The Case for Rural Fiber Buildouts: Don’t Be “Expectations-Neutral”

As policymakers consider the best way to expand broadband availability, a key question is where to set speed targets which, in turn, will impact the technology used – fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), fiber-fed copper, fixed wireless or satellite. While some people argue that any government broadband support programs should be technology-neutral, we shouldn’t be “expectations-neutral” or “outcomes-neutral,” argued Ernesto Falcon, senior legislative counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Another key question, of course, is whether the US can afford to make fiber broadband available ubiquitously. CostQuest estimates that about 14.5 million US homes do not have fiber broadband or cable broadband available to them and that the typical cost to bring fiber to those homes is about $6,000 per home passed. Deployment at that cost “leads to a negative business case,” driving the need for government support programs, CostQuest president and CEO Jim Stegeman said. He also noted that the costliest 2% of homes would cost over $60,000 apiece to reach with fiber.