Policyband

FBA’s Bolton Says LEO Subs Use AI Less than Fiber Subs

Fiber leader wants $20 billion ‘leftover’ from BEAD to ‘build AI critical fiber infrastructure’

Ted Hearn

Oct 2, 2025 — 7 min read

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LEO: Internet subscribers with a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connection (meaning Starlink for now) use Artificial Intelligence less than users with a fiber connection, according to Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Gary Bolton. “Research by Recon Analytics found a direct correlation between AI usage and the quality of the broadband connection. The chart below illustrates that 75% of homes with fiber use AI daily, versus only 10% of those connected by satellite,” Bolton said yesterday in his emailed quarterly update. (More after paywall.)