Analyst Take with Scott Raynovich | Finding Fiber Broadband ROI: Community Profile of Douglas Co., Oregon

The digital divide remains a reality in rural regions of the United States. According to U.S. Census data, 17.3% of Americans still have no access to broadband services, which are defined as 25 Mbit/s download and 3 Mbit/s upload. And with the increase in remote work, online education, and tele-healthcare, those figures are starting to represent a bare minimum for Internet performance.

In conjunction with the FBA, independent research firm Futuriom has been exploring the benefits and return on investment (ROI) of fiber broadband projects throughout the U.S.

In the first example, Futuriom examined a fiber project initiated by the Douglas County gas and electric company, in which a broadband subsidiary was created using resources of the parent utility. The resulting Douglas Fast Net became one of the first ISPs in the state to offer symmetrical 1-Gibt/s service, a benchmark that led to substantial savings as well as innovation and progress for local businesses, government, education, and medical services.
In this session, we’ll outline the basic ingredients that led to the formation of a fiber optic network in Douglas County, Oregon, and we’ll expand on some of the challenges and resulting benefits.