This report from Black & Veatch was released in November 2020. Twenty three percent of rural Americans do not have access to fixed high-speed broadband. To help close this gap, the U.S. is prioritizing rural broadband, enabled by fiber, to connect rural citizens and foster much-needed innovation across rural services, businesses, and industries such as healthcare, education, and agriculture. Rural electric co-ops can take a leading role in fiber deployment. The authors list eight recommendations designed to remove hurdles, accelerate implementation, and minimize costs. Case studies are provided.
Key words: fiber optics, utilities, market sizing, data networking, research & development, carrier services, communications