July 8, 2022

Denver Airport Chief Tapped to be Next FAA Administrator

On Wednesday, July 6, President Biden nominated Phillip A. Washington to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Washington, the Chief Executive of Denver International Airport, will be considered by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the committee of jurisdiction for the nomination. Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA) stated that she looks forward to “careful consideration of Mr. Washington’s nomination during the confirmation process.” If confirmed, Washington would be tasked with overseeing matters including aviation safety regulation, airspace and air traffic management, and air navigation facilities.

White House Holds Briefing on Talent Pipeline Challenge

On Wednesday, July 6, the White House held a briefing on the Talent Pipeline Challenge, a program seeking to help employers build education and training partnerships with a focus on infrastructure. During the briefing, Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu stressed the importance of local involvement and place-based approaches. The Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Commerce will draft sector-specific information, but in general, the Talent Pipeline Challenge will provide employers with a number of job training-related opportunities, including partnering with national or regional entities or training providers to build or scale local training needs and models. The Challenge builds upon the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $800 million in funding for job training. You can read more about the Talent Pipeline Challenge here.

OSHA Advisory Committee Discusses Heat Illness and Injury Prevention

On Thursday, June 30, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety & Health (NACOSH) held a meeting to discuss matters including heat illness and injury prevention. NACOSH is currently working to make recommendations on heat and illness prevention, but at this time has not made any formal recommendations pertaining to rulemaking. OSHA’s Safe and Sound Campaign, however, is currently working to integrate heat and illness prevention-related messaging into the campaign. OSHA also intends to have workers participate in campaign events. You can read more about NACOSH’s work here.

Colorado Announces New Broadband Grant Program

On Wednesday, July 6, the Colorado Broadband Office announced its new grant program, which draws on broadband programs led by the Treasury Department and the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA), including the American Rescue Plan’s Capital Funds Project and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program that was created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “The Advance Colorado Broadband Grant Program will develop infrastructure to support our residents now and well into the future,” said Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director Brandy Reitter. You can read more about the Advance Colorado Broadband Grant Program here.

FirstNet First Responder Network to be Expanded to Navajo Nation

On Wednesday, July 6, AT&T announced that it will work with Commnet Broadband, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA), and NTUA Wireless to expand the FirstNet first responder network to serve the Navajo Nation. In doing so, AT&T will also deploy commercial LTE service in other spectrum bands across over 100 cell sites. You can read AT&T’s press release on the FirstNet expansion here.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr Visits NATE Member Petzl America in Salt Lake City

On Monday, June 27, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr visited Petzl America in Salt Lake City to collect business resource information and discuss the needs of the telecommunication industry. Commissioner Carr has been described by some as the FCC’s “5G crusader,” deeply involved with and passionately guiding infrastructure development and buildout of high-speed data networks and technology. 

The telecommunication industry is experiencing tremendous growth, with demand for trained tower technicians being a primary concern for contractors expanding the 5G network throughout the country. With such high demand for skilled workers, Petzl is committed to supporting telecom training companies, especially those in the Petzl Technical Partner (PTP) network, as well as the National Wireless Safety Alliance, to expand and improve training opportunities.