America’s future relies on fiber. From economic development to telehealth and remote learning, fiber is foundational to most policy priorities lawmakers are focused on today. Recent pandemic relief spending by the federal government recognizes the essential role fiber will play in expanding broadband access to the nation’s communities by prioritizing federal spending on projects involving this technology.
And while fiber alone won’t ensure economic prosperity and equal access to health care and education, adapting to virtual activities during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us we certainly won’t get there without it. Fiber is the only technology that meets the needs of modern life in America today, and is scalable to meet the needs of tomorrow.
While federal and state policy are both very favorable to fiber, states are key actors in implementing broadband expansion plans. They are the ones creating broadband plans and preparing to administer billions in federal and state funds bring high-speed connections to more communities. As they work toward that goal, states will increasingly look to you--the fiber industry—for help. Fiber producers, providers, and their partners will be crucial to our nation’s efforts to connect every American to reliable, affordable broadband. And while this landscape of opportunity may be overwhelming, understanding the state role in broadband expansion and how to best work with these government actors will be critical in employing fiber to help the nation build a stronger economy, better schools, and more accessible healthcare.
