A June 2025 study from the Fiber Broadband Association says fiber is the top option for broadband for underserved rural Americans, who ranked fiber broadband higher than all other broadband options combined (fixed wireless broadband, traditional satellite, mobile wireless, DSL and low Earth orbit satellite).

According to the study, “75% of both rural adults and suburban/urban adults now believe that high quality internet is very important to their household.” To that end, the Electrical Training Alliance (etA) believes this technology is a solid business opportunity for electrical contractors.

Jim Simpson, director of installer/technician and residential for etA, said some contractors continue to focus exclusively on traditional pipe and wire, but fiber optics offer a unique opportunity for business diversity.

“There are some [contractors] with a bigger focus on fiber, running to a building or in the building as a backbone,” Simpson said. “You have distance limitations for copper. There is more demand for high-bandwidth capabilities and fiber is the way to go.”

He added that there are a lot of newer technologies that are incorporating data, which adds to the case for business diversity.

“Fault-managed power,” he offered as an example. “This is a system that takes regular AC power and coverts that power to a digital signal at a transmitter. A limited-energy cable carries the signal to a receiver, which converts the digital signal back to AC or DC power. This technology has high potential for use in areas such as transportation, hotels and distributed antenna systems, to name a few.”

 For example, when installing a distributed antenna system, fault-managed power provides the power to the unit, while fiber provides the data signal. This is all accomplished on a single composite cable using Class 4 wiring methods.

To that end, etA has offered a “Fiber Optic Hands-on Fundamentals” training course in collaboration with the Fiber Optic Association. The course provides training for tasks like termination, splicing and testing and is available for signup at the etA website.

“We focus this heavily hands on, so we require they go through our fiber optics course we have through our apprentice training, so that they are familiar with the technology of fiber optics,” Simpson said. 

“We’re traveling around the country doing regional training sessions, for electrical contractors, for instructors, for people in the field. Basically, anyone affiliated with IBEW and NECA can get training.”