Looking ahead: Building up the fiber workforce

Fiber network deployments in the US, while hitting a bit of a slowdown, are proceeding apace and will ramp up significantly as grants start to roll out from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program in 2025. But for BEAD to succeed, experts say states and service providers need to make workforce development a priority in early 2024. Research released by the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) this year estimates that up to 205,000 fiber optic technicians will be needed over the next five years, in addition to thousands of additional engineers and construction workers. Deborah Kish, vice president of research and workforce development at the FBA, said "Workforce development in the broadband industry is in dire straits and change needs to happen now; we have a lot of catching up to do."