New site to connect telecom workers to jobs in Arkansas and Louisiana

Heartland Forward will reveal a website connecting job seekers to telecommunications roles Tuesday at a broadband conference in Hot Springs.

Why it matters: Reliable broadband connects people in rural communities to jobs, education and telehealth services.

• The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) last year said it would grant Arkansas more than $1 billion to install high-speed internet throughout the state, so there will be a larger need for workers to build the infrastructure.

State of play: The site, called Connecting the Heartland broadband jobs board, serves as a single place to search for Arkansas positions with AT&T Wireless, Cablelynx Broadband, Cox Communications and Ritter Communications.

• It's funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts but spearheaded by Heartland Forward of Bentonville.
• Some of the jobs listed for AT&T and Cox are in Louisiana.

Context: The Arkansas BEAD (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment) Digital Opportunity Conference — hosted today by the State Broadband Office — will focus on how Arkansas will manage its NTIA money.

• Attendees will also discuss workforce development, economic growth, agriculture and health care, as they relate to broadband.

By the numbers: Telecommunications line installers and repair techs earn an average of $62,630 annually in Arkansas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — slightly more than neighboring states.

• Nationally, some technicians earn near six figures, and it's estimated the NTIA's grants will create 100,000 to 200,000 jobs.

What they're saying: "We deeply appreciate [the job board's] devotion to ensuring that the pipeline of experts to build and maintain broadband infrastructure in our state is ongoing and that we maximize the economic opportunities that coincide with broadband access," said Jane Marie Woodruff, Ritter Communications vice president, in a news release.

What we're watching: How the department will spend the NTIA money to address access gaps will be a developing story for the next few years.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that AT&T, Cablelynx Broadband, Cox Communications and Ritter Communications are not funding the job board.