Telecommunications

Currently the telecoms industry reports that:

• 86 per cent of UK households contain at least one mobile phone

• the UK has nearly three million broadband connections, increasing by 50,000 each week

• broadband is available to 90 per cent of households

• the sector will grow by 4.5 per cent in the UK in 2005

• time spent online increased eight-fold between 1999 and 2004, to an average of 16 hours a week

• the total industry workforce is nearly one million (90 per cent of whom are full-time)

• the UK holds 20 per cent of the European ICT market

• the UK’s telecoms market grew to €130 billion in 2004.

In this brief look at telecoms, it is only the connection between the machines at both ends of the system that will be considered. However, readers should be familiar with the term ‘information and communication technology (ICT)’ as it becomes used more frequently.

Convergence in the telecoms industry means that voice and data communications, which used to be two separate areas, are now coming together and using the same communications channels. The key to telecoms is ‘bandwidth’ – the amount of information that can be carried by a particular method of transmission like a cable or a radio wave. Modern developments involve enlarging the capacity of the links, increasing global coverage, joining end-users together, and providing more facilities over more networks.

Mobile telecoms

To most people these days, mobile telecoms means the mobile phone. The latest commercial phones provide e-mail and Internet access, as well as fax, secure voice and many other facilities. Links between mobile phone and base station are by radio. Other infrastructure links use microwaves, and their dishes can be seen on many masts and buildings bringing networks together.

Satellites may also be used in both mobile and static telecoms networks. Digital TV users will know of both cable and satellite services, while military people use mobile satellite radio equipment, including INMARSAT. As much as 90 per cent of all voice and data communications will be over mobile networks within ten years. After some false starts and technical problems, third-generation technology is now here to stay, with all providers building networks capable of supporting it.

Fixed telecoms

Fixed telecoms may include all the infrastructure necessary to run a local or wide area network – and links between the two. They may provide business services, telephones, television and much more besides, and may be used to transmit voice, fax, data and graphics, or any combination of these.

The most common carriers of fixed telecoms are cables. These are made from both copper and fibre-optics, with the older, copper, being cheaper and more common, although the situation is likely to be different in a few years as fibre-optic cable is used increasingly. They are used to carry staggering amounts of information over incredible distances, including the 11,700 kilometres of cable under the Atlantic Ocean.

Networks

Typically, a number of different commercial organisations will both provide and share telecoms network facilities. Signals pass through switches and links owned by many companies and rented by the service provider. Their routing is up to the owner of the links and a mobile phone call will be just one among many other phone and fax calls.

Messages need protocols to ensure that they get to the right place. They may need to be compressed and then decompressed, and they may be split into tiny fragments, with each one being sent separately and the whole being reconstituted.

Telecommunications in the Services

Each Service has its ‘expert’ telecoms staff in the specialist communications and electronics branches, although there may be other people serving who have considerable expertise. Some will have relevant degrees, while others will have other qualifications.

Some people will also have specialised in telecoms and/or electronics as part of their career pattern. They are still likely to have a number of very transferable and marketable skills, but these may need to be targeted in a particular area.

Service people without the necessary technical background can still enter the industry, but probably at a lower level. Their personal qualities are valued, as well as the core skills that they may bring, including map reading, first aid and even an ability to work at heights.

Telecommunications on leaving the Services

Service leavers need to discover the area of telecoms right for them and for which they can reasonably expect to have the necessary qualifications and background to enter. The Career Transition Partnership offers resettlement training courses in this area at Aldershot and also through its network of suppliers.

Individuals should talk with people working in the industry to try to establish a reasonable starting point based on their previous skills and experience. Then they should look for the courses and training that suits them. The key is to start early and take resettlement training so it can be enhanced by self-study, academic qualifications and an industry placement.

Qualifications

Industry recruiters face three main problem areas:

• lack of qualifications

• lack of experience

• shortage of essential skills.

Also regarded as being of key importance to employers and possessed by Service leavers are skills such as:

• problem solving

• oral communications

• the ability to work in a team.

People can gain qualifications through their employment and personal development while they are serving. This will primarily be about the theory necessary to use equipment, its actual use and how to pass on that knowledge to others. The academic background and the principles of certain equipment use will be highly relevant, so the key is to build up these qualifications, while those whose career path does not include such courses should look at day release, evening classes, open learning and the Internet for opportunities to learn before they leave.

NVQs based on industry standards developed by e-skills UK – the sector skills council – are available, but these are not generally well known by employers. Some major vendors, such as Cisco, have produced their own qualifications, while other bodies like BICSI are marketing a suite of exams in the telecoms area. When developing a career in telecommunications, it is worth remembering that BTEC (Edexcel) has established a six-level framework of qualifications that could lead to a BSc honours degree.

There are many short courses available that are targeted at anyone from expert to novice, and often cover specialist areas for experts who want to study a particular field in depth. They also provide a basic qualification for someone entering the industry at comparatively low level.

Employment in telecoms

Getting employment involves:

• qualifications

• experience

• networking

• work placements

• the right CV

• going for the right job.

Once in a company the employment possibilities are enormous in this changing industry. Permanent employment is often regarded as three to five years, and people commonly change employer every two years or so. In-house training meets specific company objectives; individuals use employers to enhance their own personal development, and good people can achieve rapid promotion.

The Fibreoptic Industry Association’s SkillsMatch programme allows people holding the relevant qualifications to record their achievements on its website database. Employers can undertake checks on-line, and people who are seeking employment can advertise their availability for work.

Salary expectations

This is only a rough guide – pay varies from one company and contract to another.

• junior engineer £13,000 to £18,000

• installation engineer £15,000 to £25,000

• team leader £18,000 to £22,000

• project manager £22,000 to £40,000

• planning engineer up to £40,000

• technical trainer £28,000 to £50,000

• network engineer up to £50,000

• consultant £30,000 to £60,000

Overtime, shift work and benefits can increase these salaries.

Contact details

Telecommunications Industry Association, Douglas House, 32–34 Simpson Road, Fenny Stratford, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bucks MK1 1BA Tel: 01908 645000 Fax: 01908 632263 Website: www.tia.org.uk

e-skills UK Sector Skills Council Ltd, 1 Castle Lane, London SW1E 6DR Tel: 020 7963 8920 Fax: 020 7592 9138 Website: www.e-skills.com

Communications Management Association, Ranmore House, The Crescent, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8DY Tel: 01372 361234 Fax: 01372 810810 Website: www.thecma.com

Fibreoptic Industry Association Ltd, The Manor House, Buntingford, Herts SG9 9AB Tel: 01763 273039 Fax: 01763 273255 Website: www.fibreoptic.org.uk

Confederation of Aerial Industries Ltd, Fulton House, Fulton Road, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 0TF Tel: 020 8902 8998 Fax: 020 8903 8719 Website: www.cai.org.uk

Society of Cable and Telecommunication Engineers, Fulton House Business Centre, Fulton Road, Wembley Park, Middlesex HA9 0TF Tel: 020 8902 8998 Fax: 020 8903 8719 Website: www.scte.org.uk

Been there, done that …

Michael Thompson-Blair

Staff Sergeant Michael Thompson-Blair left the Royal Signals last November after 23 years as a telecommunications operator serving all over the world. His Career Transition Workshop covered ‘interview techniques, CV writing, job search, the importance of networking.’

He then developed an IT Manager NVQ3 into BTEC intermediate awards in both copper and fibre optic cable installation and a professional award in mobile communications on courses with CableNet Training. These were ‘well run and useful; staff are very friendly, helpful and professional and the instructors are also very good.’ He also had a civilian work attachment with Blackbox Network Services, installing copper and fibre at Wolverhampton General Hospital.

He found his job with Genesis Consultancy – an agency working with Nokia on new 3G equipment and many other projects all over the world – through networking as many people in the industry are ex-military. Thompson-Blair is now an integration engineer working on projects in Germany, and a Bowman Team Leader.

‘Genesis is a global company and the opportunities for future progression and promotion are fantastic.’ He enjoys good money, variety of work, contracts and location, diversity of trades and constant training. ‘You get weekends off and you are on first name terms with everyone, even the MD.’