Last week, our team had the pleasure of attending Fiber Connect 2025 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN, and what an incredible experience it was! With record attendance and a growing sense of urgency around digital equity, this year’s event was more than just a conference — it was a call to action for the broadband industry.
A Focus on the Underserved
One of the most powerful conversations at Fiber Connect centered around bringing fiber to underserved and rural communities. Leaders across the industry agree that bridging the digital divide is no longer optional. Access to fiber isn’t just about faster internet — it’s about ensuring equal opportunity for education, healthcare, remote work and more.
Sessions also highlighted the critical role fiber plays in disaster preparedness and recovery, using the recent Lahaina Fires in Hawaii as an example. In moments of crisis, reliable infrastructure becomes a lifeline. Fiber isn’t just about speed — it’s about resilience.
Permitting Challenges Still Slowing Progress
One key challenge echoed throughout the event was the ongoing permitting delays many companies are facing. From inconsistent local regulations to prolonged approval timelines, permitting delays continue to hinder the pace of deployment across the country. Industry professionals are calling for streamlined processes and better coordination with municipalities to remove barriers and accelerate progress.
BEAD Delays and a Surge of Private Investment
Another hot topic was the delayed rollout of BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment) funds. While many had hoped states would have access to these resources by now, ongoing administrative hurdles have pushed back timelines, causing understandable frustration.
That said, the mood remained optimistic. Conversations pointed to a surge in private equity investment in fiber projects, a strong sign that stakeholders believe in the long-term growth of our industry. Despite the delays, most attendees felt confident that demand for broadband talent and infrastructure will remain high throughout 2025 and beyond.
Women in Fiber Lunch: Bridging Access Through Literacy
One of the standout moments of the event for our team was the Women in Fiber lunch, which celebrated the impact of women in the broadband industry and spotlighted initiatives that go beyond connectivity. A key highlight was the discussion around the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that sends free books each month to children from birth to age five. These books grow with the child and the last book is an introduction to kindergarten.
The program’s success depends heavily on families having access to high-speed internet, as enrollment and communication are primarily online. The map of fiber-connected households in the U.S. closely mirrored the map of children enrolled in the Imagination Library, highlighting high-speed internet access as a key factor in participation. It was a powerful reminder that fiber does more than power devices — it fuels early literacy, education and opportunity for the next generation.
Celebrating 20 Years of TekCom!
This year’s conference also marked a special moment for us — we brought our entire TekCom Resources team together in celebration of our upcoming 20-year anniversary! Since 2005, we’ve proudly supplied companies nationwide with the top talent in the telecom industry, and Fiber Connect was the perfect event to celebrate this exciting milestone.
It was an energizing few days of connecting with industry leaders, exploring new tech and aligning around one common goal: a fully connected fiber future.
