Fiber Broadband Association Reports Rapid Fiber Expansion Amid Rising Labor, Materials and Permitting Costs

The Fiber Broadband Association partnered with Cartesian to research the cost of deploying fiber in communities and environments in the United States, using phone interviews, online surveys, Federal Communications Commission data, and other literature to provide context for the scale and pace of deployment. Selected highlights from the study include:

• More than 60 percent of households have access to fiber
• Underground deployments are twice as costly as aerial deployments and more expensive than last year
• Burial and construction methods are key determinants of deployment costs
• Most respondents felt the burden of higher deployment costs in 2025 and expect to face more cost increases in 2026