Labor

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Announces $133 Million Available Through the Broadband Opportunity Program

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) commited $133 million in funding to broadband Internet projects in the second application cycle through the Broadband Opportunity Program. The program was created to expand broadband Internet service to unserved areas of this state, which will encourage job creation, capital investment, and the strengthening and diversification of local economies.

Ohio ‘ahead of the game’ with broadband workforce training, says Lt. Gov

Like most states, Ohio has its own approach to bolstering broadband accessibility. One area where Ohio is seeing progress, Lt. Governor Jon Husted (R-OH) said, is in enhancing its broadband workforce. Lt. Gov Husted, who also leads Ohio’s Office of Workforce Transformation, explained Ohio State University (OSU) has developed a curriculum for 5G and high-speed internet expansion, which can be used by other colleges and universities as well as the private sector.

Impact of Prevailing Wages

Broadband providers have been complaining that the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program rules are adding a lot of cost to building broadband networks. One of the issues adding the most cost to BEAD-funded networks is the requirement that all construction be done using prevailing wages. That means wages that are paid at Davis-Bacon wage levels—to include benefits.

Tech industry keeps outracing the government

While CEOs of the companies leading the AI wave met at the White House on May 4, the leaders of the Biden administration's antitrust campaign against tech giants were also gathering for a stock-taking a few blocks away. In each arena, the industry has so far lapped its would-be regulators — but at least with AI, the race is still young.

Buy America and BEAD

In the State of the Union speech earlier in 2023, President Biden made it clear that he wants to see the monies spent on infrastructure projects follow the Buy America rules. The law says that purchasing funded by the US government should have a preference for using American-made products. The rules allow for waivers from this provision, but the presumption is that without a waiver that American goods must be used.

Hearing from the American People: How Are Automated Tools Being Used to Surveil, Monitor, and Manage Workers?

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is releasing a public request for information (RFI) to learn more about the automated tools used by employers to surveil, monitor, evaluate, and manage workers. The RFI seeks to advance our understanding of the design, deployment, prevalence, and impacts of these automated technologies. Employers are increasingly investing in technologies that monitor and track workers, and making workplace decisions based on that information. Through this RFI, we hope to gather:

TIA CEO: BEAD hinges on workforce and waivers

Workforce and waivers. Those were two of the key themes and indeed the potential stumbling blocks for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program deployments, said TIA CEO Dave Stehlin. Now that the US government has issued a waiver for its Middle Mile grant program, the prospect of forthcoming relief for the BEAD program seems more promising. The waivers in question relate to Buy American requirements associated with the Middle Mile and BEAD programs.

The U.S.’s $42.5 Billion High-Speed Internet Plan Hits a Snag: A Worker Shortage

The federal government is missing a crucial link in its plan to greatly expand access to high-speed internet service in rural America: enough workers to get the job done. Fiber splicers—the workers who install, maintain and repair wired broadband networks—are in short supply. “We’re running around like chickens with our heads cut off,” says Jason Jolly, chief executive of Fiberscope LLC, a Sullivan (MO)-based company that does contracted fiber-splicing work.

State Governments Continue to Add Digital Equity Staff

A  wave of states has recently created new full-time positions to work on digital inclusion and digital equity.

How much will shipping costs impact rural broadband builds?

Operators across the board have already flagged rising deployment costs related to inflation, geopolitical issues, and labor shortages. And it’s no secret that shipping delays of all stripes have plagued construction projects across the nation since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Between international shipping container delays, shortages of truckers, the steady climb of the price of diesel, and rising interest rates from the Federal Reserve, it would seem that telecom is slated to take a serious hit in costs

Bringing FTTH Broadband to Remote and Rugged Areas

Years of working on deployments with varying geographic issues and operational challenges have imparted valuable lessons about timely project execution despite uncontrollable variables. Here are seven best practices and the stories behind them:

Aspen Institute Introduces its 2023 Digital Equity Accelerator Cohort

The Aspen Institute and HP Inc. announced the selection of ten not-for-profit organizations and non-governmental organizations in Malaysia, Mexico, and South Africa for the 2023 Digital Equity Accelerator. Each organization is working toward the digital inclusion of marginalized populations and, with the support of the Accelerator, is poised to expand its reach and impact over the next six months. Selected organizations include:

Communities Thrive on Fiber

Fiber-optic broadband networks offer faster and more reliable internet services, promoting economic growth, remote work, and telemedicine opportunities in communities across the US. Successful fiber network deployments have been reported in several cities and towns. While the initial investment for fiber networks is high, they offer long-term cost savings by reducing maintenance and upgrade needs. Communities can benefit from improved access to information and resources with the help of fiber networks, which can keep them competitive in the digital age.

After federal investment, supply chain jams and labor shortages still hinder tribal broadband access

In 2020, 18 percent of people living on tribal lands had no way to sign up for broadband internet service, according to the American Indian Policy Institute. That’s compared to 4 percent in the rest of the country. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing broadband disparities on tribal lands in the US. While federal funding has been allocated to address the issue, supply chain issues and labor shortages have slowed progress. The broadband infrastructure on tribal lands is often outdated and underfunded, making it difficult for residents to access online resources and services.

Biden-Harris Administration To Give $80 Million in Funding for Pathways To "Good Infrastructure Jobs"

To maximize the impact of the Biden-Harris administration’s historic infrastructure, manufacturing, and clean energy investments, the US Department of Labor announced the availability of $80 million in funding through its Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program. The Investing in America agenda, which includes legislation such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act, is creating millions of good-paying jobs in renewable energy, transportation, and broadband infrastructure sectors, and the Biden-Harris administrat

US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo Announces Fiber Manufacturing Expansions in North Carolina

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) requires the use of Made-in-America materials and products for federally funded infrastructure projects including high-speed Internet deployment in America. As a result, two key manufacturers near Hickory, North Carolina, announced new investments and partnerships. CommScope and Corning are investing a combined nearly $550 million and creating hundreds of new jobs in America to build the fiber optic cables that will help close the digital divide. CommScope announced an additional $47 million investment towards expanding its U.S.

Minnesota broadband director talks weather and topography challenges, funding strategies

Despite Minnesota being known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” it’s not short of geographical constraints when it comes to building broadband. Bree Maki, director of Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development, said the state has some key deployment challenges, including weather and workforce constraints.

ChatGPT is about to revolutionize the economy. We need to decide what that looks like.

Whether it’s based on hallucinatory beliefs or not, an artificial-intelligence gold rush has started over the last several months to mine the anticipated business opportunities from generative AI models like ChatGPT. App developers, venture-backed startups, and some of the world’s largest corporations are all scrambling to make sense of the sensational text-generating bot released by OpenAI in November 2022. But while companies and executives see a clear chance to cash in, the likely impact of the technology on workers and the economy, on the whole, is far less obvious.

WIA Partners with Ashland University to Offer Broadband and 5G Training to Incarcerated Individuals

The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) entered a new partnership with Ashland University (OH) to help approximately 140 incarcerated individuals, who are eligible for release within 12 months, prepare for careers in broadband and 5G this spring and summer.

Breaking barriers in fiber fieldwork

Tonya Felsinger spent more than half her life working in the food service industry. She obtained her GED a few years ago, and her GED teacher and an administrator at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) encouraged her to try the school’s new fiber technician training course.

Kansas Gets $15 Million in Digital Equity Funds from Treasury

The US Treasury Department awarded Kansas $15 million for digital equity work, with the money going toward public Wi-Fi, digital skills training, and more. In addition, 20 other states have applied for digital equity funding from the same source, with other awards expected to be made soon. “Kansas is just the first of many more to come,” said Joseph Wender director of the Treasury Department's Capital Projects Fund (CPF), which is part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Better Broadband, Better Work: How America’s Excellent Internet Enables a Connected Workplace

The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of remote working enabled by a robust broadband infrastructure. The objective was to find out the effects of remote working on quality of life and in reducing emissions before and during the pandemic. We found broadband-enabled remote working to significantly increase the quality time of workers, defined as the time spent with family members. When higher remote working frequency occurs (three working days and more), the net reduction in emissions seems to prevail.

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) Reintroduces Legislation To Help Communities Expand Broadband Infrastructure

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) reintroduced the "Broadband Incentives for Communities Act," which creates a grant program to provide local and state governments with the resources to facilitate, modernize, and streamline broadband upgrades and deployment. In order to upgrade and expand broadband infrastructure, local governments work with private wireless companies to build out the necessary technology across communities. This requires these companies to submit zoning and permitting applications, but many wireless technology applications often do not fit the traditional governmental r

Corporate Broadband at Home

One of the broadband products that quietly emerged during the pandemic is a suite of products that enable corporate broadband to safely be used at home. IT directors of large companies were aghast when a large percentage of staff were sent home to work and instantly wanted full access to the same systems and functionality that they used in the office. One of the key linchpins of corporate data security has always been to limit access to corporate networks from outside the physical confines of the office.