Public Policy

Advocating for a Future of All-Fiber Networks

Our staff experts, volunteer board and members work with policymakers at the federal, state and local levels to ensure that laws, regulations, and policies drive investments in future-proof all-fiber infrastructure -- to the home, to business, to everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association educates policymakers on the benefits of all-fiber networks and shows how to facilitate deployment of these networks.

Choose a regulatory topic* below to see recent Association activity in that area.

Rural Broadband

The Fiber Broadband Association advocates for policies to encourage the deployment of all-fiber networks in rural areas. People living in rural communities deserve the same broadband performance received by urban consumers so they have robust access to all economic, educational, and healthcare resources. As such, we support requiring that Universal Service Funds be used to deploy all-fiber networks to the premises. By pursuing such an approach, the government will avoid duplicate or wasteful government investment as the bandwidth necessary to ensure comparable levels of services increases.  Read more 

Municipal Broadband

Municipalities across the country are deploying all-fiber broadband networks so their residents and businesses have robust access to essential services, as well as to stimulate economic growth and development. When the market fails to provide the bandwidth that a community needs, a community should be able to respond to its citizens needs and be should be permitted to deploy an all-fiber network. As such, the Fiber Broadband Association opposes efforts to frustrate deployments by local governments in these instances. Municipalities also can propel investment in all-fiber facilities by the private sector, including by facilitating access to poles, ducts, conduit, dark fiber, and government buildings.  Read more

Multiple Dwelling Units (MDU's)

Residents in multi-unit buildings want access to ultra-high speed broadband service, and they want to be able choose among providers to get the best service at the best price. For the most part, building owners and managers work with their residents to provide this choice because they understand the importance of ultra-high speed broadband service. However, at times, building owners and managers either block or limit choice for no apparent or sufficient reason. In those cases, the Fiber Broadband Association believes residents need a government backstop to provide a fair and reasonable process to enable choice, while enabling providers to control their facilities and enter into agreements with building owners and managers that drive the deployment of ultra-high speed networks.  Read more

Broadband Regulation

The Fiber Broadband Association believes that by reducing regulation, we can propel investment in all-fiber infrastructure. In the past, the Fiber Broadband Association has urged regulators to: not mandate unbundling of fiber facilities; not impose onerous open internet requirements on broadband providers; not require battery back up in all-fiber networks; and not regulate the prices for business data services provided over all-fiber facilities. In addition, the Fiber Broadband Association advocates for the removal of public and private barriers to investment, such as unreasonable fees for access to poles and rights of way and unreasonable franchise requirements.  Read more  

Community Investment Incentives

Communities want and need high performance, future-proof all-fiber networks. Many are working with the Fiber Broadband Association, state broadband agencies, providers, consultants and other entities to drive investments by potential network operators — be they the local incumbent, a competitive entrant or even the community itself. Communities are creating a compendium of best practices which the Fiber Broadband Association will track and make available.  Read more