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  2. February 2023

February 2023

State challenge processes are not a panacea for broadband map issues

Should states run their own broadband mapping challenges? States could choose to award grants in an technology-aware manner, adding 3.1 million locations currently served or underserved by DSL or 25/3 fixed wireless, which would have the same — or an even better — effect. There are 218,878 locations where a DSL offering is advertising 100 Mbps download throughput and 20 Mbps upload throughput or better, and there is no other offering to the location that would serve them at 100/20.

Analysis

Federal Boost for Tennessee Broadband Accessibility

Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Monday, February 27, 2023

Frontier CEO says it's 'looking at all options' to push fiber reach beyond 10M

Frontier Communications is all heads down as it works to reach its target of deploying fiber to 10 million locations by the end of 2025. That said, it’s also got an eye on the horizon beyond that goal, with executives saying that subsidy dollars or a potential joint venture (JV) could help it expand further. CEO Nick Jeffery added it would also entertain an open-access network deal to reach more locations. “In terms of open access infrastructures generally, if there is one available that we could use, yes, we’d look at it,” he said. “It can be a capital smart way of operating.

WOW! hits 25% penetration in first greenfield fiber market

Consumers in central Florida are apparently hungry for fiber. WideOpenWest (WOW!) CEO Teresa Elder said the company is seeing strong uptake of its service, including its higher-tier products. WOW! announced its launch in Altamonte Springs, FL, in January 2022, noting at the time it had around 1,000 passings in the city. Elder said the market had already achieved a 25% penetration rate – which she noted was quite near the 30% rate WOW!

Here’s how much fiber US operators are planning to build in 2023

With Q4 2022 earnings mostly in the rearview, a clearer picture of fiber build targets for the coming year has emerged, at least as far as US operators are concerned. While some operators have lowered their targets for both 2023 and their overall build plans, the industry still plans to build millions of passings in 2023. An informal tally found operators are plotting to roll out fiber to between 6.5 million and 7 million new locations – at a minimum. Top broadband operators' Q4 data reveals the following fiber updates:

Fiber is now the dominant broadband access technology in half of all OECD countries

High-speed fiber is now the primary fixed broadband technology in 19 out of 38 OECD countries, according to the latest data. Among these countries, 15 have a share of fiber subscriptions of over 50%. The latest update of the OECD broadband portal shows a 12.3% rise in fiber broadband subscriptions across OECD countries between June 2021 and June 2022, a slightly slower growth rate than the previous 12 months.

Sponsor: 

National Digital Inclusion Alliance

Date: 
Tue, 02/28/2023 - 08:00 to Thu, 03/02/2023 - 13:45

Net Inclusion 2023 is February 28 through March 2 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.


Related Headlines: 
2023 Charles Benton Digital Equity Awards

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