Viasat Expands Into Fiber Internet

Viasat, one of the oldest satellite internet providers, has announced plans to begin offering high-speed fiber internet connections in Escondido, California. Viasat is partnering with SiFi Networks, a developer of open-access fiber infrastructure, to break into the market of fiber-to-the-home internet service, with the first homes able to connect later this year.

This expansion into non-satellite connections is an interesting move by Viasat at a time when the satellite internet market is going through a period of unprecedented change and innovation. It will also place Viasat at the cutting edge of the two most dynamic fields in telecommunications. It could also be good news for tech enthusiasts, especially if you live in Escondido.

We’re going to go through what we know so far and what this could mean for internet users.

Open-access fiber network

One of the biggest challenges for internet users in the U.S., especially those who live in suburban and rural areas, is the lack of infrastructure. Although many providers have been rapidly expanding their fiber networks, it’s easier to justify the building costs if you know you’re going to be the only game in town. This cold financial calculus has left Americans with very few options for internet providers in their area.

One way to bring more options to internet customers is to build open-access fiber networks. Instead of one internet service provider (ISP) laying down fiber networks that only its customers can use, open-access networks can be used by multiple providers, depending on what the residents in that area choose. States like New York have made substantial investments into open-access networks to bring internet access to a greater number of their citizens and to give those citizens greater consumer choice.

By building an open-access network in Escondido, large telecom companies like Viasat with decades of experience in providing internet access can expand into fiber connections without having to build their own proprietary fiber network from scratch.

Innovating in Escondido

The new Viasat fiber network in Escondido will be a citywide network offering speeds up to 10Gbps, which puts it on par with the fastest fiber providers in the country right out of the gate. The approach of wiring an entire city for high-speed fiber internet is reminiscent of the Google Fiber cities of the 2010s. Although Google Fiber only reached a tiny fraction of the U.S. population, it set off a race among internet providers to move away from their aging cable and DSL networks and start investing in fiber infrastructure. Today, over 45% of U.S. households have access to gigabit fiber internet.

Less than half an hour’s drive from Viasat’s Carlsbad headquarters, Escondido’s fiber project also seems poised to push the expectations of residential internet. With the stated goals of futureproofing the area and boosting its economy, local residents should be able to expect faster, cheaper internet speeds than ever before.

The project also features a few innovations that go above and beyond what Google Fiber was doing in 2011. Early Google Fiber cities like Kansas City became hubs for tech workers, which led to a rush of other internet providers expanding their networks in the city. With an open-access fiber network, it will be much easier for additional providers to move into the city, and Escondido residents won’t have to put up with nearly as much construction.

SiFi Networks is also highlighting the ability that this new network will give Escondido and its residents to make use of “Smart City” features. For example, the city will be able to offer public Wi-Fi in high-traffic areas, coordinate waste management with real-time data, and improve traffic management. Residents will be able to use Smart City apps to pay for parking and to monitor information like their water usage.

Although this is the first partnership between SiFi Networks and Viasat, SiFi has worked on many similar projects across California, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The future of fiber internet

The way we use the internet has changed a lot since fiber-to-the-home connections became common. It used to take a pretty fancy internet connection just to watch 480p video on your desktop computer. Now you can watch 4K video on your phone while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store.

Most of us would struggle to actually use 10 gigs of bandwidth at any given time, but the ability to deliver those speeds to every household in an entire city is still impressive. I’m sure that the innovations being pursued by SiFi and Viasat in Escondido, and by other providers across the nation, will shape the way we use the internet in the future.

Perhaps more importantly, projects like this go a long way to expanding fiber access and helping communities overcome the digital divide. Hopefully, we’ll continue to see more of these projects announced in the future.