Abstract

Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) telecommunications infrastructural networks are becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States and abroad. And, despite all the anecdotal rhetoric regarding the positive impact of such advanced broadband technologies on the economic development of U.S. municipalities, there has been little systematic inquiry into this area. The central focus of this study was to conduct an empirical assessment of the economic impact of (FTTH) infrastructure at the community level. A quantitative design using longitudinal data was employed to investigate the impact of FTTH infrastructure on several indicators of economic health. The impact of FTTH was found to be sufficiently strong across the sample of communities in that substantive economic improvements were detected even within a period of three years. These results are seemingly suggestive of potential benefits that could be realized if FTTH infrastructural networks are pursued in a community and do offer some preliminary support for public policy decisions offering federal funding for fiber.