Fiber Connect 2026 to Spotlight How Fiber Powers AI, Agriculture, Healthcare, and the Future of Connectivity
New programming highlights the broadband infrastructure enabling applications that take communities and industries “Light Years Ahead”
WASHINGTON, March 24, 2026–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced new thematic programming for Fiber Connect 2026, taking place May 17-20 in Orlando, Florida. Sessions will explore how fiber is advancing communities and industries “Light Years Ahead” with programs focused on AI-driven data centers, policy, precision agriculture, streaming and gaming, telehealth, and tribal connectivity.
“Across every sector — from households that work from home and game to farms, hospitals and data centers — applications are pushing networks to deliver greater capacity, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity than ever before,” said Jessica Koch, FBA Conference Chair and Controller at Consolidated Business Services. “Fiber Connect 2026 brings together the leaders building and operating these networks to explore how fiber infrastructure is enabling the next generation of innovation.
Rural communities present challenges and opportunities for operators as they expand their fiber footprint. During the Precision Agriculture program on Monday, May 18, fireside chats with USDA Rural Development and the American Farm Bureau Federation will explore best practices, opportunities, and challenges associated with High-Cost Threshold deployments, and where fiber is best suited for residential, agricultural, and commercial expansions. A panel with VETRO Fiber Map, EPC, t3 Broadband, and Nedia Fiber will further examine high-capacity edge opportunities in rural environments.
The network’s role in delivering entertainment services has become central to customer experience. The “Network Demands: Dream a Little Stream” program—also held Monday—will discuss the intersection points of the network, the future of gaming and entertainment, and how each needs to evolve to ensure the game goes on. Fireside chats with Xperi Corporation/TiVo and Brightspeed will examine capacity, latency, and in-home experience challenges for multi-stream households. A panel with Omdia, eCommunity Holdings, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, Blueprint Broadband, and Fidium Fiber will explore managing latency and jitter for best-in-class services.
Fiber is the high-capacity and low-latency connectivity needed to support the growing demands of AI, quantum computing, and hyperscale data centers. In the “Up Next in Broadband: Hyperscale Data Centers and the Evolving Edge” program, held Tuesday, May 19, DCBLOX will hold a fireside chat about data center connectivity, and Cartesian will review fiber infrastructure for the AI Era. A panel with Entropy, Inc, Relativity Networks, IQGeo, SDN Communications, and IXP.us/Connected Nation will explore data center innovations.
