FBA Trusted Fiber Working Group sets guidelines to protect our nation’s critical infrastructure

The Fiber Broadband Association today announced its Trusted Fiber Working Group published “Measures to Define and Deploy Trusted Fiber” white paper that outlines recommended measures to advance the deployment of fiber in the U.S. While the Fiber Broadband Association continues to publish an expanding library of research proving fiber to be the most trusted, reliable technology to deliver broadband services, this whitepaper goes one step further in providing a complete checklist of critical factors that service providers and government purchasers can leverage to ensure the fiber they are procuring is, in fact, “trusted.”

Fiber is the fundamental broadband network technology for the 21st century, connecting homes, businesses, 5G, smart grid, smart city, and sensing applications. Each year, the fiber broadband industry increases the amount of route miles of fiber deployed, and that number is currently increasing exponentially due to federal funding, like the NTIA’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, and additional private funding initiatives.

While the fiber broadband industry has embraced quality standards and improved performance specifications over the years to create a well-deserved reputation for long-term reliability, global fiber standards specify only minimum levels of performance. The Trusted Fiber white paper makes suggestions for higher levels of performance beyond global standards and provides background on important guidelines that fiber purchasers should consider to ensure that the fiber they are procuring is trusted. The Trusted Fiber report contains recommendations in the following critical categories:

• Fiber Quality, Reliability, and Long-Term Performance
• National Security
• Corporate Governance
• Dumping and Subsidies
• Labor and Worker Rights
• Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability

“When fiber leads, the future follows. When service providers are undoubtedly certain that their fiber is trusted, they gain confidence they are building reliable, long-lasting networks that will support future needs and growth for decades to come,” said Marissa Mitrovich, Vice President of Public Policy at the Fiber Broadband Association. “We urge the importance of being able to trust that fiber is reliable and produced following American and international standards and values. This will help ensure the efficient use of government infrastructure funding and our ability to close the digital equity gap for good.”

The Fiber Broadband Association’s Trusted Fiber Working Group will present the white paper during a webinar on March 7, 2024, at 11:00am EST. Register here to attend the webinar.

About the Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities, and policymakers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MEA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.

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