On average, labor contributed to 73% of underground build costs and 67% of aerial costs for fiber rollouts, according the Fiber Broadband Association's 2023 Fiber Deployment Cost Study, conducted by Cartesian. The study also provides regional cost variations, along with the cost differential between deployment methods.
The 2023 Fiber Deployment Study survey respondents spanned across the U.S. and the fiber deployment ecosystem to include network operators, municipal broadband providers, utility/electric cooperatives, prime contractors, and subcontractors. The study explored many factors that influence cost but often make it challenging to compare costs across deployments. This includes cost components like labor, materials, build scenarios, and the choice of construction method.
“As broadband providers across the country look to leverage public and private funding to connect communities to high-quality broadband services, understanding the cost variables of deployment remains a vital component to broadband plans and proposals,” said Deborah Kish, Vice President of Research and Workforce Development at the Fiber Broadband Association. “Our annual Fiber Deployment Survey uncovers fiber cost benchmarks and how costs change over time—information that is critical for broadband providers and state broadband offices as they prepare competitive applications for NTIA BEAD funding to connect their communities to reliable fiber broadband services.”
