The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has announced record membership growth alongside a major expansion of its workforce development programmes and new AI-powered research tools at Fiber Connect 2026 in Orlando, Florida.
FBA membership has increased 16% year-on-year, adding 40 net new member companies in 2026 to date. The association now represents a community of more than 8,000 broadband professionals, with its membership more than tripling over the past five years.
Jennifer Vassil, vice president of membership at the FBA, said: "The continued growth of our association reflects both the strength of the fibre industry and the increasing importance of fibre in powering AI, cloud applications, and smart infrastructure."
OpTIC Path reaches 1,550 graduates
The FBA announced key milestones for its OpTIC Path fibre optic technician training programme. The initiative addresses the estimated requirement for 180,000 additional fibre technicians over the next decade.
Active in over 20 states and supported by more than 38 training partners, the programme has now graduated more than 1,550 students. A new "Data Center Technician Add-On Module" will be released in Q3 2026, expanding training to high-growth data centre environments.
Todd Jackson, director of workforce development at the FBA, noted: "This new module directly connects foundational fibre training to high-quality, in-demand data centre careers."
FBA Academy and AI tool "Fran"
The association also announced the launch of the FBA Academy, an on-demand training platform designed for broadband technicians and professionals to expand access to advanced education. A full launch is planned for Q3 2026.
In a move to improve industry knowledge access, the FBA introduced a beta version of "Fran" (Fiber Resource Access Node). This AI-powered tool serves as a unified access layer for FBA research, data, and educational resources.
"Instead of searching for answers, stakeholders can now interact directly with FBA's collective knowledge," said Gary Bolton, president and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association. The platform is grounded solely in FBA-validated resources to minimise the risk of "hallucinations" while providing source-cited answers.
Technical guidance for MSO transition
The FBA has published a new technical paper, Upgrading MSO Networks to Fiber to the Home (FTTH): A Technical Perspective. The document outlines strategies for cable operators to transition from legacy hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) networks to full fibre infrastructure.
John George, FBA technology committee chair, said: "As network demands continue to grow, this paper highlights the technical pathways available to MSOs looking to modernise their infrastructure and remain competitive."
The paper identifies several drivers for this transition, including the demand for symmetrical bandwidth, lower operational costs, and support for low-latency applications such as AI and immersive gaming.
