A recent study by RVA LLC, commissioned by the Fiber Broadband Association, revealed that 75% of rural and suburban adults prioritize high-quality internet access, especially fiber broadband among those with slower services. The study shows overwhelming preference for fiber over other technologies, such as DSL and fixed wireless. In light of evolving broadband technologies, the significance of optimizing technology for individual needs becomes crucial. Additionally, the recent change in rules for the BEAD program eliminates previous fiber preferences, raising questions regarding this shift that the FBA study addressed.
"Fiber broadband stood out overwhelmingly in our study," said Michael Render, Principal at RVA LLC. "The responses demonstrated a strong consumer awareness of fiber's superior performance, especially in communities that have experienced first-hand the limitations of other broadband technologies."
The optimal technology for individual situations is a huge issue moving forward as technologies evolve and cost/benefit analyses shift. Nowhere is this more evident than in the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
During the Biden Administration, the program used three criteria consisting of priority, reliability, and extremely high-cost technologies. That has shifted to allowing technologies to be eligible if they can serve a 'priority broadband project.'
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