Fiber Broadband Association Case Study Highlights Fiber’s Expanding Role in Public Safety

According to a Fiber Broadband Association press release, the FBA has released a new case study examining how fiber-based broadband infrastructure is helping with public safety communications across the United States. Fiber for Public Safety: How Broadband Infrastructure Protects Communities Before, During, and After Disasters outlines the role fiber networks play in maintaining connectivity during wildfires, hurricanes, and other emergencies.

Real-world examples of fiber-supported emergency operations

The report discusses several deployments where fiber helped sustain or rapidly restore communications under disaster conditions:

• California: Siskiyou Telephone restored communications to a fire camp within an hour after satellite-based systems faltered under high demand.
• Oregon: Douglas Fast Net deployed fiber in advance at known fire camp locations, making sure that high-capacity service was immediately ready when incidents occurred.
• Hawaii: During the 2023 Maui wildfires, Hawaiian Telcom’s underground, hardened fiber network stayed operational while much of the island’s communications infrastructure experienced outages.
• Tennessee: United Communications provides complimentary fiber broadband to fire and police stations across its footprint, reinforcing one of the company’s missions of public safety.

Fiber reliability compared to alternative solutions

According to the case study, fiber networks offer advantages in capacity, resilience, and low latency compared to temporary or supplemental solutions such as low-earth-orbit satellite systems, which may experience congestion, environmental disruptions, or line-of-sight challenges during crises.

Fiber infrastructure also supports emerging tools and technologies, including AI-enabled fire detection, real-time mapping, and fiber-optic sensing for improving emergency responses and providing early detection capabilities.

Call for prioritizing fiber in public safety planning

Citing the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, FBA urges state and local leaders, policymakers, and investors to treat fiber as foundational to public safety infrastructure.

“These case studies make one thing clear: fiber broadband is not just about fast home internet, it is critical public safety infrastructure,” said Gary Bolton, President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association. “When disasters strike, communities with fiber networks are safer, better prepared, and more resilient.” 

The full case study is available here.