Telecom and utilities news and perspectives

• Fiber network industry and markets
• Communications service providers
• Press
• Fiber deployment

Telecom industry pulse: September 2025 recap

Network news roundup

From Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) milestones in the United States to permitting reform at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), September’s headlines point to accelerating deployment and the infrastructure needed to power AI. The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) reported strong progress on Final Proposals, while the FCC teed up rulemakings to cut red tape. At the same time, operators announced fresh construction, grants, and platform moves across both the United States and the United Kingdom.

• Utilities
• App modernization
• Fiber deployment

Managing joint use assets in the cloud

Editor’s note: Originally published in July 2023 by SSP Innovations under SSP SPANS. Updated in 2025 by the 3-GIS Team with the current product name, 3-GIS | SPANS, and other revisions.

Joint use management is uniquely suited to the cloud. With growing demands on pole space and increasing regulatory oversight, utilities need tools that keep work organized, documented, and efficient. A cloud-based solution, like 3-GIS | SPANS, keeps communication clear and records consistent.

• Fiber network management
• 3-GIS | Web
• Fiber deployment
• Fiber network planning

Making the most of duct space: Challenges and opportunities

When people talk about fiber networks, the spotlight usually goes to the cable itself. But ducts, the conduit that carries it all, may be the most undervalued asset in the ground. Managed well, they can speed up deployments, extend the life of infrastructure, and even open up new revenue streams through leasing. Managed poorly, they become a bottleneck that slows projects and inflates costs.

• Fiber network industry and markets
• Communications service providers
• Fiber deployment

How NTIA’s new permitting tool could help BEAD awardees

When the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released its BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice in June 2025, most attention focused on changes to funding priorities and fiber-first policies. But buried deeper in the guidance is something with real operational weight: a new federal requirement for environmental permitting coordination.

As of now, every BEAD awardee must use the NTIA’s Environmental Screening and Permitting Tracking Tool (ESAPTT) for any project requiring review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).¹ According to NTIA, this move will “significantly reduce the time and effort required for broadband permitting.”² That could mean cutting 3–6 months off approval timelines—if awardees have their network data ready.

• Fiber network industry and markets
• Communications service providers
• Press
• Fiber deployment

Telecom industry pulse: June 2025 recap

Network news roundup

June was anything but quiet for telecom. Policy shakeups from NTIA are reshaping how $42.5 billion in BEAD funding can be used, fiber expansion continues in rural markets, and new AI-related bills are tying broadband dollars to regulation. Add in growing sentiment for fiber in underserved areas and a big acquisition in Virginia—and it’s clear the landscape is shifting fast.

• Fiber network industry and markets
• Communications service providers
• Fiber deployment

Faster fibre rollouts start with smarter infrastructure sharing

In a world increasingly defined by speed, connectivity, and digital equity, building faster broadband infrastructure is a national and social imperative. Governments across the globe are pushing for widespread fibre deployment to close the digital divide and supercharge economic development.¹ But as telcos race to deliver, one big question looms: How do we scale quickly, affordably, and sustainably?

The answer, in part, lies in better collaboration, specifically in smarter ways of managing shared fibre infrastructure. But here’s the catch: sharing infrastructure only works if the systems that underpin it are modern, live, and interoperable. Too often, they’re not. And the consequences can be surprisingly disruptive.

• Fiber network industry and markets
• Telecom technologies
• Fiber deployment

What I learned (and loved) at Fiber Connect 2025

When you think of an industry conference, it’s easy to picture a sea of vendor booths and product pitches. And while vendors do play a critical role in the buildout process (after all, you can’t build a fiber network without fiber), the exhibit hall at Fiber Connect 2025 was much more than a marketplace—it was a learning space. From hands-on demos and discussion salons to a smart home theater, the show floor offered attendees a chance to dig into every corner of the fiber ecosystem.

• Telecom technologies
• Fiber deployment
• 3-GIS | Diagramming

Clarity that connects: The power of real-time telecom network views

Whether rolling out networks to dense urban MDUs (multi-dwelling units) or extending the last mile to rural households, telcos are navigating a minefield of evolving infrastructure, tight delivery deadlines, and increasing demand for accelerated service turn-up. Amidst this whirlwind, one element stands out as a surprisingly pivotal force in keeping operations efficient and accurate: real-time network diagramming.