FBA reports improvements to supply chain
May 2, 2023
The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) has announced updates to its recently-published Fiber Broadband Supply Chain white paper, noting significant improvements in industry supply chain lead times. The FBA’s Supply Chain Working Group published the paper in September 2022, and recently discovered new data that shows up to 92 per cent faster lead times in some fibre broadband equipment categories.
“This latest supply chain information is encouraging for fibre broadband providers today that are building reliable, high-speed fiber broadband networks to connect their communities and close the digital equity gap,” said Gary Bolton, President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association. “However, our Supply Chain Working Group does caution that while it is reporting current relief in the supply chain, it expects to see an uptick in demand going forward. Therefore, it encourages companies to continue to put a hard focus on long-range planning and to follow FBA mitigation strategies presented in the white paper.”
FBA’s updated Supply Chain white paper, titled Strategies to Mitigate Bottlenecks in the Current Fiber Broadband Supply Chain, helps companies carefully plan to overcome supply chain challenges and build more robust systems and processes to buffer them from future challenges and keep fibre projects on target. The paper provides vital statistics on fibre broadband supply chain fluctuations and examples of how to protect fibre-related projects from the negative effects of supply chain stressors.
The latest data shows improved lead times in several key fibre broadband component categories:
- 92 per cent decrease in minimum lead times for fibre optic cables (from 52-60 weeks in Summer 2022 to 4-10 weeks as of March 2023)
- 60 per cent decrease in minimum lead times for fibre cabinets and splitters (from 10-20 weeks in Summer 2022 to 4-8 weeks as of March 2023)
- 80 per cent decrease in minimum lead times for fibre multiport terminals (from 20-35 weeks in Summer 2022 to 4-8 weeks as of March 2023)
- 80 per cent decrease in minimum lead times for conduit (from 15-20 weeks in Summer 2022 to 3-7 weeks as of March 2023)
- 64 per cent decrease in minimum lead times for hand holes (from 22-26 weeks in Summer 2022 to 8-14 weeks as of March 2023)
- 67 per cent decrease in minimum lead times for home equipment (from 12-24 weeks in Summer 2022 to 4-10 weeks as of March 2023)
“Our supply chain white paper serves as an important resource for FBA members to mitigate supply chain challenges and accelerate fibre broadband deployments, so it is crucial that we provide the most up-to-date information and strategies,” said Scott Jackson, National Broadband Market Manager at Graybar, Fiber Broadband Association Board Member and Chair of the Supply Chain Working Group. “Beyond statistics, it also provides recommendations on how to pursue stronger partnerships, long-range planning, high-level design optimisation, changing how companies recruit and train their labour force, and smarter technology options to plan and maintain stocking levels.”