Fiber Broadband Association Introduces “Fran” AI-Driven Industry Knowledge Tool

Fiber Broadband Association Introduces “Fran” AI-Driven Industry Knowledge Tool  

New AI tool designed for industry stakeholders to accelerate fiber research, planning, and decision-making 

ORLANDO, FLA.— (May 18, 2026)—Today at Fiber Connect 2026, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced the beta launch of its new AI-powered, industry knowledge tool, “Fran” (Fiber Resource Access Node). Designed to support the entire fiber broadband ecosystem, the platform leverages artificial intelligence to serve as a unified access layer for FBA’s research, data, and educational resources—fundamentally changing how the industry finds and uses information.  

Fran was built as a centralized interface for FBA content and allows users to ask questions and receive source-cited, verifiable answers drawn exclusively from the Association’s reports, webinars, website content, and other materials. Because the platform is grounded solely in FBA-validated resources, it minimizes the risk of hallucinations while increasing confidence in the accuracy of responses. By eliminating the need to manually search through fragmented reports, disconnected webinars, and hundreds of documents spread across multiple sources, Fran helps users quickly find relevant information and apply it to their work.  

With thousands of broadband providers, utilities, municipalities, and ecosystem partners navigating fiber deployment, stakeholders are increasingly reliant on timely access to trusted information spanning construction, permitting, funding, policy, and customer adoption. Fran is designed to meet this need, transforming how the industry accesses and applies FBA’s extensive knowledge base. 

“Fran represents a fundamental shift in how our industry accesses information,” said Gary Bolton, President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association. “Instead of searching for answers stakeholders can now interact directly with FBA’s collective knowledge, getting faster, more reliable insights to guide real world decisions.” 

Fran is focused on helping users: 

• Instantly surface answers to industry questions using FBA-validated data and research 

• Access relevant reports, webinars, and resources through a single, intuitive interface 

• Streamline research and reduce time spent navigating fragmented information sources 

• Uncover emerging industry questions and knowledge gaps to inform future research and education 

Members at Fiber Connect 2026 will have the opportunity to see the platform in action and provide input as FBA continues to refine the tool. The beta version is available exclusively to FBA members at [hyperlink], with broader availability planned following the beta program. Feedback from members will help shape future enhancements and general availability.  

For more information on Fiber Connect 2026 visit fiberconnect.fiberbroadband.org. To stay up to date on all events and research subscribe to FBA’s Fiber Forward Weekly newsletter here.