March 25, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC – USTelecom | The Broadband Association, a leading association of connectivity providers and innovators, today issued the following statement on the Improving Minority Participation and Careers in Telecommunications (IMPACT) Act. The bipartisan legislation from Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) would award $100 million in grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Minority-serving Institutions to develop job training programs to educate and train students to participate in the telecommunications workforce.
Jonathan Spalter, USTelecom President and CEO said:
“A highly skilled broadband workforce goes hand in hand with maintaining our communications infrastructure and ensuring we all stay connected. The essential nature of these frontline employees is just one lesson of the pandemic. As 5G and next generation technologies continue to roll out, Senators Wicker, Sinema, and Scott have proposed a forward-looking and bipartisan plan to help bridge the digital divide by directing critical federal dollars to HBCUs, TCUs and minority-serving institutions that will identify, train and employ the world’s best 5G and broadband workforce. This is the way to strengthen America’s connected leadership now and in the years ahead.”