2023's fiber achievements: AT&T, Google Fiber and more

As the curtain begins to rise on the prospect of $42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) deployments, many are looking ahead to see what the historic investment will mean for broadband expansion. But before we turn our gaze toward the future, let's pause and reflect on the fiber milestones achieved thus far. A November 2023 analysis from New Street Research revealed that the telecommunications industry collectively increased fiber locations by 1.8 million in the third quarter of this year, with “most of the increase driven by AT&T.”

• AT&T: As of the third quarter, AT&T’s fiber was available to 20.7 million consumer and about 3.3 million business customer locations.
• TDS: In the third quarter, TDS raised its 2023 fiber service address goal to 200,000, up from 175,000. The company is targeting 1.2 million marketable fiber service addresses by 2026 and ended the 2023 third quarter with 709,000. 
• Google Fiber: Google Fiber doesn’t share exact numbers on its fiber expansion, but disclosed that in 2023 its build increased by more than 10% over 2022 — both in terms of miles of fiber deployed and the number of homes passed. 
• Lumos: Lumos constructed approximately 1,500 miles of fiber in 2023. Its current passing total is over 300,000 homes and businesses, as it makes its way to a goal of passing 1 million households by 2026. 
• Lumen: For the full year 2023, Lumen expects it will have deployed a total of 500,000 or more fiber-enabled locations, including residential and small business locations through the company’s Mass Markets segment.
• GoNetspeed: GoNetspeed launched service to more than 26 communities throughout its footprint and accelerated builds in the second half of 2023.
• UTOPIA: UTOPIA built 448.5 miles of fiber (overhead and underground) in Utah this year, for a total of 23,069 homes passed in the state.
• WOW!: As of the close of its third quarter, WOW!’s all-fiber network had passed a total of 14,100 greenfield homes in Central Florida.