RVA research paper reveals dramatic growth – and gaps – in fiber availability across the US – comparing data from 2013-2024.
The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has released a new paper The Progress of U.S. FTTH Availability by State detailing the progress of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments by state, across the US.
The study, performed by RVA LLC, compares data from the last 11 years and reveals substantial expansion in fiber broadband availability, with notable growth in the central, southeastern and New England states.
However, it also shows that some states remain underserved and lack access to reliable connectivity. As fiber deployment is a key measure of global competitiveness and economic development, this study identifies the states investing in the future for their communities.
The paper reveals that Rhode Island and North Dakota lead the nation in Fiber-To-The-Home availability per capita at 83.2% and 81.9% respectively. Given the extreme climate and challenging diverse topology, Alaska ranks 50th as its FTTH availability has only improved from 3.2% in 2013 to 13.0% in 2024.
States such as Arkansas and Mississippi have significantly improved their global competitiveness with fiber availability growing from 1.8% and 3.1% in 2013 to 62.8% and 66.9% in 2024, respectively. On the other hand, states such as West Virginia have been left behind. West Virginia’s fiber availability in 2013 was 1.8% and while it has improved to 34.5%, it remains in the bottom half dozen states.
West Virginia secured $1.2 billion in federal broadband infrastructure funding through NTIA Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) grants and was ready to submit a final proposal to NTIA which would connect every unserved and underserved West Virginia home with fiber broadband, under the available budget. However, in March 2025 the initiative was paused for collaboration with the federal government on potential changes to the program.
Nevada, another state that ranks among the bottom, also has an approved final BEAD broadband funding proposal to connect 80% of its unserved and underserved homes with fiber broadband – but is waiting on Washington policymakers to move forward.
“This data confirms that fiber deployment is accelerating across much of the country, but also shows there is still significant opportunity ahead,” said Deborah Kish, VP of Research and Workforce Development at the Fiber Broadband Association. “State-level progress underscores the vital role that policy, competition and local initiatives play in advancing broadband access.”
FBA’s paper leverages FCC Broadband Service Location data and other public sources to assess the percentage of homes passed by FTTH in each state. The report highlights both historical patterns of fiber deployment and emerging regional strengths driven by a range of service providers, including Tier 1 carriers, municipal networks and rural telcos.
The study also emphasizes that while first-pass fiber availability has significantly improved, the next phase of growth will rely on policies and investments that enable second and third fiber passings to further enhance competition and resilience.
