Whidbey Telecom Wins Fiber Broadband Association OpTIC Path™ Rodeo at Fiber Connect 2025

Six experts competed to showcase fiber technician skills

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today at Fiber Connect 2025, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) announced Whidbey Telecom’s Keagan Beumer won the first annual OpTIC Path™ Rodeo, an exciting competition highlighting the skills and expertise of fiber technicians. By featuring real-world challenges, the OpTIC Path Rodeo underscored the value of comprehensive workforce development and training programs in building the skilled workforce required for North American fiber connectivity growth.

“The Rodeo was an exciting addition to Fiber Connect this year and every contestant showcased impressive, applaudable skills,” said Deborah Kish, Vice President of Research and Workforce Development. “We hope to grow this competition to reinforce the importance of broadband workforce training and celebrate the talent of these technicians that are crucial to the success of our industry.”

The OpTIC Path Rodeo featured six fiber technicians and OpTIC Path instructors from across the industry in a dynamic, hands-on competition that celebrates the precision, excellence, and dedication required to build the broadband infrastructure of the future. Participants demonstrated fiber splicing, troubleshooting, and network construction skillsets, competing for the ultimate prize: $1,000 in cash and well-earned bragging rights as the top fiber technician of the event.

Beumer has worked in broadband for ten years and is now a Fiber Optic Splicer at Whidbey Telecom, an internet service provider in Washington and OpTIC Path instruction partner at Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center. Whidbey Telecom provided all of Beumer’s technician training and he credits his Rodeo win to his passion for craftsmanship and a supportive company and team. Whidbey Telecom actually swept the top three positions in the Rodeo contest, with Installer, Splicer, Instructor Jeff Baesler winning second place, and Manager Gabe Renville winning third place.

Inspired by FBA’s OpTIC Path Training Curriculum, the Rodeo highlights the critical skills taught in this industry-leading program. As demand for skilled fiber technicians grows, OpTIC Path provides comprehensive training in fiber network design, installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Learn more about the OpTIC Path program here, or subscribe to FBA’s Fiber Forward Weekly newsletter to stay updated.

About the Fiber Broadband Association

The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities, and policy makers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides 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, MEA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.