Fiber Broadband Association advocates for retiring copper in favor of future-proof fiber

(UI) — The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has published a new white paper, “The Benefits of Retiring Copper Today,” highlighting the advantages of transitioning from copper to fiber broadband networks.

The white paper argues that many telecommunications providers still face unnecessary expenses and complexity by maintaining legacy copper infrastructure, despite having migrated to fiber in core and access networks.

The document outlines the cost benefits and reasons to accelerate the shift to fiber, including improved reliability, substantial environmental benefits, and the scalability to support future high-bandwidth services. Key points include:

• Reclaiming Assets: Existing ducts and poles for copper can be repurposed for fiber, reducing pole attachment fees by up to 50%.
• Real Estate Savings: Centralized FTTH networks minimize the need for multiple buildings and huts, offering opportunities to sell decommissioned properties.
• Salvaging Copper: Copper’s value has increased, and it is predicted to grow, particularly for electric vehicle recharging stations, which will need significantly more copper by 2030.

“Copper has served its purpose, but we’re now at a turning point where its weaknesses outweigh its strengths,” said John George, FBA Technology Committee Chair. “Our latest research shows the many benefits of an all-fiber network. The time is now to move to future-ready infrastructure.”

The white paper is available for FBA members, and more research can be accessed at fiberbroadband.org/research-and-resources.

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