Press Release
☷Connecting Neighbors to High Speed Internet Service in Rural Texas
U.S. Department of Commerce ( By Press Release office)
Sep 27,2023
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In August , I had a great time visiting Totelcom ' s offices and training facilities in De Leon , Texas . Totelcom is a small , family - owned telecom provider that serves the town of De Leon and nearby communities . When we arrived after a long two - hour drive from Dallas , it was scorching hot at 112 degrees . Despite the crazy heat , the visit gave me a glimpse into the work and challenges faced by rural providers in Texas , which can be very different across such a huge state . I even got to try my hand at some fieldwork by wearing a cowboy - hat - shaped hard hat and sitting on a cable plow . It was a cool way to see what new employees go through . Totelcom has this great on - the - job training program where they pair new employees with experienced staff who show them the ropes and offer mentorship . This kind of hands - on learning helps people develop skills that employers really value , but are often hard to learn in a classroom . It also helps break down barriers for people who may not have a lot of education or work experience , because they can start working while they learn . As we work towards President Biden ' s goal of bringing reliable , affordable , high - speed Internet to every part of America , we ' re going to need a skilled workforce , including technicians , equipment operators , and engineers . Each state and territory will have its own approach to meeting this demand , but it ' s important to understand the needs of local internet providers . Secretary Raimondo always says that we can ' t just "train and hope" people find jobs . The industry needs to be involved from the beginning , helping to create training programs and committing to hiring program graduates . In places where local employers already have training programs in place , state and territory broadband offices can focus on supporting recruitment efforts and building a talent pool for the industry . Last year , NTIA put out a Workforce Planning Guide to help organizations in the Broadband Equity , Access , and Deployment ( BEAD ) Program develop their workforce plans . The guide offers steps and suggestions to meet program requirements , but it also includes examples of fair training and workforce development efforts from all over the country . Even though my crash course was brief , I was really impressed by the pride and dedication of the Totelcom technicians I met . Their work helps their neighbors get online , which allows them to access new educational and professional opportunities , stay connected with loved ones , and receive important telehealth services . And not only do they have the satisfaction of providing quality service , but they also know that if they don ' t , their neighbors will definitely let them know about it when they bump into each other at the store . As states and territories continue to make plans to ensure a well - trained and diverse workforce for BEAD implementation , NTIA will keep offering technical support and sharing successful strategies from the field . While we hope the scorching hot days will go away as we move into fall , our efforts to support a modern telecommunications workforce are just beginning . Bureaus and Offices National Telecommunications and Information Administration Tags Broadband .
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