A white paper written by Corning, Brightspeed, and Calix analyzed the most common broadband technologies and their strengths and weaknesses: copper, fiber, wireless, low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, and coaxial cable.
The authors of “Meeting the Needs of Rural Subscribers for Generations to Come” assessed the capacities of these various technologies to fulfill both current and future application demands, as well as user requirements. The white paper emphasized the critical importance of accelerating broadband expansion, transitioning away from obsolete, legacy copper network infrastructure and moving towards better-suited fiber and wireless technologies.
Fiber broadband delivers superior speed, reliability, security, and cost-efficiency in maintenance, the white paper said. In remote or hard-to-access areas where deploying fiber is impractical, wireless solutions such as fixed wireless and LEO satellites provide excellent alternatives, the authors concluded.
Further, the white paper stressed that now is a critical stage in the industry when broadband infrastructure funding is at an all-time high, primarily due to the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Next-generation technologies are essential for subscribers to take full advantage of the most advanced voice, video, and data capabilities while being protected by the most sophisticated security measures.
The white paper noted several statistics about the current broadband landscape:
- The share of the rural population with fiber access doubled from 20% to 40% between 2015 and 2020.
- By the end of 2022, there were 63 million unique homes with access to fiber.
- Verizon indicated that, when it switched to fiber in New York, it saw a 60% reduction in maintenance and subscribers experienced a 90% increase in reliability.
- The average internet speed in the U.S. is 219 Mbps for downloads and 24 Mbps for uploads.
- As of 2024, 79% of U.S. adults said they subscribe to a broadband internet service at home; the most rapidly growing age group is 65 and older.
- More than three-fourths of adults (76%) now rely solely on wireless phones, while only 1.3% of adults use a traditional POTS phone only.
- Traditional cable TV services are now reduced to only 23.8% of video content consumed.
The white paper considered various broadband technologies and how might best be suited for broadband expansion.
Fixed wireless can deliver high-speed broadband without extensive cable infrastructure, making it cost-effective and quick to install in areas where fiber would be cost-prohibitive, the white paper said. Fixed wireless has speeds comparable to traditional wired connections. One of its biggest limitations, however, is that it needs a clear line of sight between transmitter and receiver. It is also susceptible to interference from poor weather conditions.
LEO satellite broadband is a promising solution for providing access, especially in remote and underserved rural areas, the white paper said. They have lower latency compared with traditional geostationary satellites. One significant disadvantage is that due to their lower altitude, each LEO satellite covers a smaller area of the Earth’s surface, so many satellites are needed to provide continuous coverage.
“As more of our lives take place in the digital world, it’s critical to phase out copper networks built for the landline era and invest in future-ready technologies like optical fiber,” said Bob Whitman, vice president of global market development, carrier networks, for Corning Optical Communications, in a press release.
“With its virtually unlimited bandwidth, fiber can support not only today’s technologies like video streaming, telehealth and remote work, but also AI, machine learning, and cutting-edge applications that haven’t yet been imagined.”
A recent report shows that there are vast differences among different states in fiber availability. For example, in Rhode Island 80.2% of households have access to fiber, while in Alaska the technology is available to only 9.2% of households.
