This Washington Post article, New Appetite for Fiber - Government Work Nourishes Hungry Industry, by Griff Witte (Dec. 8, 2003), is fascinating on a number of fronts.

According to the article, more and more, projects to install fiber optic lines are now being funded by tax dollars rather than private industry. And it's pretty cheap due to all those companies that laid fiber and went belly-up, leaving just the last-mile connection to be made in many cases. The work in Washington, DC is even more efficient, since they're routing the last-mile fiber through existing conduits to connect about 400 government buildings.

"Omaha-based Adesta LLC, has a contract with the District to help build a $93 million fiber-optic network intended to improve emergency communications and provide top-notch Internet connections to schools, libraries and hospitals."

Two main drivers are economic development in rural areas, and 9/11 induced security concerns in cities like DC. Then there's the hanging question of whether the privaty industry will take the initiative again - they say yes, but apparently the real answer is "it depends" - on pending legislation.

"The government's appetite for fiber has been surging of late. The combination of security concerns since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the allure of digital technology and the falling cost of building networks has created a market awash in government work. "

"...Even Verizon concedes that a series of pending regulatory decisions could have a major impact on how aggressively it deploys its fiber."

2:17:33 PM    
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