What does a Telecommunications Technician do?

Telephones, high-speed Internet, cable, and office equipment have an essential role in the way most people communicate, find information, access entertainment, and do business. Accordingly, customers expect functioning communications services. A telecommunications technician has a vital role to ensure these services are available at all times. Telecommunications technicians are generally responsible for installation, maintenance, and repair of these services. A majority of the responsibilities may involve telecommunications technicians working both outdoors and indoors.

Depending on the type of customer and service, a telecommunications technician’s job could require knowledge of a broad spectrum of equipment. The customer could be in a residential or commercial area or could be a government agency. Residential customers typically require services such as telephone access, Internet, and cable television. Commercial or government agencies may need fax lines, telephone, and Internet for daily business operations.

The technical requirements for a telecommunications technician usually include detailed knowledge of the equipment used by a communications service company. Technician training will likely vary by service type, but might be a combination of on-the-job training and certification from a college or vocational school. Both may provide the appropriate level of knowledge for duties such as initial setup, converging services, and installing system upgrades.

The installation process is typically the beginning of the customer’s relationship with a communications service company. The telecommunications technician is usually responsible for equipment setup. This may entail establishing electrical connections associated with the service, whether telephone, cable, or Internet. After installing the equipment, the telecommunications technician typically will train the customer on the different aspects of its use.

Maintenance of equipment after installation is often an ongoing process. Regular inspection of system components may avoid malfunction from old or damaged equipment. Often, a telecommunications technician may test the functionality of services and troubleshoot services to detect possible problems. Maintaining devices in good working condition may help to avert equipment failure.

In responding to a service call for repairs, the telecommunications technician will typically travel onsite to gain access to the failed equipment. It is usually the technician’s responsibility to resolve the issue promptly to minimize impact to customers. The technician usually troubleshoots the cause of the outage to determine which tools and parts are needed to restore service. This may also include emergency repairs after a power outage from a storm or natural disaster.

The work environment usually depends on the communications service company. Most telecommunications technicians work for large companies and may perform duties outdoors or in buildings. Some may work with a small, local installation and repair service. Others might work indoors providing online or telephone support services to resolve equipment issues.