Connecting neighbors to high-speed Internet service in rural Texas

In August, I had the pleasure of visiting Totelcom’s—a family-owned, rural telecommunications provider—offices and training facilities in De Leon, Texas. The visit provided insight into the work and challenges of rural providers, and how much those challenges can vary across a state as vast and geographically diverse as Texas. Totelcom trains its workers on the job by partnering new employees with more experienced staff who show them the ropes and provide valuable mentorship. Work-based learning opportunities allow participants to develop skills that employers value but may be hard to learn in a classroom. They can also lower barriers to entry by allowing employers to bring on individuals with less educational or professional experience prior to taking the job and allow new workers to earn a paycheck while being trained. As we work to accomplish President Joe Biden’s goal of expanding reliable, affordable, high-speed internet service to every corner of America, we’re going to need a skilled workforce, including thousands of new technicians, equipment operators, and engineers. Preparing for that workforce demand will look different for each state and territory, but understanding the workforce needs of local internet service providers is critical.  

[Kevin Gallagher is a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo]