Dear Fiber Broadband Association Members,
Just a few years ago, the conversation about fiber centered on broadband deployment and connecting every home and business to the internet. Today, because of the progress we have made as an industry, that conversation has fundamentally changed.
Artificial intelligence is transforming every sector of the economy. Hyperscalers are investing at unprecedented scale in AI infrastructure. Data centers are expanding rapidly. AI inference is moving closer to businesses, communities, and the network edge. Quantum networking is advancing from research toward practical application.
One fact has become increasingly clear: None of it happens without fiber
Fiber is no longer simply the infrastructure that connects people to information. It is becoming the critical infrastructure that connects our economy to intelligence. This quarter, that evolution became increasingly visible – not only across the market, but throughout the Fiber Broadband Association.
The Industry is Changing and So is FBA
Over the past quarter, we continued to expand the Association to reflect where the industry is headed. Our membership has grown to 670 member companies in North America, with more than 2,000 employees from member organizations actively participating in FBA committees and working groups. Together, we are developing research, establishing industry best practices, and advancing the fiber infrastructure ecosystem.
We continue to see strong engagement from broadband providers and manufacturers, alongside growing interest from organizations involved in AI infrastructure, machine learning, cloud computing, data centers, digital infrastructure, and adjacent markets. That growth reflects the expanding role of fiber and the growing opportunities around it.
As our membership grows, so does the breadth of expertise, perspectives, and opportunities within the Association. It strengthens our ability to help members anticipate the next wave of investment, build new partnerships, and pursue emerging business opportunities. It also underscores the essential role our industry plays in ensuring that innovative technologies and services reach every person, business, school, hospital, and community.
Fiber connects us to what is possible – and provides the infrastructure to turn possibility into reality.
Leading the Conversation
During the third quarter, FBA continued to expand its research and thought leadership across AI infrastructure, sustainability, permitting, safety, workforce development, precision agriculture, and next-generation fiber technologies. Additional work is underway examining AI at the edge, the future of fiber technology, sustainability, and the supply-chain outlook.
Our Public Policy team also continues to elevate fiber's role in Washington through FCC proceedings, Capitol Hill engagement, Fiber Day on the Hill, permitting reform, AI infrastructure advocacy, and work related to universal service and BEAD implementation.
The message is gaining traction: Fiber is not merely broadband infrastructure. It is critical national infrastructure.
Investing in the Future of Our Industry
We are also investing in the future capabilities of our members. During the quarter, we expanded OpTIC Path™, nearing completion of a Data Center module, continued development of the FBA Academy, introduced additional AI capabilities through FRAN – the Fiber Resource Access Node, and accelerated planning for Fiber Connect 2027. OpTIC Path™ has now graduated 1,880 skilled fiber professionals, creating a pipeline of highly trained talent to support the nation's next generation of fiber infrastructure deployment.
Next year’s Fiber Connect 2027 program will place a major focus on AI infrastructure, data centers, cloud providers, and emerging technologies with the introduction of the AI and Quantum Pavillion. In addition, the AI and Quantum Infrastructure Summit at FC27 will also feature an opening keynote from a world-renowned technology icon.
These initiatives share a common objective: to ensure our members have the knowledge, workforce, relationships, and business opportunities needed to thrive in the AI era. Our industry will connect homes, businesses, enterprises, data centers, neoclouds, and research facilities while providing the capacity, latency, reliability, and scalability each requires to succeed.
Preparing FBA for Its Next Chapter
Perhaps the most significant work underway is not a single event, program, or publication. It is preparing the Association itself for the next decade.
As the industry grows, so must the Association that represents it. Our Board continues to look at how the Fiber Broadband Association can best reflect the expanding role fiber plays in supporting broadband, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, quantum networking, advanced energy systems, and the broader digital infrastructure economy.
Our mission remains unchanged: to accelerate fiber deployment that improves quality of life. The opportunity to advance that mission has never been greater. We can build on what we have accomplished and ensure our members are prepared for what comes next. The infrastructure decisions being made today will determine which communities and businesses can fully participate in the next era of innovation.
Taken together, this means our mandate must evolve to ensure fiber’s essential role in enabling the future is fully understood, valued, and reflected in the infrastructure decisions being made today.
Looking Ahead
As we enter the final quarter of 2026, I remain convinced that our industry is only at the beginning of the second wave of an extraordinary investment cycle. The question is no longer whether fiber will underpin the technologies shaping the future. The question is how quickly we can build the infrastructure that enables every community, every business, and every American to participate in that future.
Thank you for your continued leadership, engagement, and commitment to building the infrastructure that will define the next generation of innovation.
Sincerely,
