It’s boom times for the fiber industry, but with boom times come high expectations. Fiber demand is going to stress-test the network construction ecosystem of manufacturers, contractors, and labor force to levels never seen before. According to RVA’s latest research, the U.S. will average adding over 10 million homes passed per year over the next 10 years, adding to the 63 million unique homes already passed with fiber today. By the end of the forecast period, over one-third of U.S. households will have more than one fiber provider to choose from.
BEAD alone is pumping $42.45B in grant money to close the digital divide and that’s only part of the large amount of federal and private money flowing into transforming the U.S. telecommunications infrastructure from copper-based legacy to future-proof fiber.
At Clearfield, we see the next five years as a time where promises are being turned into reality by delivering fiber to every household in America. It’s going to take a lot of work and we are investing in our North American production operations in a prudent and responsible fashion to stay ahead of the curve to deliver the craft-friendly, time-saving parts you’ll need for turning up customers - as needed, when needed.
Time-to-market is critical for us because it translates into a quicker time-to-install for your projects. When we deliver to you on time, you can turn up households and businesses on or ahead of schedule, which saves you both time and money. The sooner you turn up households, the sooner you get happy customers with high-speed, low-latency broadband, plus the monthly recurring revenue.
With the five-year BEAD timetable, you may view the next five years as a sprint to complete paperwork, start building, and complete the project before the grant funding expires. We see the next five years as a marathon where we’re going to be continuously adjusting our capabilities to market demand and conditions. As your partner in this journey over the next several years, we will continue to build our capacity to supply the equipment you need when you need it.
Kevin leads the marketing efforts for Clearfield as Chief Marketing Officer. He joined the fiber company in 2016, leveraging his extensive experience in advanced communications technology, fiber optic systems, and business product marketing. Prior to joining Clearfield, he spent two decades serving in various senior marketing positions at ADTRAN. Before that, he spent a decade at telephone operating company BellSouth, now a part of AT&T, where he worked as the lead broadband product evaluations resource in the Science & Technology department.
Morgan currently serves on the Fiber Broadband Association Senior Council Committee and has also held various leadership positions at the Fiber Broadband Association, including Board of Directors Chair for 2015, 2019, and 2022. Morgan holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Auburn University and an MBA from the University of Alabama.