- N.M.’s Free Workforce Program
- BEAD Proposals Approved Amid Controversy
- State of the AI Network
- State Bills Address Broadband
- Charlotte, N.C., Program Addresses Divide
N.M.’S FREE WORKFORCE PROGRAM
The New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) has launched a free, statewide workforce program to build skills within the broadband industry.
Although nationwide broadband expansion is expected to create jobs, industry officials are grappling with challenges related to the necessary workforce to deploy planned broadband projects. Governments including Ohio and others are investing in skilling individuals for the field, and now New Mexico has followed suit.
New Mexico’s workforce development program will offer internationally recognized certificates. The classes and workshops, which kicked off this week, are free to participants; the program is paid for by the U.S. Congress and administered by OBAE.
The courses, held monthly across the state, will include five days of hands-on training. Participants can explore workshops and classes in the following areas: introductory installation, optical fiber installation, copper-based cabling installation, and technician training.
“This program will help train New Mexicans for good-paying jobs, strengthen our workforce, and connect our state to affordable, reliable Internet,” Sen. Ben Ray Luján said in a statement.
OBAE teamed up with the state’s Department of Workforce Solutions to create the three-year program, which is funded by a $1.99 million federal grant made possible by the Fiscal Year 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act. OBAE contracted with Building Industry Consulting Service International, a professional association that will provide lab and teaching equipment, workbooks, and tools.
New Mexico’s 2024-2027 workforce plan highlighted broadband expansion as one of the key sectors helping to modernize the state’s infrastructure. The state plan called for targeted outreach, education and training programs to grow the broadband workforce.
Class information can be found on the Connect New Mexico website.
BEAD PROPOSALS APPROVED AMID CONTROVERSY
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce said that it has approved 50 out of 56 final proposals from states and U.S. territories through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth, who is also assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information, made the announcement Monday at the State of the Net conference, which is hosted by the Internet Education Foundation.
The six final proposals still pending approval come from Alaska; California; Illinois; Oklahoma; Washington; and Washington, D.C. All states initially saw their final proposals approved in January 2025, prior to program changes unveiled in June 2025 that impacted the program’s implementation timeline.
NTIA held a listening session on Wednesday to gather input as to how BEAD non-deployment funds can be used.
STATE OF THE AI NETWORK
At the State of the Net conference this week, FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty delivered a keynote address in which she described how the widespread adoption of AI will impact communications.
“The real question before us is not whether AI will transform communications, but whether our networks, our spectrum policies, and our regulatory frameworks are ready to support it at scale,” Trusty said.
The future of AI, she said, relies on the strength of the networks in place. High-speed, high-capacity communications infrastructure networks are not optional, she underlined, but “foundational” to unlocking AI benefits.
Notably, experts have emphasized the importance of fiber broadband technology to support the future of AI; one report dubbed it “the only technology capable of supporting the backhaul requirements of AI data centers.” A white paper released this week painted fiber technology as “key” to growth in cloud services, AI and enterprise data demand.
STATE BILLS ADDRESS BROADBAND
In state news, proposed legislation in Illinois and Oklahoma addresses broadband.
Illinois state Sen. Rachel Ventura has introduced two measures that would support broadband access in the Prairie State.
Senate Bill 3612 would address minimum broadband speeds and maximum prices for low-income consumers to bring broadband standards to the level of other states. This legislation would help to address the financial burden associated with broadband service. Affordable Internet access is viewed today as a necessity for participating in schooling, jobs and health care.
Senate Bill 3613 would enable local electric and telephone cooperatives to conduct their own market analyses and build networks. This bill attempts to foster broadband competition to support community-specific solutions.
In other state-level policy news, the Oklahoma House of Representatives is considering House Bill 2293, which would make the Oklahoma Broadband Office (OBO) a division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ODOC) and extend the office’s termination date until its powers are transferred to ODOC — beginning Dec. 31, 2030. OBO was initially created in 2022 to support the administration of federal broadband grants. The bill was amended by the Government Modernization and Technology Committee on Feb. 10 and will now move to the full House for consideration.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., PROGRAM ADDRESSES DIVIDE
In local news, the city of Charlotte, N.C.’s Learn2Earn program is helping community organizations advance digital literacy and device access.
The program, launched by the Smart Charlotte team within Charlotte’s Innovation and Technology Department, provides grants to nonprofit organizations. The city recently announced 15 nonprofit organizations that received grants — totaling $1.9 million. One grantee is Grace-Mar Services Inc., a nonprofit that will use the funding to expand digital literacy and AI literacy training. Another grantee, Power Up USA, will use the grant funds to create a digital workforce pipeline in Charlotte.
“Participants are equipped with confidence and practical skills, which enable them to apply for jobs, enhance their education and manage daily tasks more effectively,” Smart Charlotte Program Lead Jamar Davis said in a statement.
Charlotte was recognized for the first time in January by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance as one of its 2025 Digital Inclusion Trailblazers.
