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Providers, members stress community partnerships, warn permitting and workforce challenges remain
Summary
Task force members and providers said public-private partnerships drove many builds, praised local support, but warned that permitting requirements and workforce needs (beyond installers) remain hurdles for closing the final miles.
Several providers and task force members described public–private partnerships as essential to recent broadband builds. A provider said going to early installs and town board meetings showed strong local excitement and that letters of support and in-kind contributions helped make many projects feasible. "We wouldn't be there in a lot of these areas if we didn't have that kind of support," a provider representative said.
Members and providers warned the final miles are the hardest, citing local permitting requirements that can delay builds. One provider cautioned that permitting complexity in some communities makes construction difficult and suggested streamlining the process to prevent backsliding on build schedules. "Some of these areas ... make it really difficult to build in their communities with their permitting requirements," a provider said.
On workforce development, members urged planning that considers the full spectrum of jobs the industry needs — from installers to managers, accountants and customer-service staff — and noted quantifying job creation is complex. Task force members recommended the state support broad workforce development programs to meet industry expansion.
