We often talk about technology as if it advances on its own. But in mid-June, seated on a panel in front of a room of technology leaders at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London, the conversation centered on a more human truth: technology requires people.
I shared the stage with industry professionals equally passionate about talent development, and while the topic sounded simple, the discussion quickly became a deeper exploration of talent, leadership, and what it takes to keep innovation moving.
It’s important to note that the audience primarily consisted of attendees from across the UK and Europe. I stepped onto the stage with the preconceived notion that this discussion would open a new perspective for me on what international organizations were facing compared with what we are challenged with here stateside. What I didn’t expect was that their struggles are the same. We have plans, we have funding, and we know what our networks need to become. What we don’t have is enough properly trained people to do the work. Sound familiar?
This is a sentiment I hear throughout my domestic travels, from operators and vendors to industry associations. The global broadband and technology sector is undergoing an extraordinary buildout, and the workforce isn’t keeping pace. The gap is real for everyone, and it’s becoming one of the most significant obstacles our industry faces, regardless of where you sit geographically.
Here in the United States, the BEAD program is creating a great opportunity to expand fiber infrastructure and connect more underserved communities. But many industry leaders, including one of our Board members who leads a major industry organization, agree that the biggest challenge is not the funding or the technology; rather, it is finding enough trained technical workers to build the infrastructure and make the expansion a reality.
That is not a small problem. That’s a structural one. And it is not unique to the US. Being in that room in London and hearing the same concern echoed by leaders from across Europe made it clear that this is a global industry challenge.
At the same time, AI and what it means for the future of work dominates the conversation in most boardrooms. There’s a pervasive anxiety that automation will replace the workforce entirely. Conversely, during my panel, these leaders had moved past that fear and arrived somewhere more grounded. They weren’t dismissing AI; they were contextualizing it. As one person so eloquently put it, “It’s people. People can help you succeed and people can help you fail. How you prepare them and lead them is what makes the difference.” It was a powerful moment because most of us were already thinking the same thing. Regardless of what technology era we’re in, AI doesn’t lead teams. It doesn’t build culture, and it certainly does not show up for a community that just got connected for the first time. People do.
Our industry built the infrastructure that connects the world, and we do not back down from hard challenges. We will build the workforce pipeline, too. But doing so will require the same level of intentionality, investment, and urgency that we bring to our technology decisions. Because the path to a more connected future does not rest on technology alone. It will be built by people. And people are not simply part of the work; they are the reason it matters.
