Completion of Safety-Qualified Underground Telecommunications Installer Certification Program will be required starting July 2025 for the seven-county metro area and January 2026 throughout the state.

We here at Gopher State One Call are here to keep you informed on all fronts damage prevention, education, and law. Safety is always our number one concern. We have a new and important update to share for those who work in underground telecommunications infrastructure.

Starting in July 2025, underground telecommunications installers will be required to complete 40 hours of training and pass an exam, which requires both classroom and hands-on instruction.

Enacted in 2024, Minnesota Statute 326B.198 requires the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), in consultation with the Office of Broadband Development, approve standards for the Safety-Qualified Underground Telecommunications Installer Certification Program. The legislation also requires that certified installers obtain four hours of refresher training to be completed within three years of completing the initial 40-hour course, and every three years thereafter, to maintain certification.

This requirement applies to the installation of underground telecommunications infrastructure that is located within 10 feet of existing underground utilities or that crosses the existing underground utilities. The requirements apply to underground telecommunications projects in the seven-county metro area in July 2025 and throughout the state in January 2026.

For more information, you can visit https://www.dli.mn.gov/broadband.

Mark Your Calendar: Broadband Development & Workforce Forum on January 9
The Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) is sponsoring a forum on Thursday, January 9, 2025, entitled Broadband Development & Workforce. Visit https://liunaminnesota.org/orangecard for more information.