While often overshadowed by more traditional trades like plumbing and electrical work, the role of a broadband technician is equally dynamic and multifaceted.
There are many different areas to working as a broadband tech, each carrying their own perks and pitfalls depending on the skills and preferences of the individual.
With so many potential areas to pursue, industry veteran and technician Keith Busby says doing some early research on what area or “silo” most interests you — or doesn’t interest you — can be a worthy upfront Investment.
Here are some of the different areas of broadband tech work commonly found in the industry:
Aerial Lineman
In many contexts, fiber-optic and coaxial networks run above ground, often on preexisting infrastructure like utility poles.
Aerial linemen will typically focus on this area of the infrastructure, which means working in bucket trucks and climbing structures to install, repair, replace and maintain the wireline networks.
Because this area of the work is often at heights (though not nearly as high as tower technicians climb), it’s important to assess your own comfort in working up on these structures.
Safety is a priority in every aspect of technician work, but the higher up you get, the more it becomes essential to have specific practices in place. Working as an aerial lineman will require specific training on fall protection and proper climbing techniques alongside broader training like electrical safety.
Underground
As above so below — underground techs typically focus on subterranean broadband infrastructure.
This area of tech work can be quite physically demanding. From digging new network pathways to maintaining existing underground networks, you will work with heavy machinery such as directional drills, boring rigs or trenchers.
Installing underground networks also involves cable pulling, which refers to guiding cables through conduits and pathways — a task that can be quite strenuous, especially over long distances or in complex setups.
Just as working as an aerial lineman requires an ease with heights, underground is not a job for the claustrophobic. These techs often must work in various confined spaces like manholes, utility vaults and pits or trenches.
And while fall protection may not be a concern, there are important safety protocols within this area to mitigate risks around the limited mobility, electrical hazards and air quality.
Installation
Especially in the forthcoming deployments funded by the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, a lot of houses and local businesses are set to get new and upgraded internet connections. This is where installation technicians come in.
Also referred to as in-home or premise technicians, they handle new installations for residential homes, local businesses and municipalities. That includes setting up routers and connecting them to fiber or cable lines as well as troubleshooting network issues on location.
Kelly Weissmann, Director of Technical Training and Field Support at Clearfield emphasized to us that because the role is consumer-facing, customer service is an especially important skill for thriving in this area of the work.
“You really are the face of your company when you're out working in the field,” she said.
And that means every day is a different challenge and customer. “The spectrum is wild,” premise technician Britni Cuington told us in regards to the personalities you'll encounter in the field.
But many technicians will agree that working with people can be one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.
“People come out, and they're just happy to see you, happy to know that you're out there working and that you're hooking their services back up,” Busby said in an interview. Some go so far as to offer food, money and random gifts of gratitude. “It’s nice to know that you’re appreciated.”
Splicing
The specialty of splicing describes joining (or splicing) optical fibers together to create continuous communication channels in fiber-optic networks.
A very precision-focused area of the field, the process requires a meticulous alignment of fiber optic strands (at even microscopic levels) to minimize signal loss — aided by specialized equipment and alignment technology.
Splicing is generally considered a less physically taxing aspect of technician work. Especially for established technicians, a lot of the work can be done in a splicing truck. Yet it often means repairing and connecting faulty or broken cables, and that may require scaling poles or towers as well as working in confined spaces, so it remains a physically involved job.
The role can be very independent and self-empowered — a quality that grows as you do in the specialty.
Adam Roy, an industry veteran who lives on the road running his own splicing company, told us, “It's nice having the freedom. You get sent with splice docs and blueprints, and you go out and do your own thing. You don't have somebody hovering over you."
Read more about becoming a splicer.
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