>> fcc commissioner brendan carr and broadband industry experts testified before the senate commerce, science and transportation committee about the skills and training needed to deploy 5g technology across the united states. this is 90 minutes. >> the accolades keep pouring in for my descision to continue this hearing. we will convene to discuss 5g workforce readiness and obstacles to broadband deployment in our country. i welcome our distinguished panel of witnesses and thank them for appearing today. we'll hear from commissioner carr, commission at the fcc, mr. jimmy miller, chairman of the national association of tower richters and president and ceo of the miller company inc., ms. lisa youngers, executive director of the fibre broadband association, mr. harold feld, senior vice president of public knowledge, and ms. shirley bloomfield, chief executive officer of ntca, the rural broadband association. 5g is the fifth generation of wireless communications technology, as every member of the committee knows and as many more americans are learning. developing and deploying national 5g networks is critical for the future of the united states. 5g promises to create 3 million new jobs, generate $275 billion in new investment, and will spur up to $500 billion in economic growth. with exponentially faster connections, higher speeds, and significantly larger data capacities, 5g networks are expected to transform almost every industry and economic sector. last week, this committee heard from administration officials who discussed ongoing advancements in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, and other cutting-edge innovations. realizing the full economic and social potential of these technologies will depend in large part on the capabilities of the nation's communications infrastructure. as our country moves quickly toward a full-scale deployment of 5g, increasing commercial access to mid-band spectrum and removing barriers to infrastructure investment will be essential to winning the global race in this technology. to date, the fcc has taken meaningful steps to remove regulatory barriers to broadband infrastructure investment. for example, the commission's efforts to streamline the permitting process for small cell deployment and speed uphold attachment processes will help accelerate 5g build-out and close the digital divide. workforce readiness is a critical component to u.s. 5g leadership. the equipment installation for 5g will constitute a fundamental shift in network deployment from existing 4g networks. with the deployment of 4g the wireless industry has been engaged in maintaining large cell towers to provide several miles of broadband coverage to certain geographic areas. on the other hand, 5g networks will require installation of small radio equipment and antennas in such a density and scale as to require a substantial increase in labor. maintenance of this equipments and new technical standards for the implementation of 5g will add even more to the workforce demand. according to reports the united states faces a 5g labor shortage. estimates suggest there are approximately 27,000 tower climbers prepared to install 5g equipment. however, it is projected that 20,000 more tower climbers are needed to accelerate the deployment of 5g, in order to win the race and secure the first advantage of the united states. additional labor will also be needed to lay fiber to support wireless connections, install radios, and deploy other essential equipment. to address 5g workforce needs, the department of labor is engaged in a joint effort with the telecommunications industry and other government agencies to provide training and improved technical skills among the telecommunications workforce. the department of labor's telecommunications industry registered apprenticeship program in conjunction with the wireless infrastructure association is a good example of efforts targeting targeted at addressing the skills gap. this committee is keenly interested in learning what additional measures federal, state, and local governments can take to train workers and ensure that they have specialized skills to meet 5g deployment demands. i hope witnesses will discuss initiatives within the private sector to improve 5g workforce readiness, including efforts to provide on-the-job training to current workforce, the development of partnerships with local educational institutions to create a pipeline for skilled labor and discuss how meaningful career opportunities can be created for americans in this field. let me thank our witnesses for joining us today, and i now recognize my good friend and ranking member, senator cantwell. >> mr. chairman, can i say, thank you for this hearing this morning? >> that's pretty much a universal sentiment. >> i'll echo that on the republican side. thank you so much. >> mr. chairman, in seriousness, every country recognizes 5g and the form and foundation of the next generation of innovation. these networks will carry great benefits and economic returns to communities. that is why major nations, including the u.s. are making investments in network infrastructure. having that workforce is a particular importance, not because we need to just construct networks, we also needed to understand the design and managed and especially the security of these networks. i am proud of my state of washington. the university of washington establishes codewords on cybersecurity to encourage students who are studying like fields to move over and study cybersecurity and collaboration with industries who are helping to fund those educational opportunities. we need to do more of that. efforts are ongoing throughout the country to help craft apprenticeships and training programs to fill these needs. the idea that there will be a single nation that wins the 5g race is false. we need to keep moving forward and be very clear as it relates to 5g and the fact that no government backdoor should exist on any solutions deployed in a broadband network. we need to respect the rule of law and the fact that these are separate entities. the debate of over who is winning this supposed race also is something to be discussed, but we also have to make sure that we are continuing to move forward on a reasonable approach to 5g. we should not hand the wireless industry all of the policies it wants just to speed it up. i do have concerns that the trump fcc has brought into the race a narrative and tries to use that to not address important public policy questions. in 2018, the fcc took one vote after another to undercut local community authority to govern their own communities. the commission voted to allow wireless carriers to bypass crucial reviews that ensure infrastructure projects respect the value of our communities's place, historic preservation and the environment. the fcc also chose to undercut tribal nations and localities's responsibilities to reasonably review of citing applications hundreds associated with 5g. i don't think that is the right way to move forward. as the commissioner testified last week, we have time to work on these issues in a thoughtgul manner. we need to take that time and make sure that we're getting these issues right so we can get deployment. things that are held up in a legal battle is not deployment, and that is why we have to get the right answers. efforts on 5g should create a cooperative opportunity. local communities want the benefits of these networks for their residents, but they also want to make sure they are reasonably deployed. this can be a cooperative process. in my state, spokane worked with verizon to develop collaborative policies for a 5g testbed for the city, and the city of bellevue developed a 5g innovation partnership zone that brings together technology, business, academia, and the public sector on 5g network deployment in their community. so continuing to work together in a collaborative process is the smart policy and i think a reflection of where we need to be. there are a lot of things about 5g that we need to work through in a comprehensible, reasonable fashion, in long-term proposals that will help us speed up the deployment of 5g spectrum, and so i look forward to continuing to work with our colleagues. i know we can come to solutions that answer all the questions that we have proposed in these committee hearings, and i look forward to working with my colleagues to achieve that. and thank you, mr. chairman for having the hearing. >> thank you. senator cantwell is not only my teammate and ranking member, but my dear friend, and we are delighted now to hear from our panel. we'll start at this end with commissioner carr and proceed down the table. we ask our witnesses to summarize their testimony in five minutes. the entire statements will be included in the record at this point. mr. carr. >> thank you. chairman wicker, ranking member cantwell, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the invitation to testify. i want to commend the committee for its focus on expanding america's 5g workforce. this effort is just as important to securing u.s. leadership in 5g as our work to free up more spectrum and modernize infrastructure rules. that's why i announced a 5g jobs initiative last year that looks to address a shortage of tower climbers and telecom techs. the men and women who put on hardhats and harnesses and build out america's internet infrastructure. getting the right policies in place here in washington makes all the difference to america's broadband builders. the good news, our recent regulatory reforms have enabled the private sector to deliver remarkable results. internet speeds are up 70%, compared to two years ago. the digital divide narrowed by nearly 20% over the prior year alone, and telecom crews built out more miles of high-speed fiber than ever before. america now has the world's leading 5g platform. the very first commercial 5g service launched here in the u.s. more than a year ago. the private sector brought 5g to 14 communities in 2018. we quickly expended that to more than 30 in the first part of 2019. one provider alone has committed to building 5g to 99% of the u.s. population. we need to keep this winning streak going, and the work this committee is doing on spectrum and on infrastructure will provide an additional boost to u.s. leadership. the success we're seeing with accelerated infrastructure bills also creates a new opportunity. industry estimates it can build another 20, 000 job openings for tower climbers alone. that would nearly double the size of this group of skilled workers. these are good paying jobs, once you can raise a family on. and they're not one-off or short-term jobs either. they are careers with a clear pathway for upward mobility. take shawn leray. she started her career as a firefighter and paramedic. eight years ago, she started climbing telecom towers. she then decided to launch her own business and she's now the ceo of that company. she's also working to expand opportunities for women in the tower industry. after seeing firsthand the incredible work that america's tower crews accomplish, i started to recognize their achievements. i'm doing this through a series of 5g ready hardhat presentations. my first one went to schama. we need to expand this group of skilled workers. that's why i announced my jobs plan. it looks at community colleges as a pipeline for 5g jobs. it is modeled on a program developed by aiken technical college in south carolina. in 12 weeks, the program could take someone with no training and teach them the skills to land a good-paying job in a the tower industry. i've been working with stakeholders to stand up more programs like this one, and we're already seeing results. this year's southeast tech in south dakota will launch its own tower program. some businesses are tackling the workers shortage through in-house programs like the one i saw at a new ericsson facility in texas last year. department of labor is also an important partner in this effort. dol has a registered apprentice program for tower techs, and it already supports over 2000 apprenticeships. so dol's continued focus on these 5g jobs can help address the workforce challenge. in light of the efforts underway, community college programs, in-house initiatives, apprenticeships, the fcc convened a working group that can bring the stakeholders together. that group is now developing recommendations to expand our 5g workforce. going forward, the federal government should provide the same support for technical workforce training as it does for non-technical education. one idea that congress is considering is to expand pell grant eligibility to cover shorter-term certificate programs. while i defer to others on the specifics on any such reform, there may be ways to streamline the approval process and ensure parity and opportunity between qualifying tower tech certification programs and more established or classroom-based learning. in closing, i want to thank you again, chairman wicker, ranking member cantwell, and members of the committee for the chance to testify. i look forward to your questions. >> thank you commissioner carr. mr. miller, when did you arrive in town? >> i arrived yesterday afternoon. >> glad you made it. hope you brought your coat. >> i did not. but wish i had. >> welcome from gulfport, mississippi, and you're recognized for your opening statement. >> thank you mr. chairman. my name is jimmy miller, president of miller co, a privately held woman-owned company established in 1997 in gulfport, mississippi. miller co offers a complete range of services for the wireless industry. i'm testifying as chairman of the national association of tower rectors. n.a.t.e. is a nonprofit organization consisting of 900 never companies, mostly small businesses that construct, service, and maintain hundreds of thousands of communication towers, distributed antenna systems, small cell networks and broadband throughout all 50 states and 13 other countries. i am privileged to testify alongside commissioner carr, who along with chairman pai have been champions for greater workforce development in our industry. incidentally, both men have visited tower sites, and both have actually climbed towers. if any of you would like to visit a tower site or small cell in your state, we can make this happen. you don't even have to climb if you're afraid of heights. the 5g rollout, coupled with initiatives to close the divide, is creating great industry opportunities as well as a major industry challenge. the most significant challenge is attracting, recruiting, and retaining a properly trained and qualified workforce. as president of miller co, i'm regularly confronted with these workforce challenges, which are afflicting many in our industry and increasing pressure on small contractor companies like mine to hire individuals we can mold into skilled tower employees. as previously stated, our industry has approximately 29, 000 workers we called tower technicians and according to recent projections, we could accommodate as many as 20,000 additional techs over the next 10 years to meet current and future demands. impediments to growing our workforce include working at heights, sometimes up to 2,000 feet, extensive travel to worksites, dearth of industry programs at the community college and technical college level, competition from under industries, lack of awareness in career opportunities in the telecom industry, and lack of funding at the federal, state, regional, and local levels. we have to do a better job of publicizing our industry and telling the story of the career pathways and earning potential available. immediate earning power for technician level workers can range from $45,000 to $75,000 per year with lots of room for advancement and growth. and what other profession allows employees to be promoted on their way down? in our case, down a tower. a major component of n.a.t.e.'s workforce development effort deals with training. it's not a quick undertaking. we can often get a technician through basic training in two weeks, but he or she needs at least a year on the job to become competent. additionally, the technical skill sets continue to become more complex. today's technicians need to expand and diversify their skill sets to include training in areas such as small cell antenna installations, 5g equipment specs and design, fiberoptics, distributed antenna systems, and 5g rf. other obstacles in the march to 5g and broadband expansion, the lack of accurate and timely broadband coverage maps and regulatory processes and timelines that inhibit our work. there are ways to address our workforce shortage. the tower and wireless installation program at aiken technical college in aiken, south carolina and the wireless infrastructure technician program at southeast technical institute in sioux falls, south dakota, are two educational programs that exemplify how higher education and private industry can partner. another way is to advance companion legislation to house bill 1848, the communications job training act. this bipartisan legislation would authorize $20 million per year for three fiscal years for a competitive grant program to develop curriculum and certificate programs in community colleges, vocational institutes, and military organizations to attract and train a future pipeline of workers. this is n.a.t.e.'s top legislative priority this year. attracting veterans for tech careers is another priority. warriors for wireless is directly involved with training veterans for new careers in our industry. my written testimony has details on the national wireless safety alliance, which provides portable nationwide credentialing and certification, and on the telecommunications industry registered apprenticeship program. my written testimony also highlights other bills n.a.t.e. supports that seek to address small cells and broadband. i would like to thank the committee for this opportunity today. >> and thank you very much for your testimony. ms. youngers, you are recognized. welcome. >> thank you. chairman wicker, ranking member cantwell, and members of the committee, i am lisa youngers, president and ceo of the fiber broadband association. thank you for inviting me to testify today. the fiber broadband association has more than 250 members dedicated to accelerating the deployment of all fiber networks throughout the country. while this hearings focus may start with 5g, it's important to understand that fiber is the fundamental network technology for the 21st century, providing the underlying infrastructure not just for 5g but for wireless networks, smart communities as well as smart grids, as well as internet of things applications, while also providing direct connections to homes, businesses and anchor institutions. we are making progress in the deployment of fiber networks throughout the u.s. in 2019, over 450, 000 fiber route miles were deployed and as of september of 2019, 46.5 million homes have access to all fiber networks. 6.5 million more than the year before. we expect that good news about all fiber deployments will continue, especially as fiber is deployed to support small cell and 5g deployments. this is critical considering other countries like china have rapidly deployed fiber. additionally, in the case of china it has intentionally built so much excess capacity, enough to take over both the entire u.s. and european fiber markets, that chinese manufacturers are almost certain to offer dumped prices to u.s. 5g providers. even with the good news about fiber deployments, there are always ways for us to accelerate our efforts. first, we need to address workforce issues. fpa members find getting and retaining skilled personnel is one of the biggest chokepoints in deployment. the personal shortfall has become so bad, that i have const