ANALYSIS & OPINION: SKILLS
SMART SKILLS SOLUTIONS
THE CONTINUED RESOURCE CHALLENGES FACED BY OPERATORS COULD BE AIDED WITH ADVANCES IN TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY
STÉPHANE CHABOT N
etwork operators around the world weathered multiple challenges last year, many of which persist as we begin 2022. Te global pandemic, shortalls in
the semiconductor industry affecting component and other hardware availability, and a shortage of qualified technicians have all weighed heavily on the sector. At the same time, demand for anywhere, anytime reliable connectivity has grown exponentially due to more work-from- home and remote learning requirements, and changes in demographics as people seek improved quality of life. Te shortage of trained technicians is indeed a
major concern. In America, for example, January 2021 saw a group of US telecom industry trade associations jointly send a leter to President Joe Biden, stating: ‘Te US currently faces a shortall of skilled workers to deploy broadband across the country to win the race for 5G, and to ensure robust fibre, mobile and fixed wireless networks.’ Te leter added that investments in
broadband infrastructure will increase demand on a labour force already in short supply. Tere is extensive opportunity to build out
fibre networks everywhere that can serve as the solid foundation for high-speed fixed and wireless networks, including 5G. But to be successful, fibre deployments must be done according to methods of procedure, meeting
30 FiBRE SYSTEMS n SPRING 2022 n Issue 35
industry standards and ensuring high-speed, error-free transmission. Tat means testing at every stage of deployment and turn-up, which requires field technician support. It will take time for government and trade
association initiatives to address skilled worker shortages. So what can network operators do to speed up roll outs and move forward with fibre- everywhere initiatives in 2022?
Working smarter For the telecom industry, that means making existing technicians more effective at their jobs and making it easier to onboard new hires of varying skill levels, by leveraging the latest test and measurement technology. It’s an old adage but it still holds true that working smarter, not harder, can deliver results. For the telecom industry, that means making existing technicians more effective at their jobs and making it easier to onboard new hires of varying skill levels by leveraging the latest test and measurement technology. Empowering network technicians to do
their jobs faster and beter will increase their productivity, even if the number of technicians does not grow significantly. And having a wide group of technicians with any level of skill who can get results without invoking ‘tier 2’ expert support will mean more resource savings.
www.fibre-systems.com @fibresystemsmag
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