FBA Presents – From Rural Fiber to AI Frontier: Transforming ISP Infrastructure into Distributed Edge Compute Hubs

As the vacancy rate for data centers hits historic lows, a new wave of digital investment is moving toward secondary and rural markets. Rural ISPs and electric cooperatives are uniquely positioned to capture this demand by repurposing existing assets—including fiber networks, central office “white space,” and substation headroom—into strategic growth opportunities.

This webinar, featuring a panel of industry leaders, will explore the ideas outlined in the recent Fiber Broadband Association white paper, “Opportunities for Rural Providers in the Age of Distributed AI and Edge Compute”. Experts will discuss how to convert latent infrastructure into predictable revenue through eight prioritized business models, ranging from secure edge AI inferencing and GPU leasing to low-risk rack space monetization.

Key discussion topics will include:

• Leveraging Local Assets: How to utilize existing land easements, local community trust, and power substation capacity to move projects from conception to operation in months rather than years.
• The Power-Fiber Convergence: Strategies for managing power intensity and demand stability while using backup generation to improve grid reliability for the local community.
• Building the Ecosystem: The roles of utility providers, manufacturers, and operators in creating a unified approach to distributed data center deployment.
• Strategic Roadmaps: Practical steps for ISPs to assess their current fiber routes, perform scenario planning for AI-driven traffic spikes, and form consortia to meet hyperscale requirements.

Join experts from SCI REMC, Nokia, Panduit, and Hexatronic as they provide a blueprint for rural providers to shape the next wave of distributed compute, ensuring that where fiber leads, the future follows.