Internet service providers weigh in on the true cost of fiber

With all the buzz of late about internet service providers (ISPs) doubling down on fiber builds, there’s the question of whether fiber is cost-efficient enough to bridge the digital divide. Gary Johnson, CEO and general manager at Paul Bunyan Communications, noted fiber’s front-end costs don’t compare to its long-term benefits. “When we put in fiber networks we know it’s in there for decades,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to be rebuilding it, we’re burying all our infrastructure. So it’s got a long tail in terms of that investment.” Tom Maguire, COO at Brightspeed, echoed those thoughts, acknowledging that while fiber as a standalone technology looks expensive, assessing its total cost of ownership is key. “When we started putting fiber in the ground it was B-PON, now we’re up to XGS-PON and the optical distribution network didn’t change at all.” That, Maguire added, speaks to fiber’s future-proof capabilities – especially as the amount of bandwidth people consume continues to climb. Brightspeed has a bevy of fiber build plans, most recently announcing expansions in Missouri, Louisiana and five other states.