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Record-Breaking Fiber Broadband Growth in North America: Insights from the Fiber Broadband Association's 2025 Survey

In an era where high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) technology is leading the charge in transforming connectivity across North America. The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA), in collaboration with RVA LLC Market Research and Consulting, recently released its latest Fiber Deployment Survey, highlighting historic milestones in FTTH deployments for 2025. This surge underscores the growing demand for reliable, ultra-fast broadband driven by remote work, streaming, online education, and the expanding digital economy.


Key Highlights from the 2025 Survey

The 2025 survey paints a picture of unprecedented growth:

  • United States: A record 11.8 million new homes were passed with fiber in 2025 alone. When accounting for homes with multiple fiber providers (overbuilds), total FTTH passings reached 98.3 million. Fiber now passes more than 60% of U.S. households, positioning it to potentially overtake cable as the dominant broadband platform by as early as 2028.
  • Canada: Strong progress continued, with fiber passings reaching 14.5 million—covering nearly 75% of Canadian households.
  • Adoption and Performance: Average take rates for primary fiber passings climbed to 46.5%. In competitive markets with a second fiber provider, total take rates rose to around 61%, showing that fiber-to-fiber competition boosts adoption rather than saturating the market. Consumers rate fiber highest in speed, latency, and reliability, with survey-based tests confirming its superior performance.

These figures represent a sharp acceleration, building on previous records (e.g., 10.3 million new U.S. passings in 2024) and signaling fiber's emergence as the backbone of North American connectivity.








What is FTTH and Why Does It Matter?

Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) delivers internet directly to residences via optical fiber cables, offering symmetric gigabit speeds, low latency, and unmatched reliability compared to legacy technologies like DSL or cable


Unlike coaxial cable or copper lines, fiber uses light signals, making it future-proof for emerging demands like 8K streaming, virtual reality, and AI-driven applications. This technology is essential for bridging the digital divide, supporting economic growth, and enabling smart cities.

Drivers Behind the Surge

Several factors are fueling this historic growth:

  1. Consumer Demand: High-speed connectivity is critical for modern life. Surveys show consumers overwhelmingly prefer fiber for its performance advantages.
  2. Government Support: Programs like the U.S. Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) initiative, along with tax incentives (e.g., restored 100% bonus depreciation in 2026), are boosting investments by 5-15%.
  3. Private Investment: Telecom giants, private equity, and regional providers are pouring billions into fiber, with mergers and acquisitions adding momentum.
  4. Competition and Overbuilds: Multiple providers in the same areas drive higher adoption and innovation.

Despite challenges like rising deployment costs and workforce needs, the outlook remains strong, with significant untapped potential—around 60 million U.S. households for first-time passings and vast opportunities for competitive overbuilds.





Looking Ahead: Fiber as the Foundation of the Digital Future

The FBA's 2025 survey reinforces that fiber is not just keeping pace—it's leading the way. With expanding use cases beyond residential broadband (e.g., data centers, smart grids), fiber deployment is poised to sustain momentum well into the next decade. As North America races toward universal high-quality connectivity, FTTH stands out as the gold standard, promising a more connected, equitable, and innovative future


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