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Federal funding, workforce shortages and the difficulties of scaling infrastructure to meet growing end-user demands are combining to create an uncertain environment for broadband service providers operating in rural regions. Simply put, the future of rural broadband is now rooted at the complex intersection of legislative developments as well as several logistical and technical limitations.
Lightwave + BTR Editor-in-Chief Sean Buckley and Sev Sadura, Vice President of Product Management at Belden, explore these issues in a recent Broadband Pulse Podcast. Here are the top three areas challenging today’s service providers and how they can tackle them.
Addressing Uncertainties Around Rural Broadband Funding
Uncertainty around federal funding for rural broadband deployments – particularly in the U.S. – is one of the biggest challenges facing rural broadband operators currently. Many are asking questions about funding made available by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which was passed in 2021, but is now under review.
“We have entered a period of uncertainty as to the scope and allocation of those funds with the new administration,” Sadura says, “but we’re still very optimistic that the program will continue to offer broadband services to pretty much everybody in America. Some reviews should be happening, of course — it’s a new administration that has the right to review the program’s objectives.”
As they await clarification on the BEAD program, operators are evaluating the best network architecture options to meet the challenges of rural markets. Fiber optic technology remains dominant in rural network programs with fixed wireless, satellite and other technologies meeting connectivity needs in situations where the application of fiber is more challenging.
Reducing Deployment Complexities and Costs for Rural Broadband Providers
Smaller service providers face the unique challenge of providing services to a much smaller group of users when deploying fiber and other network solutions, so cost becomes an issue. Those service providers seek turnkey solutions that reduce time, complexity and expense of deployment and installation.
Optimizing the installed base of network infrastructure helps reduce the capital expenditure required to deliver high-speed services to customers in rural regions. Sadura points to the example of cable operators that deploy hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks, installing fiber to the curb or to the node, then extending the network with infrastructure that’s already in place. That combined, fiber-rich approach ensures the most efficient and future-proofed networks.
“Be creative in using different technologies,” Sadura says. “The more fiber you have in your core network, the better positioned you are for the future.”
Addressing Workplace Shortages - Look for Simpler Product Designs
Workforce shortages also affect rural broadband service providers' ability to meet customer demands. A study by Fiber Broadband Association (FBA), the Power and Communications Contractors Association (PCCA), and Continuum Capital reported that 180,000 new workers will be needed in the next 10 years to meet broadband construction demand.
Bridging the gap between construction demand and labor shortages requires finding ways to simplify the installation of vital networking solutions. As Sadura notes, “Providers are seeking solutions that are replicable and easy to install – ideally ones that eliminate multiple steps during installation and provisioning. The focus is on scalable, craft-friendly systems that don't require highly specialized skills.”
For example, plug-and-play solutions that eliminate some installation steps make deployment more cost-effective for operators, especially in the last mile. That could mean simplifying the installation process to the point where operators can send customers self-installation kits, requiring installers only to plug in the connection at the exterior of homes and other dwelling units.
Moving Toward Equal Access to Broadband Connectivity
Equal access to broadband in rural communities is an essential requirement for universal connectivity and community improvement, and the ability for service providers to deploy those networks quickly and efficiently is critical to meeting the broadband needs of rural communities.
“We have broadband in the major areas of the country, but rural places need broadband to also be available there,” Sadura said. “This is not only a business and technology play — it’s also a social responsibility play.”
Belden and its broadband sub-brands, PPC, Precision Optical Technologies, and Sichert, are making waves to provide solutions for rural broadband providers, utilities and municipalities that address all of these concerns.
For more on how service providers can meet current rural broadband challenges, the state of rural connectivity, how Belden can help you, and more, tune in to the full Broadband Pulse podcast where Sadura goes into much more detail.
