Funding Should Focus on Fiber, and Deployment is Critical to Improving User Experience

February 2, 2021—With new leadership at the Federal Communications Commission, there is a strong probability that more agency focus and aid will be directed towards broadband deployment, advocates for broadband deployment said on January 26.

They said that there is currently a great need for direct federal funding to generate accessible and affordable internet access for all. And that funding should be focused on reliable, future-proof fiber broadband.

Fiber infrastructure, is future-proof technology because it allows continual increased speed through electronics upgrades, said the panelists participating in a discussion organized by Render Networks, which offers fiber network deployment and construction solutions.

The panel recognized that consumers are more digital than ever before, requiring more bandwidth than ever before, and argued network deployment trends need to consider this new, largely virtual, reality.

Isak Finér, vice president of North America at COS System, said fiber buildouts have been critical to the digital integration of populations, throughout the pandemic.

The experts discussed new ways to maximize investments, accelerate fiber deployment, drive growth for network operators and their trusted partners, and connect customers smarter and faster in 2021.

Federal funding is not always conducive to delivering fiber infrastructure to municipalities, said Kara Mullaley, market development manager of Corning. Mullaley said that utilizing private equity to its greatest potential requires input from individuals in both the public and private sector.

Panelists agreed that with the potential injection of funding, it is critical for the federal agency to make the right architecture decisions, acknowledging potential long-term economic impacts and benefits.

Best practices and funding models for fiber network deployments were discussed.

“Render focuses on customer experience,” said Sam Pratt, CEO of Render Networks. Pratt said Render Networks focuses on looking for the best ways to optimize user experience, create digital tools, and develop virtual techniques.

The panelists recognized that fiber will not be the solution for everything, but maintained that the technology is a necessary backbone to supporting wireless infrastructure.

The precision agriculture industry will require a lot of innovation in 2021, yet precision ag requires wireless technology. Mullaley said there has been a growth in fiber deployments, to assist in building reliable wireless networks for precision farming.