Uniting government, industry and academia to close the digital divide
Are you passionate about closing the digital divide and bringing high-speed internet to every household in America?
The federal government has allocated over $100 billion in funds to support this ambitious goal. However, there is currently a significant shortage of qualified workers in the broadband industry, with over 200,000 positions left unfilled.
We’re calling on all stakeholders from government, industry and academia to join us in this important mission to enhance the lives of our fellow citizens and propel our nation to fully utilize the power of broadband.
If you are looking for training or career opportunities, visit www.broadbandnation.org
Introducing Broadband Nation – a groundbreaking program aimed at attracting, training, and delivering talented individuals to the rapidly growing field of broadband. Through a targeted campaign to attract candidates and expanding partnerships with community colleges and technical institutes across the nation, we provide a comprehensive view of available training options. Working with companies within the industry, we also connect candidates to exciting jobs with long-term career prospects. By tackling the lack of skilled professionals, we can accelerate the deployment of high-speed internet to the millions of Americans, in every state and territory, without access.
Training & Academic Institutions
Training providers, colleges, technical schools and industry associations that offer Broadband training and certifications – List your program in the Broadband Nation training directory.
Broadband Industry Employers
Boost growth in the industry and your company by showcasing your job opportunities and providing valuable resources to eager individuals ready to join your dynamic team.
State Broadband Offices
Attract a diverse pool of talented individuals who are eager to contribute to the broadband industry by showcasing the unique benefits and prospects available in your state.
Broadband Nation Expo 2026
November 18-20, 2026, at the Hilton Riverside, New Orleans, LA
From tech leaders, policymakers and internet providers to investors, workforce development professionals, and trainers, complete industry collaboration will drive real progress in providing connectivity everywhere—enabling communities to build careers, access healthcare, receive education and more. True end-to-end connection isn’t just about the network—it’s about the people it reaches and what they can do with it.
Join us at Broadband Nation Expo as we aim to connect industry with government to address technology access gaps and bring internet to every home in America.
Broadband Nation FAQs
Federal, state and local governments have approved nearly $100 billion in funding with the goal of helping the industry deliver broadband to every home in America, however the industry is facing a workforce gap of over 200,000 qualified employees. Broadband Nation (https://broadbandnation.org) is a new program consisting of a digital property and annual expo developed and managed by TIA and Questex. The program is designed to help rebrand the broadband technician profession, attracting a younger and more diverse generation of employees to the broadband workforce. TIA will manage the digital property and Questex will manage the annual expo. The program will connect job seekers with training opportunities at community colleges and technical institutes around the country, subsequently providing them with career opportunities from across the industry. By helping solve the workforce challenge, high speed internet access will be rolled out more quickly to the unconnected, and the industry will be able to replenish and diversify their employee base.
TIA has been a leading association for decades and works to connect industry and government to advance trusted networks around the globe. Recognizing that there is a massive shortfall of trained broadband technicians needed to build and manage the networks funded by government grants and private industry, TIA and Questex decided to come up with a program to help overcome the issue by spotlighting the opportunities, connect interested Americans with local training and then assisting in identifying and securing well-paying, career-oriented jobs.
The program is primarily focused on the younger generation, who will be critical in helping fulfill our nation’s mission of delivering broadband to all Americans. It is designed to expose individuals to broadband-related jobs in the installation and maintenance fields, including fiber technicians, cell tower workers, as well as cyber experts and network engineers who will be crucial to the successful implementation of the various broadband initiatives underway in every state and territory across the country.
There are many ways to get involved.
Training institutions can list broadband related certification programs in the nationwide training directory.
Employers can list their broadband related jobs on the job board.
States can leverage turnkey marketing services to raise awareness of the training and job opportunities available in their states.
All stakeholders can attend the Broadband Nation Expo to collaborate and gain insights.
Contact us at broadbandnation@tiaonline.org to learn more.
No. This is a TIA and Questex-led initiative. We will work with states and territories and local governments to put a spotlight on their needs and opportunities. Additionally, we’ll work with various government agencies, the Administration and Capitol Hill with the hopes of assembling a broad support base to attract, train and employ the next generation of broadband professionals. Industry organizations, including ISPs and equipment, workforce and solutions providers will also be heavily involved as we connect individuals with opportunities.
The portal is intended to be an aggregator and expander of available training. Broadband Nation will work with various training providers, other industry associations, colleges and technical schools, to aggregate and expand training to create more opportunities, in every state, to build the prospective workforce.
Broadband Nation Expo returns November 18-20, 2026 in New Orleans, LA at the beautiful Hilton Riverside New Orleans with a bold new theme, “Broadband & Beyond – The Next Era of End-to-End Connectivity,” reflecting the industry’s evolution from funding and deployment to fully-integrated, future-ready infrastructure.
Broadband Nation Expo is the definitive gathering for service providers, federal and state officials, infrastructure leaders, investors, and technology innovators working across the broadband ecosystem. The event convenes the leaders shaping broadband’s next chapter – from fiber and wireless deployment to AI-enabled networks, edge compute, and sustainable connectivity models.