FBA Paper Outlines Edge Compute and AI Opportunities for Rural Broadband Providers

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has released a new paper, Opportunities for Rural Providers in the Age of Distributed AI and Edge Compute, examining how rural internet service providers (ISPs) and electric companies can utilize existing network, substations, and real estate assets to support growing national demand for edge computing and data center processing capacity.

The paper suggests that the next phase of infrastructure investment will shift from broadband deployment toward “where and how data is processed”. As AI, cloud applications, and other data-intensive workloads increase, demand is growing for connectivity and power located in non-traditional markets. According to the FBA, rural providers can meet these needs through their established fiber networks, access to land, and community relationships.

Rural Networks Positioned for Infrastructure Evolution

“Rural broadband providers have quietly built the infrastructure and community trust that now make them essential to the next phase of America’s digital evolution,” said Deborah Kish, Vice President of Research and Workforce Development at the Fiber Broadband Association. “As edge computing and AI reshape how and where data moves, this paper offers a roadmap for turning those assets into economic opportunity and community benefit.”

The report identifies key aspects that contribute to this new opportunity for rural operators as well as possible steps such as:

• A market shift from centralized to distributed computing architectures and power constraints in data center hubs.
• Business models that can be implemented include: colocation and rack leasing, as well as edge AI and GPU services, which already align with ISPs' current strengths.

• Steps to evaluate regional resources like fiber routes, power capacity, and real estate to support possible partnerships with enterprise customers and hyperscalers.
• Community incentives such as job creation, more efficient use of renewable resources supporting grid reliability, and more.

The full paper released by the Fiber Broadband Association is available for download here.