Media Contact:
Will Adams, (202) 418-2007 
will.adams@fcc.gov 
 
For Immediate Release







Commissioner Carr to Visit North Carolina
Focus on 5G Workforce, Infrastructure, Telehealth

WASHINGTON, DC, February 18, 2020—FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announced a series of events in North Carolina this week, focused on 5G workforce, infrastructure, and telehealth issues.  Carr will address the National Association of Tower Erectors’ (NATE) annual conference, at which Wake Technical Community College (WTCC) and Tower Engineering Professionals (TEP) will formalize their 5G workforce partnership.  His trip also will include meetings with public safety officials and visits to new infrastructure builds and telehealth centers.  

Carr starts off in Charlotte today with a visit to a public safety answering point—better known as a 911 call center—where he will discuss the challenges faced by first responders.  He’ll then visit a fiber deployment in nearby Salisbury, where crews from Hotwire are deploying the infrastructure necessary to bring some of the fastest broadband speeds to American consumers.  After the deployment, he will tour the Corning fiber manufacturing plant to view firsthand the development and production of the equipment that is critical to closing the digital divide.  

Tomorrow, Carr will visit a fixed wireless deployment by Open Broadband in a rural community north of Raleigh and then tour a tower climbing training facility.  Carr will participate in a keynote fireside chat at the NATE conference.  Immediately following his remarks, WTCC and TEP will execute a Memorandum of Understanding to establish an apprenticeship program for tower technicians and project managers.

“Since announcing my jobs initiative to expand America’s 5G workforce in 2019, I’ve brought together stakeholders to expand the 5G workforce.  Apprenticeship programs like this hold great promise because they allow those with families to support a chance to earn while they learn.  The partnership between Wake Tech and TEP is another solid win in our efforts to expand America’s 5G workforce,” Carr said. 

Finally, he will conclude his trip with visits to Duke University Hospital and Well Care Health to discuss their experiences in the emerging telehealth field.   

###


Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr: (202) 418-2200
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr