NTCA Rural Anchor Institution Fiber Connectivity Report: 82.4% of Schools Served by Rural Telcos Have FTTP

More than three-quarters (82.4%) of K-12 schools in areas served by rural telecommunication companies are connected to the internet over fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) infrastructure, according to a new survey of rural telco members of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association. The NTCA rural anchor institution fiber connectivity report also found that 75.9% of hospitals and medical clinics and 63.9% of public libraries in respondents’ serving areas are FTTP-connected. A substantial portion of these rural anchor institutions – 58.7% of schools, 55.6% of hospitals and medical clinics and 41.3% of libraries – have speeds of 1 Gbps or higher available to them.  Not all anchor institutions subscribe to service at the maximum speeds available to them, however. The percentage of schools purchasing gigabit speeds or higher was 10.4%. For hospitals and medical clinics, that number was 7% and for libraries, it was 1.2%.