Michael Render, President of RVA, explains the uptick in fiber deployments after a couple of years of general slowdown in this interview at the 2011 Broadband Properties Summit.  He cites the stimulus as one of the factors in the growth.  The normal actors, such as independent telcos, are deploying fiber to the home, as well as entities such as cable operators which are beginning to deploy FTTH in certain applications.

He talks about the benefits of fiber, including operations cost reduction as well as future-proofing the network and benefits to the community. Render downplays concerns regarding potential fiber shortages as a result of March’s tsunami in Japan.  He also discusses some unique public-partnerships having to do with sewage/water mandate infrastructure upgrades and how fiber deployment can piggyback on these efforts.  As he points out, with 18% of the homes passed, Fiber to the Home has a great deal of growth ahead.