Tonight, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the Thune-Tester amendment to the infrastructure bill, which aims to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications industry. Please attribute the following to WIA President and CEO Jonathan Adelstein.
“WIA is gratified by the overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate for developing the telecommunications workforce. Our contractors are already working at full capacity, so the increased demand created by the $40 billion broadband package will require an increased supply of skilled workers to get the job done quickly, efficiently, and safely. The Senate is now on record backing apprenticeships as an essential way to expand our workforce to speed the deployment of high-speed internet and win the race to 5G. We thank Senators Thune, Tester, Moran, Peters and King for their leadership and for recognizing initiatives like the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program are paving the way to train workers with the skills needed so 5G can created 4.5 million jobs $1.5 trillion in economic growth over the next decade.”
For media inquiries, contact matt.mandel@wia.org.
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About WIA
The Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) represents the businesses that build, own, and operate the nation’s wireless infrastructure. On the federal, state, and local levels, WIA advocates for the widespread, responsible deployment of wireless infrastructure to enable mobile broadband access for communities everywhere.
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