Is the fiber hangover real?

Analysts have been in a tizzy warning that fiber players across the board are slowing their network deployments after a record build year in 2022. But is the fiber hangover actually real? Or are actual build figures still expected to increase? Fiber Broadband Association CEO Gary Bolton said that the reduced estimates are “not indicative” of the overall trend in fiber deployments. “I think these are just short-term adjustments, but everything we’re seeing is foot on the gas.” So, is the fiber hangover real? Only time will tell. But it’s also worth noting that any slowdown or recalibration in 2023 will likely be more than offset in the years that follow with the influx of $42.5 billion in funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program and billions in funding from other federal, state and local grant programs.