Mears cautions fiber hopefuls to engage construction firms early

Mears is a division of Quanta that provides construction services for fiber broadband deployment projects. Mears Group President Trent Edwards says the construction costs for a fiber deployment will account for about 70 percent of the total deployment cost. He said that percentage has been historically true and continues to be accurate as scores of companies gear up for Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) funds that will support new fiber projects across the US. He also warns that it’s really important to engage with construction companies early to ensure that projects stay on schedule and on budget. Edwards said there are a lot of people getting involved in this “Great Build” that is about to take place that have never historically been involved in building broadband networks. Among the novices, he includes many of the folks who have only recently been placed in roles at state broadband offices, along with the small staff at local permitting offices who may not realize what’s about to hit them. “I’m absolutely concerned about labor,” said Edwards. “That’s an issue. The workforce that’s currently out there it’s obviously going through its maturation. It’s not sexy work. We’re spending a lot of time recruiting and training. That’s our answer, and we think that should be everybody’s answer.”