Fiber Broadband Association and OATS from AARP Launch Nationwide Initiative to Expand Fiber Access and Digital Skills to Older Americans

New collaboration helps fiber providers connect communities, combat isolation, and expand access to telehealth and essential services

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced at Fiber Connect 2026, a strategic initiative with Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP, which powers their flagship Senior Planet program, to expand high-speed fiber connectivity and digital skills training to older Americans across the country. By combining infrastructure investment with education and engagement, the initiative helps address both access and adoption, two critical components of digital equity.

The collaboration brings together FBA’s nationwide network of fiber providers and OATS’ proven Senior Planet program to help close the digital divide for aging populations. Through this initiative, FBA member operators will connect senior centers, community centers, and libraries to fiber broadband, often at low or no cost, while enabling access to Senior Planet’s technology education programs designed to help older adults thrive safely and confidently in a digital world.

“Our work with FBA is about more than connectivity; it’s about opportunity, independence, and dignity for older adults,” said Alex Glazebrook, VP of Business Operations at OATS from AARP. “By working with FBA’s network of providers, we can reach more communities nationwide and ensure older Americans have both the access and skills needed to thrive in today’s digital society.”

GFiber, the first participating provider in the initiative and working in partnership with the City of Chandler, Arizona—the program’s first community deployment site—is eager to offer the OATS services to senior centers in the area.

“At GFiber, we believe access to fast, reliable internet means access to new opportunities," said Ariane Schaffer, head of federal & state policy at GFiber. "Efforts like this push policy conversations beyond access alone, allowing us to ensure public investment translates into education and support for older Americans.”

“We're excited to develop a partnership with OATS, setting the stage to bring proven, high-quality digital literacy resources directly to the older adults we serve,” said John Sefton, Community Services Director for the City of Chandler, Arizona. "Technology should be a bridge, not a barrier, and this collaboration helps ensure that every member of our community has the tools and confidence to thrive. We’re excited to expand opportunities that support independence, connection, and lifelong learning.”

Through a tiered participation model, providers can scale their involvement based on their size and community footprint, supporting one or more locations with programming that includes digital literacy training, telehealth access education, online safety resources, and opportunities for social connection.

"Broadband is only as powerful as the lives it improves,” said Deborah Kish, Vice President of Research and Workforce Development of the Fiber Broadband Association. “The collaboration with OATS and the Senior Planet program gives FBA members a meaningful way to invest in their aging communities by strengthening local anchor institutions and senior centers, improving health and well-being, and building lasting relationships that go far beyond the network.”

The work delivers meaningful benefits across stakeholders:

• For older adults: Improved access to telehealth, social connection, and digital services, along with trusted training to build confidence and safety online in the AI age.
• For communities: Stronger, more connected local institutions that support aging populations and reduce isolation.
• For FBA members: Opportunities to demonstrate community leadership, strengthen customer relationships, and build long-term loyalty.
• For OATS: Expanded national reach into underserved communities through local broadband providers.

On Monday, May 18^th at 12pm at Fiber Connect 2026 in Orlando, this work will be discussed in a session “BEAD Funding Gap: Addressing the Issue of Connecting Older Americans at Anchor Institutions.”

The program will be promoted throughout the year via Fiber Broadband Association events, including regional workshops, Fiber Day on the Hill, and the Policy Summit, with ongoing opportunities for additional providers to participate.

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About the Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) is the voice of fiber, helping providers, policy makers, and communities make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. FBA is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists. Since 2001, FBA and its members have worked to advance fiber broadband deployment to accelerate innovation and increase quality of life by enabling every community to leverage 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, MENA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.