Fiber Broadband Association Middle Mile WG: how to use “Digital Infrastructure Networks” for coordinated fiber backbone investments

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) released guidance from its Middle Mile Working Group on how states can strengthen digital infrastructure through coordinated fiber backbone investment. The group framed the work around fiber’s role in high-capacity connectivity used to link data centers and cloud infrastructure, while calling for faster scaling of fiber deployment to meet demand.

The guidance addressed “Digital Infrastructure Networks,” which the release described as strategic fiber optic systems that connect the core internet backbone to last-mile broadband providers. It said strengthening middle-mile connections could reduce the cost of broadband deployment, improve network resiliency, and expand connectivity to unserved and underserved communities.

FBA described middle-mile infrastructure as serving backhaul that interconnects local communities, Internet Exchange Points (IXP) and core network hubs. It said a robust transport layer was a prerequisite for cost-effective last-mile deployment, and that insufficient backbone capacity could make rural expansion financially and operationally untenable. The release also outlined breakout sessions during Fiber Connect 2026.

Among the recommendations, FBA said states should coordinate infrastructure projects across agencies to streamline deployment and reduce unnecessary construction, implement “dig once” policies to install conduit or fiber when roads or utility corridors are opened, leverage state-owned assets such as rights-of-way and existing fiber routes, and modernize permitting and coordination processes. “Middle-mile infrastructure is what allows broadband networks to scale,” said Sachin Gupta, Chair of the Middle Mile Working Group and Vice President of Business and Technology Strategies at Centranet. “When high-capacity fiber backbones are located closer to underserved communities, providers can extend last-mile networks more affordably, reach more locations, operate more efficiently, and better serve communities across the state.”