WASHINGTON—The Improving Minority Participation and Careers in Telecommunications (IMPACT) Act has been introduced into the Senate by Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). The bill is designed to provide funds to minority-serving institutions to develop job training programs for students.

The IMPACT Act would create the Telecommunications Workforce Training Grant Program, which would provide $100 million in grants from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and other minority-serving institutions for these training and education programs. NTIA would be required to split the grants up equally, with at least 30% going to HBCUs and at least another 30% to TCUs. The bill would also require that schools apply for grants in order to partner with industry organizations to develop these programs. 

The grants could be used to hire and train faculty, design and develop the curriculum, pay for costs associated with instruction, fund internships and apprenticeships, and recruit and support students.

Other elements of the IMPACT Act require schools include a plan to increase female participation in the program and require reporting to ensure schools are using the funds as required, that students are being trained appropriately and that students are securing work in telecommunications.

“There are thousands of vacant jobs that are needed to deploy broadband networks, but we do not have a trained workforce to fill them,” said Sen. Wicker. “HBCUs and TCUs can help fill these jobs by providing career-specific opportunities for students. The IMPACT Act would support these institutions in developing telecommunications-related career building programs that will help bridge the digital divide.”

Congress previously introduced other legislation that sought to address the workforce gap in telecommunications.

NATE President and CEO Todd Schlekeway commended the bipartisan bill, saying that it “recognizes the critical importance of promoting educational and employment opportunities in the telecommunications field, which is so essential to the nation’s economy, competitiveness, security and vital communications capabilities.”

The full bill is available to read online. 

WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives is about to put its two cents in on expanding the telecommunications workforce, as the bipartisan Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act has officially been introduced.

The bill was crafted by Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, with the stated goal of developing a workforce equipped to deploy 5G technology and broadband infrastructure in underserved communities. Companion legislation, also bipartisan, was introduced last week in the Senate.

The Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act would:

• Establish an FCC-led interagency working group that would be tasked with developing recommendations to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry;
• Require the FCC, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to issue guidance on how states can address the workforce shortage in the telecommunications industry by identifying all of the federal resources currently available to them that can be used for workforce development efforts; and  
• Direct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study to determine the specific number of skilled telecommunications workers that will be required to build and maintain broadband infrastructure in rural areas and 5G wireless infrastructure needs to support 5G wireless technology. 

“Deploying next generation technologies and developing a skilled workforce are critical objectives that go hand-in-hand,” said Walberg. “As rural communities experience the increasing need for high-speed broadband access, the demand for a qualified workforce to build out this infrastructure is greater than ever. I am pleased to collaborate on this bipartisan, bicameral effort to help close the skills gap, expand opportunities for good-paying jobs, and bridge the digital divide.”

“Today’s workforce must meet the need for the ever-advancing telecom industrial revolution. Women and people of color continue to face dramatic underrepresentation in this industry. This must change immediately,” said Clarke. “I am committed to championing legislation addressing workforce inequities. Ensuring an equitable workforce in our country’s race to 5G will benefit all Americans. I am proud to lead this bipartisan effort to combat workforce inequities in the telecom industry."

The proposed Telecommunications Act already has industry support.

“NATE believes that the provisions outlined in the bipartisan Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act can serve as a springboard to fostering greater collaboration between the federal government, state workforce boards, higher education and private sector companies to accomplish the ultimate goal of developing a future pipeline of skilled technicians that the country sorely needs to meet its ambitious broadband and 5G deployment objectives,” said Todd Schlekeway, president and CEO of NATE.

“As we are all focused on expanding connectivity and helping Americans find jobs, now is the perfect time to support workforce development in the telecommunications industry. NTCA thanks Reps. Walberg and Clarke for introducing the Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act,” added Shirley Bloomfield, chief executive officer, NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association. 

WASHINGTON—NATE welcomed the introduction of the Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act in the Senate earlier this week, believing that it could be a “springboard” for developing future telecom technicians.

The Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act was introduced in the Senate on Feb. 2 by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), all of which are on the Senate Committee of Commerce, Science and Transportation. A previous version of the bill was crafted last year, but did not make it out of committee.

The bill would have the federal government and states create an interagency working group and require a GAO assessment of the workforce needs estimated to deploy broadband infrastructure to rural areas and support the installation of 5G wireless technology.

Recently, 11 industry organizations sent a joint letter to the White House and Congress urging support for broadband-related job skills development as part of any infrastructure legislation. NATE believes that this new bill is acknowledgment of the need to address telecom workforce issues.

“[I]t is great to see this bi-partisan group of U.S. Senators come out of the gate strong in the 117th Congress through the introduction of this legislation,” said Todd Schlekewy, president and CEO of NATE. “NATE believes that the provisions outlined in the Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act can serve as a springboard to fostering greater collaboration between the federal government, state workforce boards, higher education and industry to accomplish the ultimate goal of developing a future pipeline of skilled technicians that the country sorely needs to meet its ambitious broadband and 5G deployment objectives.”

More information on the Telecommunications Skilled Workforce Act is available online. 

LONDON—Cord cutting will continue to hit the pockets of the pay-TV industry over the new few years, as new projections from GlobalData indicated that pay-TV revenue is expected to drop from $94.4 billion in 2019 to $84 billion by 2024.

This comes from a new report published by GlobalData that looks at U.S. telecom and pay-TV service revenue. However, despite the $10 billion loss of pay-TV revenue, GlobalData still projects that there will be overall growth, with total service revenue reaching $419.4 billion by 2024.

As projections stand now for the telecommunications and pay-TV industry, revenue in 2019 will reach $404.5 billion, which would represent a 0.5% decline from 2018’s results. This loss is mainly attributed to declining revenues from mobile and fixed-voice data communications. However, the compound annual growth rate of the total service revenue is expected to be 0.7%, which would get the industry to the $419 billion mark.

Mobile data is expected to be the chief driver for this growth for telecom service revenue, going from $131.2 billion in 2019 to $194.6 billion in 2024 as smartphone subscriptions increase, there’s more demand for mobile services and adoption of 5G services.

Fixed broadband is also expected to see a CAGR of 4% in the next five years thanks to the adoption of ultrafast broadband service connections.

GlobalData has more information on the report on its website.