In 2013, 17% of consumers in China and the United States were able to access the optical fiber network, while in 2019, the penetration rate in China jumped to 86%, while that in the United States was only 25%. As the United States continues to suffer from a huge digital divide, China has made incredible progress in building a super fiber network. This infrastructure will enable the country to take advantage of some of the most influential applications of the fourth industrial revolution as early as possible.
Reasons for the huge gap:
1. The lack of competition, large-scale construction of optical fiber network is usually very expensive, especially in small population areas, operators are not willing to pay a lot of money to lay optical fiber;
2. The inadequate broadband census results in the reduction of investment by policy makers and municipalities;
3. Thirdly, the inefficient state funded projects, although the U.S. government invests hundreds of millions of dollars every year to bridge the digital divide, are not well distributed;
4. There is a lack of common sense national infrastructure policies. Many repeated construction results in increased costs and reduced the speed of network coverage.
Why is fiber critical to the success of the Internet?
In the era of rapid innovation we live in, there have been some profound and subversive innovations, and countries with strong optical fiber network infrastructure are preparing to make full use of these innovative applications. Fiber optic connectivity can also help bridge the digital divide in rural America, increase agricultural production, and stimulate local and regional economies. As we enter the next phase of the digital era, these optical fiber connections will play a key role in the most breakthrough and innovative applications in the future.
