The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has released research quantifying fiber broadband advantages. These include higher reliability and the lowest cost (per megabit per second) compared to other common delivery media. The technology also has the highest satisfaction ratings, researchers said.
The survey, which was conducted for the FBA by RVA LLC Market Research & Consulting, found that fiber had an average net promoter score (NPS) of 20, with other broadband media scores ranging from -5 to -45.
Other key findings:
- Fiber has the highest reliability based on reported outages;
- Fiber has the highest speeds and lowest latency based on random speed tests;
- The cost of fiber is $0.66 per Mbps, with other technologies ranging from $1.00 to $6.00 per Mbps;
- Fiber increases the value of homes by 3.4%, apartment rental prices by 8.1% and apartment operating income by 15%.
The research, which was conducted in May, consisted of more than 4,300 consumer surveys from U.S. and Canadian broadband consumers.
“We’re experiencing a defining moment in building broadband infrastructure, and our research will help influence public policy to ensure that the remaining 20 – 40 million Americans without broadband access can finally realize digital equality,” Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Gary Bolton said in a press release about the report on fiber broadband advantages. “We know that when broadband capacity is unlimited, our communities’ potential is limitless. This research underscores the fact that fiber is the superior broadband technology because of its ability to reliably connect families and businesses to new opportunities.”
President Biden signed The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 into law this week, which makes it a good time for proponents of all delivery media to make their case. The act includes $65 billion for broadband. Last week, FBA President and CEO Gary Bolton provided a rundown of where the money will go.
In July, the FBA announced the Optical Telecom Installation Certification (OpTIC) program. The goal is to provide quick scaling of fiber education, fill in gaps in technician skills and accelerate deployments in North America.
Were any of the claims made by FBA fact-checked by Telecompetitor before it published the story? If so, what independent sources did Telecompetitor use to validate FBA’s claims?