Fiber Connect 2025 was all about moving faster, scaling smarter and reaching further – but at its heart, it was about people. People building networks. People connecting communities. People using broadband to learn, work and thrive. As FBA Chair Ariane Schaffer put it: “This is about the faces behind it all.” Whether it was a live 50G PON demo or a conversation about smarter in-home connectivity, we were there to show how better technology can make a meaningful difference.

Showcasing the future of fiber

We used our time at the show to spotlight three key technologies driving real-world progress and empowering providers to serve people better:

Mosaic One: Our AI-powered, cloud-based platform simplifies operations, sharpens marketing and enhances the subscriber experience – giving providers better visibility, better decision-making and better outcomes for the people they serve.

ALM with deep PON assurance: We showed how our fiber monitoring solution delivers end-to-end visibility, from the network core to the subscriber edge. With deep PON assurance now built in, it offers even greater insight into fiber health and performance – enabling fewer faults, faster fixes and a more reliable service experience.

50G PON: We previewed what’s next for service delivery with a live demo of our SDX 6400 Series 50G PON OLT. While deployments are just beginning, 50G PON is already opening the door to new opportunities for higher-capacity broadband.

We also introduced FiberCX, a new web platform built into our Mosaic One ecosystem. It’s designed to help broadband service providers take control of their digital storefront, making it easier for even small teams to manage their online presence, launch targeted promotions and deliver a more engaging subscriber experience.

During our pre-conference session with EPB, Vantage Point and Corning, we explored how providers can grow, sustain and evolve their networks – and still take a vacation or sleep at night. It all came down to one key theme: building smarter from the start.

Smarter Wi-Fi for smarter homes

As fiber rolls out to more communities, attention is shifting from getting homes connected to making those connections count. That means delivering stronger in-home coverage, streamlining support and ensuring a broadband experience that genuinely improves daily life.

In a panel on the future of smart homes, Robert Conger explored how cloud-managed, AI-driven Wi-Fi – combined with high-performance software-defined gateways – can create tailored, high-performance environments that support everything from home security to intelligent climate control. He also joined a discussion on strengthening middle-mile infrastructure, where he shared insights on how smarter network design can help deliver smoother, more scalable broadband that communities can count on.

Hawaiian Telcom’s response to the devastating Maui wildfires also came into focus, highlighting how broadband infrastructure plays a vital role in public safety and resilience – especially during emergencies.

It takes more than tech to close the gap

Rolling out fiber successfully means dealing with more than just the network. Planning, permitting and community engagement all play a critical role in getting homes connected. At Fiber Connect, I spoke in sessions focused on how providers can better engage stakeholders, from refining messaging to acting on customer feedback. The goal: to help attendees build trust, raise awareness and deliver services faster and more affordably.

One of the most powerful moments came during the Women in Fiber luncheon, where the FBA announced a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to support early childhood literacy. This initiative enables children under five to receive free books each month – and FBA members are helping bring it to more communities.

A triple honor at the FBA Awards

Three members of the Adtran team were recognized at this year’s Fiber Broadband Association Awards, highlighting the depth and impact of our contributions across the industry.

• Paul Breakman was named Advocacy Allstar for his efforts in broadband policy, securing funding and helping shape more equitable, future-ready rollouts across the country.
• I was grateful to receive the Photon Award for volunteer service, in recognition of my continued involvement with FBA initiatives and my work on the Conference Committee.
• Amanda Scherer was honored as a finalist in the Fiber Under Forty category for her work helping service providers get more from Mosaic One and improve subscriber engagement.

These awards speak to more than individual achievement. They reflect how Adtran is supporting real-world progress and deeper collaboration across the broadband ecosystem.

Away from the sessions and awards, there was plenty of time to catch up with friends, partners and new faces. From the barbecue to the karaoke night, it was a reminder that the fiber community isn’t just growing – it’s getting stronger, together.

Thanks to everyone who visited our booth, joined a session or stopped to say hello. Fiber Connect is always about more than technology – it’s about the people behind it. If we missed you this time, we hope to catch you at Fiber Connect 2026.