Vertical Systems Group’s latest research shows that the penetration of fiber-lit buildings in the U.S. with twenty or more employees increased to 49.6% in 2016, which dropped the Fiber Gap to half (50.4%). The Fiber Gap, which refers to the scope of ‘unlit’ commercial buildings, was nearly 90% in 2004. This annual benchmark analysis quantifies the penetration of commercial buildings with optical fiber facilities that readily connect to business network services.

Active optical fiber is the most widely deployed access technology for the delivery of Carrier Ethernet services in the U.S. Fiber access is also preferred by service providers and business customers for higher speed dedicated connectivity to the Internet, Cloud services, Data Centers, Hybrid VPNs, and emerging SDN-enabled services.

Rosemary Cochran, principal at Vertical Systems Group, notes, “For 2017, network providers report that fiber footprint expansion is the top factor that will drive Carrier Ethernet growth and support rising demand for other gigabit-speed services.”

Continuing the discussion of the latest in optical fiber and cross-connect methodologies across the U.S. are the moderator and panelists on the final of five CEO Roundtables at the Telecom Exchange (TEX) NYC event, taking place June 21 at Cipriani Wall Street in NYC. The TEX roundtables are an opportunity for key CEOs to share their predictions for tech and telecom’s future and to participate in casual Q&A sessions moderated by industry analysts and journalists.

Moderated by Richard Lukaj, Senior Managing Director of Bank Street, the fifth CEO Roundtable, “Innovative Interconnections & Its Impact on Business,” at TEX NYC will explore the benefits, future opportunities, and challenges associated with the latest cross-connect methodologies. Renowned panelists include Najam Ahmad, VP of Network Engineering, Facebook; Patrick Coughlin, Executive VP & Chief Revenue Officer, FirstLight; Frank Rey, Director Global Network Acquisition Group, Microsoft; Gil Santaliz, Founder and Managing Member, NJFX and Richard Steenbergen, CTO, PacketFabric.

Telecom Exchange is the premier industry networking event where communications and technology meet. TEX NYC takes place June 21 at Cipriani Wall Street in NYC, and kicks off with an Opening Reception on June 20 at SPiN NYC. Learn more at http://www.thetelecomexchange.com/nyc.

Vertical Systems Group is recognized worldwide as a leading market research and strategic consulting firm specializing in defensible quantification of the networking industry. Comprehensive analysis and quantification of the U.S. Business Fiber landscape is available now exclusively through the @Fiber research track of ENS (Emerging Networks Service). Contact us for ENS Research Program subscription information and pricing.