Today at Fiber Connect 2026, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced the launch of FBA Academy, an on-demand training program designed by industry experts for broadband technicians and industry professionals to expand access to advanced education. The Academy is the fiber industry’s workforce development platform, designed to help organizations build, strengthen, and futureproof their teams, directly addressing the fiber ecosystem needs to onboard new and upskill existing employees. A full launch is planned for Q3 2026.
Demand for high-capacity connectivity continues to grow, driven by AI, quantum computing, data centers, and other advanced applications. FBA Academy meets this demand with flexible, scalable, on‑demand learning that supports the entire workforce from frontline and field technicians to supervisors, managers, and executive leaders. The platform provides practical, role‑based development that helps employees increase their knowledge on fiber and the industry, enables leaders to strengthen their teams and aligns talent strategy with business growth.
Through flexible, modular training, FBA Academy enables organizations to efficiently onboard new employees, upskill existing staff, and prepare emerging leaders to meet today’s operational demands while planning tomorrow’s innovation. By combining technical education, leadership development, and career pathway insights, the Academy helps ensure the fiber infrastructure workforce is not only ready for current build and deployment needs, but also equipped to support long‑term customer service, organizational resilience, technological advancement, and industry growth.
FBA Academy reinforces the Fiber Broadband Association’s commitment to building a strong, sustainable workforce—empowering people at every level and helping organizations develop the talent needed to succeed now and in the future.
“Scaling the fiber workforce with new technicians continues to be a top priority, but with rapid innovation, education and new entrants exploring a range of career paths,” said Deborah Kish, Vice President of Research and Workforce Development at the Fiber Broadband Association. “By lowering barriers to entry and standardizing access to credible training, FBA Academy strengthens the industry’s ability to recruit, train, and retain the workforce needed to keep our industry well-prepared.”
The FBA Academy offers a modern, modular approach to workforce development, featuring:
- Short-form, practical courses (30-60 minutes) focused on real-world fiber skills
- Content developed by FBA member experts for industry professionals
- On-demand access for continuous, year-round learning
- Career pathways, day-in-the-life simulations, and applications in 5G, telehealth, and smart cities
- Scalable pathways designed to expand into certifications over time
- Role-based tracks for customer support, engineering, and field operations
FBA Academy builds on the Association’s existing workforce initiatives, including OpTIC Path®, and reinforces its commitment to supporting the entire fiber ecosystem. Learn more about FBA workforce development programs here or subscribe to FBA’s Fiber Forward Weekly newsletter here to stay updated.
About the Fiber Broadband Association
The Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) is the voice of fiber, helping providers, policy makers, and communities make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. FBA is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists. Since 2001, FBA and its members have worked to advance fiber broadband deployment to accelerate innovation and increase quality of life by enabling every community to leverage the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MENA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.
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