Internet connectivity influences every facet of our communities, including local government, education, business, and economic development. It also enhances the appeal of our communities to future generations. In today's interconnected world of smart devices and the Internet of Things, access to information and everyday conveniences has never been more widespread—at least for some. However, a significant gap remains between communities with affordable internet access and those where it is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive for the average household.
The internet has transitioned from a luxury for a few to an essential tool for learning and global communication. Yet, in some rural communities, this vital service remains inaccessible, placing many at a disadvantage. In education, for instance, teachers are developing curricula suited for the 21st-century learning environment, sharing content, and engaging with parents and students beyond school hours. Students outside this digital reach face significant setbacks.
The challenges extend beyond public education. Private businesses in these underserved areas struggle to offer services that customers elsewhere take for granted, like free Wi-Fi and seamless credit card transactions. These limitations hinder businesses' competitiveness and growth potential and deter new ventures from starting. Additionally, more businesses and social service providers now require clients to conduct transactions online, which either imposes additional costs on those without access or inadvertently excludes them from participation.
As we delve deeper into the complexities surrounding broadband deployment, it is crucial to acknowledge the pivotal role that data centers play in bridging the connectivity gap for rural communities. Data centers, with their capacity to store and process vast amounts of information, act as the backbone of internet infrastructure. By facilitating the delivery of high-speed internet, these facilities enable rural areas to access the digital tools and resources that are increasingly essential in today’s world. The strategic placement and development of data centers in underserved regions not only enhance local connectivity but also foster the expansion of fiber-optic networks, ultimately empowering communities to thrive in the digital age.
If you own property and are interested in contributing to the data center boom, you can list your property for lease for a data center on LandGate's marketplace at no cost and with no obligations to accept any offers. Monetize your property today:
The Disconnect: Rural Broadband Access Amid Federal and State Incentives
With increasing demand for Internet access, both state and federal entities have recognized its critical importance, dedicating subsidies to service providers. Similar to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, they have offered grants and loans to deliver bandwidth to unserved households. Most of these areas, primarily rural, face challenges due to the financial constraints of private, for-profit service providers, who struggle to justify expansion into regions with few customers.
Further complicating the funding model, areas deemed "served" are determined by entire census blocks—if even one household within the block has access, the whole block is classified as served and thus ineligible for funding. This classification relies on data from incumbent providers, who report theoretical maximum speeds of installed technology, with actual metered bandwidth information often unavailable and real speeds frequently much lower than claimed. Consequently, towns or municipalities may find themselves either qualifying for funding but dependent on a willing service provider or disqualified because a small part of a census block is considered served.
This leaves communities seeking solutions that provide their residents with the same advantages as the urban communities. Consequently, like with other utilities – water/sewers, electricity, gas, and telephone, some municipalities have taken control into their own hands leveraging assets and utilizing different models to provide broadband to residents.
Exploring Potential Solutions for Expanding Rural Broadband Access
A potential solution could be a municipal, town, or village-operated Internet Service Provider (ISP). There are three common models: the municipally owned and operated model, the municipally owned and outsourced service model, and the subsidization model.
In the municipally owned and operated ISP model, the municipality installs, manages, and handles all technical aspects of providing internet to its residents. This model is ideal for municipalities with an electrical authority capable of maintaining a large fiber network. Alternatively, the municipality-owned/business-serviced network involves the municipality owning the system but outsourcing other business operations. Lastly, some communities have funded private ISPs to extend service to rural areas with specific needs. While this approach can address limited goals, it is inefficient and not a sound investment for the town since the service provider retains ownership of the infrastructure.
Municipal networks face challenges in achieving financial viability on a large scale. This often results from inadequate data to match the right model to the community, leading to underestimated costs and poor planning. However, with prudent financial planning, thorough funding research, and strong community ties to secure long-term business clients, municipal networks can become valuable community assets.
What are Fiber Networks?
A fiber optic network consists of cables containing bundles of glass or plastic strands known as optical fibers, which carry data transformed into light. This light is transmitted by a laser after being converted from digital data signals by a computer. The light travels through the cable without escaping, thanks to the mirror-like walls of the glass or plastic that reflect it. The cable's design further prevents light dispersion, directing the light beam along the core at the center of the cable. This core is encased in an additional glass layer called "cladding."
By utilizing an "open access fiber optic network," municipal leaders aim to reach previously underserved areas, drive economic development, enhance emergency services communication, and expand cellular coverage by installing additional towers in remote locations.
The Nationwide Expansion of Fiber
In 2023, the United States experienced unprecedented growth in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments, with nine million homes gaining fiber connectivity, according to the Fiber Broadband Association’s (FBA) 2023 North America Fiber Provider Survey. This figure surpasses the previous record of 8.3 million from the year before. Fiber now reaches nearly 77.9 million U.S. residences, accounting for more than 50% of all homes in the nation. A key factor in this expansion is the entry of new players, such as rural electric cooperatives, who are constructing fiber networks for both consumers and businesses.
The FBA forecasts that the rapid growth observed in recent years will not only persist but accelerate, with projections of 12 million homes being connected to fiber in 2024. Remarkably, it is anticipated that nearly as much fiber will be deployed over the next five years as has been installed throughout history. This surge is partly driven by telecom and major network providers entering new markets and deploying fiber in greenfield projects, alongside upgrades to outdated networks to compete with advanced fiber offerings and secure federal grants.
The Role of Data Centers in Advancing Fiber Expansion in the U.S.
Data centers are often seen as the backbone of the internet, hosting the servers and hardware vital for sustaining our digital world. Data centers function as hubs, providing the computational and storage capabilities crucial for delivering shared applications and data. With the soaring demand for data storage and processing, fueled by the rise of cloud computing, streaming services, and various online platforms, the global data center market has experienced a significant increase in investments.
How is a Data Center Connected to the Internet?
Data centers connect to the Internet through high-speed, redundant connections supplied by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). These connections use dedicated fiber optic links to ensure reliable and fast data transfer between the data center and the broader internet infrastructure.
Data centers depend on fiber optics to meet the performance and scalability needs of colocation, edge computing, and hybrid cloud models. High-capacity optical transport layers are crucial for interconnecting on-premises, virtual, and public cloud platforms. Fiber-based access and backbone networks are essential for emerging architectures like micro data centers, facilitating connectivity between facilities and end users. As data gravity intensifies, fiber will be vital for handling data-intensive workloads and supporting distributed computing architectures.
Broadband Deployment and Data Centers
In summary, the data center boom is driving the expansion of fiber networks, which will help connect more people, particularly in rural areas, to the internet. As more individuals gain online access, the need for further data center development will grow.
Nevertheless, the industry faces challenges such as technological obsolescence, scalability concerns, and environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions. The rapid expansion of data centers, driven by an immense demand for electricity, is quickly surpassing the capacity of utilities to supply their needs. This situation compels data center developers to focus on emerging markets and rural locations where they can reliably connect to the power grid. Therefore, the current data center boom can help rural communities that are currently struggling with providing reliable internet connectivity for residents.
LandGate's Contribution to the Expansion of Digital Infrastructure
LandGate is at the forefront of the expansion of digital infrastructure for data centers and fiber optics. LandGate's business solutions help data center developers efficiently pinpoint the highest-value opportunities for data center sites, including site suitability and zoning regulations, climate and environmental risks, power costs & availability, proximity to fiber optic lines, and more.
Additionally, LandGate's marketplace helps data center developers connect with property owners interested in selling or leasing their properties for data centers. Property owners can list their properties (land, buildings) for sale or for lease for data center development to connect with data center developers and monetize their properties. It is completely free for property owners to list their properties on LandGate, with no obligations to accept any offers:
