China Cyber Concerns, Fiber Broadband Spending Resilient, DZS and Irby Help Get Arkansas Broadband

June 9, 2022 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the National Security Agency issued a cybersecurity advisory indicating that hackers affiliated with the People’s Republic of China continue to exploit publicly known vulnerabilities Tuesday.

The report outlined an advisory with three sections. First, an explanation of common vulnerabilities exploited by PRC-sponsored cyber actors. Second, an introduction of how telecommunications and network service provider targeting occurred. Third, an overview of recommended mitigation.

“Since 2020, PRC state-sponsored cyber actors have conducted widespread campaigns to rapidly exploit publicly identified security vulnerabilities,” read the report. “Entities can mitigate the vulnerabilities listed in this advisory by applying the available patches to their systems, replacing end-of-life infrastructure, and implementing a centralized patch management program.”

Global broadband access revenues soar in first quarter

Global revenues for broadband builds market increased 14 percent year-over-year to $4.4 billion during the first quarter this year, according to a quarterly report by a market research firm Dell’Oro Group.

The quarterly report provides a complete overview of the broadband access market, covering manufacturers’ revenue, selling prices, and material shipments.

“Despite all the challenges with supply chains, logistics, and labor, service providers continue to invest heavily to expand their fiber broadband networks, particularly in North America,” said Jeff Heynen, vice president of broadband access and home networking at Dell’Oro Group.

DZS and Irby Utilities declare broadband success in Arkansas

Networking infrastructure company DZS announced Thursday the initial success of a large rural broadband project in the United States.

In the first nine months the project, which uses Rural Digital Opportunity Fund money, rolled out over 2,500 miles of fiber and demand continues to grow, DZS said. The project plans to implement 7,000 miles to reach over 99,000 member accounts in 18 counties in Arkansas within the next 4 to 6 years.

With partner Irby Utilities, the project is being deployed by First Electric Cooperative, which will have all its substations connected to a fiber backbone, according to a Thursday press release.

This project is only one of nine projects that DZS and Irby are currently partnering on which will bring high-speed connectivity to 300,000 subscribers.