Underserved Rural Americans View Fiber as Best Option for Broadband Infrastructure

New research from RVA LLC reveals fiber ranked higher than all other technologies combined, with fixed wireless ranked last

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today revealed results from a new consumer broadband study performed by RVA LLC. The study shows that Americans understand that fiber broadband is the best option for reliable, high-speed internet and any other option falls short in supporting existing and future digital demands.

Based on the 2025 study, 75% of both rural adults and suburban/urban adults now believe that high quality internet is very important to their household. RVA surveyed 2,650 Americans, focusing on which broadband technology they perceived as having the best performance. Respondents in rural locations with less than 100/20 Mbps broadband service ranked fiber broadband higher than all other options combined. Fixed wireless broadband ranked lowest with 4% of votes, followed by traditional satellite, mobile wireless, DSL, and LEO satellite.

“Fiber broadband stood out overwhelmingly in our study,” said Michael Render, Principal at RVA LLC. “The responses demonstrated a strong consumer awareness of fiber’s superior performance, especially in communities that have experienced first-hand the limitations of other broadband technologies.”

"This research confirms what we’ve long known: Americans, especially those in underserved rural areas, recognize that only fiber can meet the demands of modern life,” said Deborah Kish, Vice President of Research and Workforce Development at the Fiber Broadband Association. “Fiber is a faster, more reliable future-proof infrastructure our nation can invest in. That is what our communities are asking for, loud and clear.”

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About the Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities, and policymakers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MEA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.