Building a Skilled Workforce for Broadband Expansion: A Comprehensive Approach

In today's digital age, the availability of reliable high-speed internet access is crucial for communities to thrive and compete in the global economy. If we learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is how essential it is to have reliable broadband access connecting Americans to work, education, healthcare, communities, and the world. Fiber broadband is a catalyst for economic growth and supports remote work opportunities, quality education, and improved healthcare services.

Approximately 42 million Americans do not currently have access to reliable internet. To address this gap in broadband coverage, the Broadband Equity and Deployment (BEAD) initiative aims to bring high-speed internet to the estimated 13.1 million unserved and underserved communities in the country.

The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) estimates that more than 200,000 new jobs will need to be created to handle the demand from the expected growth in the Telecommunications industry resulting from the BEAD initiative, particularly for the fiber optic technicians needed to ensure successful fiber broadband infrastructure deployment nationwide. 

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