A new case study examines the economic impact of fiber broadband in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the surrounding area, focusing on three key economic indicators: private sector job growth, housing value, and digital microbusiness density, with comparisons made between Charlottesville and similarly sized cities in Virginia. A few highlights:
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The Digital Council Africa is celebrating 15 years of driving digital infrastructure growth, shaping industry policies, and advocating for meaningful connectivity across the continent! The DCA is looking forward to another 15 years of progress, innovation, and continued success!

Established in 2010 as the FTTx Council Africa, the Council has switched from its early focus on fibre network connections to becoming an association for all digital infrastructure and one of the leading voices in the industry. The DCA's journey is one of growth, resilience, and positive impact. By uniting industry and government, it advocates for policies that accelerate Africa's digital future, ensuring equal access to digital infrastructure and empowering businesses, communities,and individuals by bringing them online.

The recent 14th annual Fiber Connect Council MENA Conference and Exhibition in Dubai highlighted the MENA region's rapid advancement in AI-enabled fiber infrastructure. The event drew over 270industry leaders, policymakers, and technology experts, and showcased the latest innovations in fiber optics and AI integration. 

The technical program featured several high-impact sessions, including "Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and 5GPanorama," which explored the key drivers, challenges, and opportunities in accelerating digital transformation through advanced connectivity solutions. As the need for high-speed, low-latency connectivity continues to grow, carriers are tasked with developing and maintaining resilient fibre-optic networks to support AI’s intensive data processing, storage, and transmission requirements.

What tangible economic benefits does fibre deliver to homes, businesses, and communities? A new case study from the Fiber Broadband Association examines the economic impact of fibre broadband in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the surrounding area, focusing on three key economic indicators, with comparisons made between Charlottesville and similarly sized cities in Virginia.

1. Private sector job growth:availability of high-speed, low-latency broadband accounted for roughly 35% of Charlottesville’s private sector job growth during 2015-2019.  
2. Housing value: $4 million per year in increased housing value in the Charlottesville area
3. Digital microbusiness density: Charlottesville ranks highly in Digital Microbusiness Density – a key indicator of small business health – compared to Virginia cities with similar population.

The Fiber Network Council APAC's Member Spotlight articles feature in-depth interviews with key figures from member organizations, highlighting their contributions to the fiber industry in the Asia-Pacific region. These articles provide insights into fiber technology, recent innovations, perspectives on industry trends, and collaborative efforts within the fiber ecosystem, fostering knowledge-sharing and collaboration within the fiber industry across the Asia-Pacific region.

For its latest Member Spotlight interview, Fiber Network Council APAC spoke  with William(Bill) Wallace, Vice President of APAC Regional Sales at Corning Optical Communications. In the interview,  Bill shares his perspectives on the latest market trends, strategic approaches to advancing connectivity, and his vision for the future of fiber deployments in APAC. 

Read the article here!

The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) is partnering with the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) to expand WIA’s Telecommunications Education Center curriculum with FBA’s Optical Telecom Installer Certification program (OpTIC Path™). “Adding FBA’s OpTIC Path program within TEC is one more way that WIA and FBA are working together to support employers with the critical training courses they need to prepare for the future, while enabling individuals to turn a job into a career within the broadband industry,” said Patrick Halley, President and CEO, WIA.

Furthermore, the FBA has welcomed a stream of new schools to the list of institutions offering the OpTIC Path™ program. FBA estimates that 180,000 new workers will be needed over the next decade to meet the construction, maintenance, and expansion demands associated with the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The OpTIC Path program provides crucial skills to jumpstart a career in fibre while helping fill the broadband technician workforce gap. Find out more about the WIA partnership and successful expansion!      The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) revealed groundbreaking evidence that fibre-fed broadband experiences enabled by local providers in rural communities significantly boost income, entrepreneurship, and business investment. Broadband  rural broadband access, it can become a transformative tool for rural economic development and resilience only when it is widely utilized and effectively leveraged.
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Find out more about the WIA partnership and successful expansion!      

The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) revealed groundbreaking evidence that fibre-fed broadband experiences enabled by local providers in rural communities significantly boost income, entrepreneurship, and business investment. Broadband  rural broadband access, it can become a transformative tool for rural economic development and resilience only when it is widely utilized and effectively leveraged.

The FTTH Council Europe Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee has launched a campaign designed to celebrate and empower women working in the fibre industry. Eight extraordinary women from within the FTTH Council Europe’s membership community share their unique experiences and perspectives.

The FTTH Councils Global Alliance (FCGA) recently announced at its annual summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that Fiber Connect Council MENA, represented by its President, Dr. Ala Mousa, has been appointed as the Chair of the FTTH Councils Global Alliance. Dr. Mousa will lead the FCGA in its global efforts to promote the adoption of fibre broadband technologies and to strengthen collaborations within the fibre connectivity industry.

Explore our comprehensive collection of reports and research papers that delve into the latest advancements, market trends, and regulatory insights shaping the fibre optics industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Gain valuable insights into market trends and forecasts, technological innovations and applications and regulatory developments and policy impacts.

The Fiber Broadband Association and its members present several webinars every month – topics range from tech, policy, studies, products, and much more…Visit our events page to see a complete list of upcoming webinars and get registered today!

Fiber Broadband Association believes companies are more successful when women are encouraged and rewarded to reach their full potential. At the most recent Fiber Connect, we hosted the fourth annual Women in Fiber (WIF) Luncheon. The the WIF Committee was created in 2022 to provide FBA members with resources to identify, develop, and promote women in the fiber broadband industry and highlight the link between female leadership and improved business performance. Read more about the event at at Fiber Connect 2024 and learn more about FBA’s Women in Fiber Committee!

The FTTH Council Europe is delighted to announce the opening of registrations for the FTTH Congress Balkans, a premier event aimed at bolstering fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment in the South-East of Europe. This new initiative, which complements the annual FTTH Conference, is designed to spotlight and support the unique opportunities and challenges of FTTH expansion in regions of Europe which deserve greater attention, starting for its first edition with South-Eastern Europe.