Sens Gardner, Sinema Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Connect Americans to Broadband, Jobs

Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), members of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced the TOWER Infrastructure Deployment Act (TOWER Act) to increase broadband deployment and close the workforce shortage in the telecommunications industry. The TOWER Act requires the Federal Communications Commission to improve and streamline workforce development programs to prepare for next-generation communications infrastructure. Companion legislation in the House would a Telecommunications Workforce Development Advisory Council to advise the FCC on:

• the needs of the workforce in the communications industry to promote the deployment of communications facility installations;
• ways to encourage participation in industry-led workforce development programs; and
• ways to improve workforce development in the communications industry.