WASHINGTON – The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today announced the launch of its Optical Telecom Installation Certification (OpTIC) program with the pilot course starting on March 29, 2022, in partnership with Greenlight Community Broadband and Wilson Community College in Wilson, N.C. The program was designed by leading fiber broadband experts to quickly scale fiber technician education, fill the existing fiber skills gap and accelerate fiber deployments across North America.
The FBA forecasts that more fiber will be deployed in the next five years than has been deployed in the past 20 years, but the need for skilled fiber optic technicians will significantly impact each state’s ability to deploy broadband. The FBA’s OpTIC program teaches the knowledge and skills required to properly install, test and maintain high-speed fiber broadband networks.
The OpTIC program was inspired by the late Gene Scott, a long-time community broadband advocate, Chairman of the FBA’s Education Committee and General Manager Outside Plant of Greenlight Community Broadband in Wilson, N.C., where the first pilot course will be based. The Wilson Community College class will be led by Larry Johnson, FBA Technology Committee Member and President at FiberStory, and Jimmi Hendricks of Greenlight Community Broadband.
To register for the Wilson Community College OpTIC course, contact Robby Taylor at [email protected] or visit https://www.wilsoncc.edu/ce-registration/.
The FBA will host Train the Trainer workshops at its Fiber Connect 2022 event this June in Nashville, Tenn., as well as at Regional Fiber Connect events throughout the year, starting in Baton Rouge, La., on March 23. To learn more about bringing the OpTIC program to a community college or training institution near you, contact Debbie Kish at [email protected] or visit the OpTIC program website here.
Read the full press release here.
