Reframing an industry that quietly powers AI, innovation, and tomorrow’s careers
By Tessa Doets, Manager of Training and Education
When I tell people I work in telecom, I can usually predict what comes next: their eyes glaze over. There’s a polite nod, maybe a quick “Oh, interesting!”, and then the conversation moves on.
They’re not being rude; most people simply don’t know what “telecom” actually involves.
They don’t know that telecom is one of the coolest industries in the world.
Admittedly, there was a time I probably would have reacted the same way. I came to this field from a background in social work, a profession centered on connection and opportunity. I’ve come to realize that’s what telecom is too. It connects people to education, healthcare, jobs, and one another. It’s the infrastructure that enables nearly every modern innovation.
And yet, it rarely gets the recognition it deserves.
Few high school students are dreaming of careers in telecom. Many are drawn to AI, cybersecurity, or renewable energy, fields that sound more futuristic. But here’s the truth: every one of those industries depends on telecommunications infrastructure.
AI models can’t run without high-capacity data centers and low-latency networks. Smart cities rely on fiber and small cells. Even sustainability tech, from energy grids to precision agriculture, needs the systems our industry builds and maintains.
Telecom doesn’t just keep the world connected; it powers progress.
As WIA President and CEO Patrick Halley says, “Wireless infrastructure is AI infrastructure.” It’s the backbone of the digital transformation shaping our economy. Pretty cool if you ask me.
Still, the next generation doesn’t yet see themselves reflected in this field. The people who build and design our networks are some of the most skilled professionals in America, but they’re rarely celebrated like coders or engineers, even though they’re just as critical to innovation.
So how do we put telecom on the radar for students, educators, and parents shaping career choices?
It starts with reframing the narrative. Telecom isn’t yesterday’s industry; it’s powering the technologies of tomorrow. It’s not just about towers and cables, it’s about possibility: connecting hospitals, enabling smart grids, and ensuring rural communities aren’t left behind.
The challenge isn’t just to train new workers, it’s to show them why this work matters.
At WIA’s Telecommunications Education Center (TEC), we welcome new learners into our world every day. Learners often begin our courses saying they never realized how much telecom touches their lives, or how relevant these skills are across industries. Once they make that connection, curiosity turns into excitement and just maybe, a career pathway they hadn’t considered before.
Telecom isn’t the background; it’s the backbone. It’s not “old tech”. It’s the tech that makes new tech possible. And as the next generation searches for meaningful, high-impact careers, telecom is ready to welcome them.
Tessa Doets is the Manager of Training and Education at the Wireless Infrastructure Association. Tessa joined WIA in September 2023 and works across all areas of the Telecommunications Education Center (TEC), WIA’s dynamic learning program devoted to improving education, quality of work and safety within the telecommunications industry.
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