COVID-19’s Impact on the Broadband Business

The broadband market has finally been anointed as the ultimate “centerpiece” of everything people do. The first bill paid each month is not to a mortgage company, a religious institution or a credit card. It is to the broadband provider. Independent service providers that target the multifamily industry are going to see their target markets shift views in several ways once this is over. Specifically, I believe there will be a surge of new bulk internet agreements added to hundreds of communities. I believe these plans will include much higher speeds – 250 Mbps, 500 Mbps or even higher. And I am confident that there will be a renewed interest in the actual infrastructure being used as part of these new networks. Fiber to the home has gone from a “nice to have” to a “got to have” network technology, driven by the demands for services caused by increased usage for schooling, streaming, socializing and exercising. This is a real opportunity for the broadband industry – it is in the right place at the right time. Over the next few years, providers should recognize that we have become the centerpiece of our clients’ world and key to their residents’ lives.

[Bryan J. Rader is the president of UpStream Network, a broadband provider]