With the newest iPhone now on board the LTE train and carriers racing to expand their LTE reach, network upgrades are accelerating and job opportunities are plentiful for engineers and technicians with the right skill sets. “Some of the hottest positions in AT&T Mobility are technical and sales positions that require experience with LTE technology and mobility applications,” says Jennifer Terry, Director of Staffing at AT&T.
Infrastructure solutions providers say more sophisticated networks are increasing the demand for engineers with strong software backgrounds. “We look for strong software design skills, particularly C++ and Java, as well as backgrounds in 4G, light radio and LTE,” says Todd Luckasavitch, who oversees recruitment for Alcatel-Lucent’s Americas region.
TESSCO Technologies, one of the largest wireless equipment distributors in North America, runs a training program for engineers working to acquire new skill sets. “We are at an interesting point in the wireless industry,” says TESSCO’s John Celentano. There’s this huge pull from the device side, meaning the introduction and widespread acceptance of smartphones… and changes in technology.” Celentano says those changes are creating a demand for engineers who understand fiber to the antenna. “One of the biggest changes we see at base stations and cell sites is the introduction of fiber that is part of the installation for the radio side,” he says. “This introduces a whole new aspect of base station and cell site installation and a whole new capability that the installers must have.”
Celentano says that most of the engineers he works with already know how to install RF and line up antennas, but the new skill needed is the ability to handle a fiber connection and test for a strong, clean optical signal.
Watch the full interview with John Celentano.
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