Addressing the Workforce Needs of the Telecommunications Industry

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Congress has allocated many billions of dollars to states, territories and Tribal lands to extend the reach of broadband, including over $42 billion in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In February 2021, a bipartisan group of senators (1) introduced the Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act, legislation to address the shortage of trained workers necessary to fill jobs in the telecommunications industry in communities throughout the country. The bill won praise from NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, the Wireless Infrastructure Industry, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, USTelecom, CTIA, and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association. The Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act is included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The law calls for an official estimate for the number of skilled telecommunications workers needed in the US, a collaborative effort to craft recommendations addressing workforce needs, and guidance on how states can help.

[Kevin Taglang is the Executive Editor at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.]


Addressing the Workforce Needs of the Telecommunications Industry