabled the company to meet the challenges staff and customers face as COVID-19 changed the ways people live and work overnight.

As pandemic-related disruptions make the United States more dependent than ever on reliable broadband, FTTH deployers find ways to continue building out their networks.

Lisa R. Youngers, president and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, delivered this testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation in March.

Fiber-to-the-home leaders and innovators for 2020

New technologies, new funding programs, and the vastly expanded need for work-at-home broadband have trashed old business plans but made many new plans possible. Here are key strategies for deployers to consider, and ways to fund their dreams and to make necessary changes in federal rules on such issues as spectrum use and lien priority.

Fiber to the home proves its worth during the pandemic.

The latest offerings from top broadband hardware and software suppliers, distributors and service providers. 

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.

Although 5G will capture headlines, the fiber-based wireline network will serve a dominant role for supporting wireless traffic as well as providing high-bandwidth services to residential and business customers.

Automated open-access networks enable any number of independent service providers to lease capacity, so customers can choose different services at competitive prices.

A feasibility study can sometimes seem like a necessary evil, but it can be a major contributor to the long-term success of a community’s broadband project.

Fiber creates infrastructure and service options for community broadband installations.

NEXTGEN TV – the latest branding for ATSC 3.0 – has clear technical and moneymaking advantages over ATSC 1.0, the current standard for TV broadcasting and linear cable TV.

In its economic response to the coronavirus pandemic, Congress missed the chance to address the digital divide.

~ This article will appear in the March/April issue. ~

The Rural Utilities Service made good on its promise of world-class service. The first ReConnect grants and loans offer convincing proof that private investment could work in unserved and underserved areas, even though Wall Street shuns them.

From managed Wi-Fi to DOCSIS to fiber to the unit, service providers have various options to pursue a successful MDU bulk internet strategy.

The advent of 5G requires equipping network operators with the visibility they need to identify and manage service and operation issues across entire networks.

The CEO of a leading distributor reflects on the challenges network deployers face – and how distributors can help them meet those challenges.

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

NEXTGEN TV – the latest branding for ATSC 3.0 – has clear technical and moneymaking advantages over ATSC 1.0, the current standard for TV broadcasting and linear cable TV.

Blown fiber systems offer numerous advantages over traditional fiber systems, including reduced material and installation costs, fewer fiber connection points, simplified repair and maintenance, and a migration path for future applications.

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.

5G, CBRS and Wi-Fi wireless services all have a place. Building owners and developers can choose one that best meets their specific needs.

Building out a 5G network will require a new set of network standards and operational methods. Operators should establish a set of best practices around planning, cost-to-revenue analysis, and architecture choices.

Service providers should look to their already deployed Wi-Fi networks to support emerging motion-sensing and smart-home monitoring services.

With school connectivity goals accomplished, the program prepares to end, leaving new programs in place to make sure the classroom gap stays closed.

Property owners need to incorporate smart-home technology into managing and upgrading their communities.

The rise of streaming doesn’t mean traditional pay TV is dead. With some creative strategies, it can even thrive.

National policy is muddled, contradictory and almost certainly more drastic than security needs require. But facts don’t really seem to matter these days.

Every community shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel.

As communities build out fiber infrastructure, they will be able to address a host of service opportunities: residential broadband, wireless backhaul, wholesale dark fiber, and pathways for future networks.

Smart technologies have become must-have amenities for renters and an effective way for property owners and management companies to achieve operational savings.

As renters continue to acquire more connected devices, it’s clear that the role of network connectivity is changing the dynamics of the multifamily housing industry. New trends will be highlighted at the NMHC OPTECH Conference & Exposition this November.

In the growing Rochester (New York) market, the service provider is effectively overcoming build challenges and educating consumers about how its internet-only approach benefits the transition to over-the-top video services.

Residents’ need for speed, their demand for video service and their interest in other technology amenities may vary from market to market, but the MDU world still has its eternal verities.

Service providers are finding value in applying network automation to their transport networks. These new capabilities enable a host of services, such as 5G wireless, virtual reality (AR/VR), and the industrial internet of things – services that manual processes can’t support.

Weather, competition and operating costs are just a few reasons to switch – and the process may be easier than you think.

Fiber-to-the-home leaders and innovators for 2019

The 2019 edition of the Fiber Broadband Association’s annual conference, Fiber Connect, held in Orlando, Florida, in June, showcased many fiber community success stories and a variety of innovations that promise to expand fiber deployment. It highlighted how fiber can increase home values, why video is a competitive advantage for providers and new products and technologies that could transform the industry. It also brought to light the need to increase bandwidth and provide flexible service, permitting obstacles, and other challenges.

As high-bandwidth connectivity influences our lives in ever more important ways, making proper investments in communications infrastructure to stay ahead of demand also becomes ever more important.

This year’s FTTH Top 100 list reflects a healthy and growing fiber-to-the-home industry.

Service providers set the pace for 10G broadband and beyond.

An industry veteran takes a holistic look at drivers of broadband subscriber growth and the impacts of new broadband technologies.

The latest offerings from top broadband hardware and software suppliers, distributors and service providers. 

Building next-generation gigabit architecture and outstanding subscriber experience into today’s networks is a sound investment.

As electric utilities consider fiber network plays, well-thought-out designs will be key to their success. Here’s how Huntsville Utilities used value engineering to control fiber network construction costs and hone its plan.

Smart properties satisfy residents, reduce expenses and increase revenues – but they require robust networks.

Fiber, cable and wireless providers, along with electric cooperatives, have big plans for broadband in 2019.

A new technology standard proves capable of accelerating the rollout of gigabit broadband to more MDU residents, extending fiber broadband speeds.

Following these guidelines will help building owners provide spaces, pathways and cables that service providers can use to deliver fiber optic services.

A system architect of MDU technology amenity systems shares his views on the MDU market and the requirements for developers and owners to meet the needs of their residents.

Technology isn’t all that’s changing in multifamily wireless service. Today’s new business models are disruptive as well.

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

Fiber-to-the-home leaders and innovators for 2018

When the economics of fiber to the home don’t work, fixed wireless may provide an acceptable alternative – and sometimes serve as a transition to an all-fiber network.

Technology offers options for communicating with residents and prospective residents efficiently and effectively.

Some trends gleaned from Broadband Communities’ 2018 Top 100 list

As the frequency and force of storms increase, network operators need to prepare for recovery of essential broadband service. Fiber is an important part of the equation.

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

What are the opportunities, roadblocks and future paths?

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.

The latest offerings from top broadband hardware and software suppliers, distributors and service providers.

A robust IP network delivers the services residents need.

Do you want to know how far you can suspend fiber? Or how tight you can bend it? Or what role it plays in the wireless world? CommScope’s Mike Cooper has the answers to these questions and more.

The latest offerings from top broadband hardware and software suppliers, distributors and service providers.

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

Deployments of fiber to the home in North America reached record levels in 2017, and according to all indications, they will continue to increase in 2018.

Make purchasing broadband services a frictionless activity.

Bandwidth isn’t all the same. Make sure the circuit you purchase is appropriate for your community’s needs.

Economic development in rural areas depends on broadband access – but the FCC’s current initiatives won’t help.

Too many fiber network projects fail because deployers make unrealistic assumptions about pole attachments. Don’t let that happen to your project!

Service providers already have what they need to improve connectivity experiences in multifamily housing.

Fiber networks are more reliable when the installation is kept clean.

In dense housing, resident-owned wireless routers play havoc with internet quality. Sometimes a gentle reminder to turn off these routers isn’t enough.

Property owners should secure their buildings’ smart technology.

Property owners and managers need to know when to upgrade their broadband infrastructure.

A provider that sells broadband services to multifamily communities must be able to tailor its sales and marketing strategy depending on who makes decisions for
the community.

The annual FTTH Top 100 list is a window into what’s going on in the industry.

Welcome to the world of white boxes (for the haves) and white spaces (for the have-nots).

Fiber-to-the-home leaders and innovators for 2017

A cloud-based VoIP offering allows broadband providers to tap into the large residential and SMB voice markets without incurring capital expenses.

The FCC examines what policy changes will help providers upgrade their networks.

The Fiber Broadband Association – formerly the FTTH Council – broadened its technology base but its conference emphasized fiber to the home as the ultimate goal.

Carriers already share many network assets, but they aren’t always forthcoming about these relationships. Why not accept the inevitable?

Rapidly growing demand for cellular data inside large buildings makes distributed antenna systems increasingly necessary. Fortunately, technology advances have made such systems more affordable than they once were.

How should a small, agile fiber overbuilder decide where to expand next?

At the 2017 Broadband Communities Summit, held in Dallas in May, fiber deployers shared their experiences and vendors displayed their new technology.

Managing a telecom network sometimes feels like managing a circus – but the right software can tame even the wildest beasts.

Wireless advances will make fiber networks easier to build and finance.

The next generation of FTTH networks is already being deployed. NG-PON makes possible amazing speed, symmetrical service and the convergence of residential, business and mobile networks.

The latest offerings from top broadband hardware and software suppliers, distributors and service providers.

Multifamily real estate owners should control access to their buildings, their infrastructure and their residents. Here’s why.

An up-front investment in data can help cities build cost-efficient fiber networks that meet the needs of residents and businesses.

Fiber to the home is still a great idea. But fiber networks are just as important for businesses, cellular networks, innovation and more. Given today’s realities, “fiber broadband” is a better description of the endgame for broadband networks.

Whatever else happens this year, count on progress toward all-fiber networks.