Telecom networks are expanding faster than ever. Today, fiber is available to more than half of U.S. households, a share that continues to grow as public and private investment ramps up.1 Fiber is pushing deeper into communities, funding programs are compressing build timelines, and expectations for reliability keep rising.
At the same time, the people who know how these networks actually work, and more importantly how to keep them running, are becoming harder to find.
Much of that expertise is concentrated in a workforce nearing retirement. Approximately 20% of telecom workers are now over the age of 55, and experienced engineers, technicians, and planners are exiting the industry faster than new talent can be trained to replace them.4 As hiring pipelines lag behind demand, the institutional knowledge that once lived with long-tenured teams is leaving faster than it can be captured.
This is no longer a future concern. It is already shaping how networks are built, documented, and operated today.
A shrinking pool of experience
Workforce constraints are increasingly shaping how broadband projects move forward. As deployment activity accelerates, operators are finding that labor availability and training capacity are becoming just as critical as funding.
That pressure is compounded by a broader contraction in telecom employment. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows a long-term decline in the telecommunications workforce over the past decade, driven by retirements, consolidation, and automation.2
According to industry and government estimates cited by Pew Charitable Trusts, the current fixed broadband workforce includes roughly 477,700 workers, with another 88,600 tied to mobile broadband, a pool that falls well short of projected demand.4
The result is a widening gap between what the industry is being asked to deliver and the experience available to deliver it.
Why the gap is widening now
Several forces are converging at once.
First, funding programs and public commitments have compressed build timelines. The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program has shifted large volumes of work from long-term planning into near-term execution, increasing pressure on labor availability and training capacity.3
Second, telecom work has become more specialized. Fiber networks require precise documentation, clean data, and coordination across planning, construction, and operations. That learning curve takes time, and it cannot be replaced overnight.
Third, workforce data itself is inconsistent. Pew notes that federal job classification systems do not define broadband workers consistently, and state-level workforce data is often fragmented or incompatible, making it difficult to identify specific skill shortages and build targeted training pipelines.4
When experienced staff retire, they often take with them years of undocumented knowledge about how the network was built, where compromises were made, and how problems are typically resolved.
How this is affecting day-to-day operations
The skills gap shows up in a few practical ways:
- Longer build and activation timelines
- Increased rework from poor records
- Greater reliance on rotating contractors
- Higher risk from disconnected systems
Industry projections cited by Pew suggest that at least 58,000 additional workers will be needed by 2032 to meet broadband demand, with another 120,000 required to replace retiring staff.4 Labor shortages are already slowing broadband deployments and increasing costs as operators compete for limited skilled workers.5
The risk does not end when construction is complete. Inaccurate or disconnected records create ongoing challenges for troubleshooting, service turn-up, and customer support long after crews leave the field.
The opportunity hidden in the challenge
There is a positive side to this shift, if operators are willing to adapt.
As institutional knowledge thins, the industry is being pushed to rethink how expertise is preserved and passed on. Instead of relying on what lives in someone’s head, teams are capturing how work actually gets done and anchoring it in their systems. The focus is shifting toward consistency, accountability, and clarity, so the network does not depend on any single individual to function.
This is where systems of record matter most.
When network data is structured, validated, and connected across the full network lifecycle, teams can work with confidence sooner and make decisions based on how the network actually exists in the field. As people move in and out of roles, the network remains stable and informed.
In short, the network is not exposed when people move on.
Reducing dependence on scarce expertise
Technology alone will not fix workforce shortages. The right tools take pressure off experienced staff and help newer teams do the job right.
For telecom operators, this means:
- Keeping design and as-built data in one trusted system
- Using consistent workflows regardless of who is assigned
- Linking field updates directly to office systems
- Checking data early to avoid rework later
When knowledge is embedded in the system itself, experience scales.
A look ahead
The telecom skills gap is not a temporary disruption. Demographics and deployment demand suggest it will remain a defining challenge for years to come.
Operators who double down on documentation, process discipline, and connected systems will be better positioned to navigate workforce transitions without sacrificing speed or quality.
Networks will continue to grow. Teams will keep changing. The operators that succeed will be the ones that make knowledge part of the system, not something that walks out the door.
Citations
1 BroadbandNow. Over Half of America Now Has Access to Fiber. 2023. https://broadbandnow.com/research/fiber-penetration-trends
2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment in Telecommunications. https://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag517.htm
3 National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Overview. https://broadbandusa.ntia.gov/funding-programs/broadband-equity-access-and-deployment-bead-program
4 Pew Charitable Trusts. How America’s Plans to Expand Broadband Could Be Hindered by Workforce Shortage. Nov 24,2025. https://www.pew.org/en/about/news-room/opinion/2025/11/24/how-americas-plans-to-expand-broadband-could-be-hindered-by-workforce-shortage
5 Fierce Network. U.S. short about 58,000 tradespeople to deploy broadband. Aug 6, 2024. https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/us-short-about-58000-tradespeople-deploy-broadband
