We're on the precipice of a fiber installation boom that we've never seen before. Federal monies are now being spent for new fiber networks around the country through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). At the same time, NTIA and the 56 states and territories are gearing up to spend
One of the emerging themes from this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 highlighted corporate investment in technology to reduce the dependence upon human labor, using a combination of the cloud, AI, and robotics to make people a "nice to have" rather than a necessary component in the delivery of goods and services. As utopian as it sounds, many industries, including those building the future-proof networks of tomorrow, are long and expensive ways away from having Mr. Roboto bury, pull, install, and splice fiber.
Human hands and human beings are and shall remain at the tip of the spear for installations, as well as the long pole of the spear to move fiber into the neighborhoods and to the side of the home. The name of the game for fiber network construction is not to eliminate people, but to give them the tools, knowledge, and skills for them to be the most effective and efficient at their jobs.
Investing in training and certification as an ongoing process is vital and paramount, providing a skills growth path for employees from the time they are onboarded day one and throughout their career.
Time is money, especially when that time is spent on a truck roll to the field. Every person in the field needs to be at the top of their game. The more they know about the products and technology they are installing, the more efficiently they can turn up customers and provide the best solution to meet the needs of the moment. An investment in training is an investment not only in faster revenue production and quicker repairs when the time comes but also an investment in the communities served by the fiber connections. The question is, do you have a workforce training investment plan today?
Kevin leads the marketing efforts for Clearfield as Chief Marketing Officer. He joined the fiber company in 2016, leveraging his extensive experience in advanced communications technology, fiber optic systems, and business product marketing. Prior to joining Clearfield, he spent two decades serving in various senior marketing positions at ADTRAN. Before that, he spent a decade at telephone operating company BellSouth, now a part of
Morgan currently serves on the
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