Report

Insights 2022:
Rural Broadband Expansion

The task of closing the digital divide in the U.S. is falling largely to a diverse group of internet service providers (ISPs) including regional and rural broadband providers, electric utilities and co-ops, satellite operators and others. Although far smaller than the Tier 1 giants, these providers face the same technology and business challenges—but with fewer resources or scale, and fewer subscribers per investment dollar. IP connectivity is a critical element of this calculation, playing a fundamental role in the efficiency of the core network and its affordability to subscribers.

In a survey conducted by Gatepoint Research, and sponsored by A10 Networks, select IT and networking professionals have provided their feedback specifically around the topic of IPv4 exhaustion and IPv6 migration. Companies surveyed include a representative sample of internet service providers such as electric cooperatives, regional internet service providers, mobile network companies, regional telcos, FTTH providers, and web and cloud hosting companies

Key findings include:

• 74% of ISPs offer FTTH for subscriber-facing networks
• 53% of ISPs will run out of allocated IPv4 addresses within three years
• 28% have not yet put a plan in place for transition to IPv6