With the federal government’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program in full swing, service providers and states that have received funding are now getting ready to build broadband services to unserved and underserved communities.
Industry experts estimate that BEAD broadband buildouts will go into effect in 2025. However, they lack qualified labor to perform network installations and meet the government’s deployment timeline.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the telecom workforce has shrunk by 23% between 2013 and 2023, with an average turnover of more than 50% in construction and utilities.
However, there’s an opportunity to recruit a new generation of installers and technicians. Vendors, service providers, labor unions, and industry advocacy groups like the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA)—are creating programs to offer the necessary training.
When I think about creating a new workforce, telecom veterans like Frank Arce, Vice President at CWA District 9, come to mind. Having spent nearly 40 years working as a technician for AT&T and predecessor companies Pacific Bell and SBC—Arce likens the broadband push to the build-out of the public switched telephone network (PSTN),
CWA secured $7 million in grants from the Department of Labor for worker-driven apprenticeship programs created by President Biden’s multi-billion-dollar infrastructure investments
“We’re working with community colleges, but the big dream is to launch an apprenticeship program to train the youth so they can understand the technology and get good jobs,” he said.
Besides fiber broadband service, the next-gen workforce will be able to address new sensor applications, from monitoring cicadas to locating new energy sources. We’ll also address next-gen ONUs and how fixed wireless and fiber threaten the cable industry’s hold on broadband subscriber growth.
To build this workforce, the broadband industry must take a multi-pronged approach to prepare for this new moment.
Sean Buckley
Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategies of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report across their websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products.