Fiber is not a homogeneous business. Rather, fiber network operators serve different customers with different fiber infrastructure. Think about the fiber business in two main categories: access and transport. This is somewhat akin to old telephone company local and long-distance services. Access involves fiber-to-the-home that connects residences and small businesses to the wireline network, or fiber-to-the-antenna in wireless, at connect speeds of 1 gigabit (1G) to 10G. High-speed (read, 100G to 800G), long distance fiber transport networks connect central offices or data centers to each other, domestically and internationally, and is the backhaul (10G to 100G) between the RAN and Core in wireless.
Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) and Frontier Communications (NASDAQ: FYBR) are two U.S.-based fiber carriers that seem similar but have quite different networks and growth strategies. Lumen is primarily in the long-haul transport business while growing its access business. Continue Reading |
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