Presenters:
Craig Culwell, Director, Market Development, Broadband, CommScope
Joseph Phelan, Grants Development Consultant, Grants Office, LLC
Overview
Low-density rural fiber deployments are no longer out of reach. With billions of dollars available through federal subsidies and grant programs to fast-track broadband deployment and improve internet access in underserved and unserved communities, providers can achieve compelling ROI in rural environments.
CommScope offers innovative FTTH deployment architectures and technologies designed for a variety of deployment applications, to optimize total cost of deployment, improve return on investment (ROI), and ensure network longevity. The CommScope Grant Funding Navigation Service connects customers with grantwriting experts from Grants Office, providing complimentary grant funding navigation services to help secure grant funding for building out FTTH projects—regardless of deployment environment.
Context
The presenters explained how providers can choose the best network architecture and leverage government funding to optimize the ROI of rural broadband deployments.
Key takeaways
Improved technology and government incentives benefit rural fiber deployment.
The fiber industry has traditionally been focused on deployment in dense urban to outer suburban environments, as low-density rural FTTH deployments were previously cost-prohibitive. However, in recent years, improved technology and the availability of government funding have opened opportunities for cost-effective rural deployment projects.
To meet network requirements and deliver a positive return on investment, cost considerations such as housing density and labor pool availability must be balanced with projected take rates, service offerings, and relevant government financial incentives—the last of which contributes significantly to an increasingly more attractive equation for deployment in rural environments.
“As we move into those rural environments, those costs go dramatically up, but . . . government funding [can] help counterbalance that—and result in a positive return on investment.”
- Craig Culwell, CommScope
Figure 1: Balancing the deployment business case