Fiber Users More Likely to Engage With AI More, Analyst Finds
AI sessions with fiber connection are 50 percent more intensive than those with cable.
WASHINGTON, August 5, 2026 – Those with fiber are more likely to use artificial intelligence, especially for longer, more intense sessions, an industry analyst and a data surveyor emphasized in a webinar.
Recon Analytics founder and analyst Roger Etner discussed recent survey findings around people’s perceptions and usage of AI in the Fiber for Breakfast webinar hosted by Fiber Broadband Association CEO Gary Bolton on Wednesday.
The pair said recent AI sessions on fiber networks are 50 percent more intensive than those on cable-industry co-axial networks. The number of questions asked of AI is heavily connected to internet connection quality, they said.
“People on a fiber connection are moving so much data at such high speeds with low latency, and it's a more rewarding experience when you’re not waiting,” Etner explained, noting that better quality sessions lead to more interactive experiences with the technology.
During a previous webinar in May, RVA CEO Michael Render also emphasized the importance of fiber in the expansion of AI, saying, “Fiber is foundational to this society and the disruption that we are facing.”
Etner said that a quarter of Americans are using AI every day on their cellphone, engaging in lighter chatbot work, and engaging in more intensive work like video creation on laptops that provide stronger connections. Fiber creates a better setup for AI applications, helping users engage in heavier AI usage, he said.
AI expansion has placed a huge demand on networks, creating shifts in network usage and requiring internet service providers to significantly upgrade metro networks. Etner said, “AI is driving such a dramatic amount of increase in data consumption, it is insane.”
The shift in AI usage has also impacted how Americans view the technology, with 70 percent of Americans expressing one specific hope and one specific fear around AI. The main concern around AI is job security, with several Americans expressing concerns over job loss regardless of income, location and age.
A recent survey from the Phoenix Center found that workers who use AI more are roughly 10 percentage points more likely to express concerns that AI is coming for their own jobs.
“What we see is regardless of income, and what you do, the fears are universal. The hope is not, the more you use AI, the more hopeful you become,” said Etner. He noted that those who understand the technology are more hopeful because they see AI as a tool that they can use instead of a threat.
