Fiber Deployment on Rise in Rural America

NTCA’s 2009 Broadband/Internet Availability Survey found that 73% of those respondents with a fiber deployment strategy intend to offer fiber to the node to more than 75% of their customers by year-end 2011, while 55% plan to offer fiber to the home to at least half of their customers over the same time frame, up from 26% last year.

Rural areas are seeing significant gains in broadband speeds, primarily due to the increased fiber availability in their communities, according to the survey.

Fifty-three percent of respondents indicated their customers can now receive broadband service of between 3Mbps-6 Mbps (up from 46% last year), and 39% can receive service in excess of 6 Mbps—an increase from just 25% one year ago. Survey respondents indicated an increase in take rates for the higher broadband speed tiers as well.

Other highlights:

• 75% of respondents now offer a video play, up from 68% last year.
• 10% of respondents currently offer voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service, up slightly from 6% last year.

NTCA sent the 2009 survey electronically to all telco members in its e-mail database and 156 companies (31%) responded.

View the report.

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4. Verizon Wireless Expands LTE in Rural America Program to 8 Partners
5. Chariton Valley Joins VZ’s LTE in Rural America Program