300 enroll in Governor’s Broadband Bootcamp

01/20/25 - The CNMI Governor’s Broadband Bootcamp launched recently with 300 participants.

Nearly 600 people applied, but only 300 spots were open for the first cohort, which is undergoing orientation. Participants earn a $6,000 living stipend over the four-month course.

Christian Camacho, who has worked in the telecommunications industry for over 16 years, is the adjunct instructor for the course and told Marianas Press, “My task is to basically share my knowledge within the telecommunications industry to teach these guys the basic fundamentals of broadband and fiber optics.”

CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios stopped by orientation on Friday to meet some of the participants in the first cohort. He said the hope is that when the government awards subgrantees, which are the island’s telecommunication companies, they will hire the individuals from the cohort. 

“We are going to make sure that when we sign the agreement with the subgrantees…one of those conditions that I am going to insist on is that we are going to hire people like you that have gone through this training,” he said.