Fiber optic connections are all over the internet, and it's a giant business

August 18, 2022: -Fiber-based networks are all over the internet. Fiber-optic subsea cables spanning many miles connect continents, exchanging data at nearly the rate of light. Meanwhile, the enormous data centers that host our cloud-based applications depend on fiber connections.

These fiber connections make their way directly into peoples’ homes, which provides them with higher speed and reliable internet. But, just 43% of U.S. households have a way to a fiber internet connection.

“In a few situations, particularly in rural areas and very challenging geographies, it can be prohibitively expensive to deploy fiber, and it can be costly for households to pay for it,” according to the senior research analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that came in November 2021 promises to bridge this digital divide, with $65 billion dedicated to enlarging the hold to broadband internet to all Americans. Government support and several other factors have caused a spike in demand for fiber products.

To ensure the technology behind fiber-optic internet and the way the market for fiber products is changing, CNBC viewed Corning’s optical fiber and cable manufacturing facilities in North Carolina.

Most reliable as the maker of Gorilla Glass for iPhones, Corning is the largest producer of optical fiber in the country with manufacturing power and market share, and the huge manufacturer of fiber rope in North America.

 In the second quarter of 2022, Corning revealed that the optical communications business was its significant revenue segment, reaching sales of $1.3 billion.