What Do Telecom Technicians Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Telecom Technicians install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics. They also set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment.

Other tasks include:

• Explain cable service to subscribers after installation and collect any installation fees that are due.
• Travel to customers’ premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories.
• Measure signal strength at utility poles, using electronic test equipment.
• Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.
• Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment.
• Access specific areas to string lines or install terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, or appliances, using bucket trucks, or by climbing poles or ladders, or entering tunnels, trenches, or crawl spaces.

We asked Telecom Technicians how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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76% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 59% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Telecom Technicians clean or maintain tools or test equipment. They pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks.

A typical day for a Telecommunications Line Installer and Repairer will also include:

• String cables between structures and lines from poles, towers, or trenches and pull lines to proper tension.
• Travel to customers’ premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories.
• Compute impedance of wires from poles to houses to determine additional resistance needed for reducing signals to desired levels.
• Explain cable service to subscribers after installation and collect any installation fees that are due.
• Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.

We asked some Telecom Technicians a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	88% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	44% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	78% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	43% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	10% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	49% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Telecom Technicians also pull cable through ducts by hand or with winches. They may also dig holes for power poles, using power augers or shovels, set poles in place with cranes, and hoist poles upright, using winches.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Telecom Technicians Place insulation over conductors or seal splices with moisture-proof covering. They might also Install equipment such as amplifiers or repeaters to maintain the strength of communications transmissions.

In addition, they Lay underground cable directly in trenches or string it through conduits running through trenches.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Fill and tamp holes, using cement, earth, and tamping devices.

To some Telecom Technicians, it is also their responsibility to String cables between structures and lines from poles, towers, or trenches and pull lines to proper tension.

Working life

Standard 40 hour work week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Telecommunications Line Installer and Repairer, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/installation-maintenance-and-repair/line-installers-and-repairers.htm

http://www.publicpower.org/

http://www.tiaonline.org/

http://www.cewd.org/roadmap/