Fiber Impact Series
Small Town Doesn’t Mean Small Reach.
Fiber-optic internet gives small businesses and entrepreneurs the same tools, speed, and market access that used to require a metro zip code. The research shows it’s working.
213%
higher business growth in rural counties with high broadband adoption compared to underserved areas.[1]
10%
higher self-employment growth in well-connected rural counties, as fiber lowers barriers to starting a business.[1]
$1.2B
in equity investment and crowdfunding raised by Hamilton County, TN entrepreneurs, with $244M attributed to fiber.[2]
The Fiber Advantage
What changes when a small business gets fiber
The gap between a 25 Mbps DSL connection and a symmetrical gigabit fiber connection isn’t just about speed. It’s about which tools a business can actually use, and how far its market can reach.
E-commerce and online sales
Fiber enables real-time inventory management, high-resolution product photography uploads, and smooth payment processing. A small retailer on fiber can run a Shopify store, process credit cards, and manage shipping from a rural storefront just as effectively as a warehouse in Chicago.
Cloud-based operations
Accounting software, CRM systems, project management, point-of-sale — modern business runs on cloud tools. These applications depend on fast, symmetrical upload and download speeds. Fiber's equal upload and download capacity means cloud operations run without the bottlenecks cable and DSL impose.
Video and virtual sales
Selling to clients three states away, giving virtual tours, running video consultations — these are table stakes now. Fiber supports HD video without lag or dropped calls, letting small businesses present professionally without needing a physical presence in every market they serve.
Hiring beyond your zip code
A business in Elkhart can hire a specialist in Indianapolis, or anywhere. Fiber enables reliable remote collaboration, shared file access, and real-time communication. It widens the talent pool for small businesses that previously had to recruit from a 30-mile radius.
Digital payments and POS
Card readers, contactless payments, and integrated POS systems all require fast, stable connectivity. Slow or dropped connections during a transaction cost sales. Fiber keeps payment systems running smoothly, even during peak traffic.
AI and digital marketing
AI-powered tools for marketing, customer service, and operations are becoming standard. These tools require consistent, high-bandwidth connectivity to function. Fiber gives small businesses access to the same AI and automation capabilities that larger competitors use.
Research-Backed Evidence
What the data shows
Multiple independent studies have measured the relationship between fiber availability and small business outcomes. The pattern is consistent across different geographies and community sizes.
Rural Broadband Study
A 2024 study by the Center on Rural Innovation examined three community types: underserved areas, those with basic broadband, and those with fiber from community-based providers.
Rural counties with high broadband adoption (over 80%) showed 213% higher business growth, 10% higher self-employment growth, and 44% higher GDP growth compared to underserved areas. Counties with the lowest adoption saw more business closures and population decline.
Charlottesville, VA
Charlottesville's fiber build produced measurably higher Digital Micro Business Density — a GoDaddy-derived metric tracking active online businesses per capita — compared to similarly sized Virginia cities.
The FBA study noted that even if fiber is responsible for only a portion of that density increase, the resulting impact on median pay and GDP per capita is meaningful. A separate 2024 study found that gigabit-speed areas saw more new business formation than comparable areas with only 100 Mbps service.
Chattanooga, TN
Hamilton County entrepreneurs raised $1.2 billion in equity investment and crowdfunding during the decade after the EPB fiber network launched. The study attributed $244 million of that directly to the fiber infrastructure.
Chattanooga also produced about 10% of Kickstarter's crowdfunded projects during the study period — a higher share than any other Southeastern city. The fiber network gave local entrepreneurs the connectivity to launch, market, and scale businesses nationally.
Community Impact
What fiber means for local businesses and Main Street
Every small business that grows, hires, or expands its customer base because of fiber connectivity feeds the broader local economy. The effects compound across the community.
Local businesses with national reach
A specialty manufacturer in Plymouth, a consulting firm in Momence, a craft producer in Howell — fiber lets each of them sell nationally and globally without relocating. Revenue that would have required a metro office now flows into the local community.
More startups, more jobs
Research consistently shows that fiber availability correlates with higher rates of new business formation. Each new business that opens represents not just the founder's income, but potential employees, vendor relationships, and tax revenue that stays local.
Economic resilience
Communities with diverse small business ecosystems are more economically resilient than those dependent on one or two large employers. Fiber supports that diversity by lowering the cost of entry for new businesses and enabling existing ones to adapt and grow.
Filling vacant storefronts
Fiber-connected commercial space is more attractive to modern tenants. Whether it's a coworking space, a tech-enabled service business, or a maker studio, fiber-ready properties attract the kinds of tenants that revitalize downtown corridors and Main Streets.
"Broadband infrastructure plays a critical role in economic development, and Surf’s investment in Grant County supports our efforts to connect residents, students, and businesses across the region. We appreciate their commitment to being part of this community for the long haul."
Chuck Binkerd
Executive Director, Economic Growth Council,
Grant County, IN
"Surf has been a consistent presence in our broadband efforts. Their boots-on-the-ground approach, community involvement, and investment in rural Whitley County make them a natural partner in closing our digital divide."
Theresa Baysinger
Commissioner,
Whitley County, IN
"For communities our size, infrastructure like this makes all the difference. Fiber internet keeps us competitive with larger cities, while making sure our residents and businesses don’t have to leave town to find the opportunities they deserve."
Chuck Steele
Mayor,
Momence, IL
"We are excited to welcome Surf Internet to the Sparta community. Having additional reliable, high-speed internet options is a great benefit for both our residents and our businesses. We are pleased to have Surf Internet as a valued member of our business community and wish them much success here in Sparta."
Jim Lower
Village Manager,
Sparta, MI
"Expanding reliable and affordable access to the internet is essential to the citizens of Porter County. Through expansion of their infrastructure and enhancements to their network, Surf has been heavily investing in Porter County."
Jesse Butz
Director, Porter County Public Library System,
Portage, IN
"On behalf of the City of Howell, I’m very happy to welcome Surf Internet to our community. They will expand high-speed fiber internet throughout the county, enhancing our quality of life and helping in our efforts to attract new residents and businesses to the area."
Bob Ellis
Mayor,
Howell, MI
The Fiber Impact Series
Explore the full impact of fiber on communities
Ready to explore what fiber can do
for your community?
Talk with Surf’s community development team about partnership models, deployment timelines, and how fiber infrastructure can support your local economic growth goals.