September 2022

The Communications Workers of America District 9, in partnership with Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, has been awarded a $5.8 million grant to expand its apprenticeship training programs for fiber technicians at its existing training center in San Jose and three additional sites across California.  Large-scale public investment in broadband will require a statewide workforce of well-trained fiber technicians, which CWA aims to expand by offering high-quality training and financial support for apprentices. These programs will increase awareness and adoption of the apprenticesh

Given the excess of $11 billion that the Federal Communications Commission currently has in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), interested parties--particularly major broadband providers--have inquired whether the FCC will offer another round of award funding. However, for this to be feasible, the FCC would have to engage in a lot of internal review and restructuring of its reverse auction mechanism if it seeks to revitalize the RDOF.