Anne Baye Ericksen

 

ADVANCES IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS CREATE CAREER POSSIBILITIES

 

For many US consumers, connectivity to the Internet is virtually infinite and instant. However, Internet connectivity is not as ubiquitous as one might assume. According to a Council of Economic Advisers Issue Brief released this summer, substantial disparities to Internet access, as well as to quality of access remain despite a federal investment in deploying or upgrading more than 100,000 miles of network infrastructure since 2009. And despite the fact that 45 million users have graduated to broadband over the past six years, many rural areas still have to rely on outdated and low-performing connections.

 

The White House has declared broader, faster, and more reliable Internet connectivity for all communities a top priority. In July, President Obama announced ConnectHome, a new pilot program to supply Internet access to 275,000 low-income households in 27 cities. At the same time, customers already receiving top-tier Internet and wireless service continue to demand greater speed and capabilities at home, at work, and on the go.

 

What does all this mean for telecommunications and fiber optics businesses? It means the industry is primed for growth.

 

TDS TELECOMMUNICATIONS EXPANDS ITS REACH

“When I got into the industry, I knew nothing about telecommunications. I knew if I needed to make a phone call, I picked up the phone, pressed the numbers, and the call would go out into the world and I’d be connected to the person,” recalls Patrick Yates.

 

Indeed, when Yates joined TDS Telecommunications Corp. (www.tdstelecom.com) in 1993, cell phones were basically a novelty. The vast majority of homes and offices subscribed to land lines, which is why the Madison, WIbased company concentrated primarily on phone lines for voice and fax. However, it soon expanded as transmission technology advanced and high-tech communication devices were introduced.

 

“It seemed the telecommunications industry at the time was an emerging industry,” says Yates. “That’s what has excited me about telecommunications.”

 

Today, TDS Telecommunications provides high-speed Internet, phone, and television entertainment services in a variety of communities, from rural to metropolitan. And as the company’s menu of offerings grew, so has Yates’ skill set — he entered as an AutoCad technician and worked his way up to his current role as manager of project implementation.

 

“As I advanced into different positions, people were willing to answer my questions and show me the whys and why-not’s and what makes the company tick,” he notes.

 

Yates continues to ask a lot of questions, mostly involving the multitude of projects he oversees. Nearly daily, Yates confers with vendors, consultants, and of course, staff to gauge statuses and address obstacles that may arise.

 

“To understand the projects, their scope, and what we’re trying to do within a timeline and budget for each one requires constant assessment,” he says. “I manage more money than I ever thought I would mange on a project, and sometimes that can be scary because the company is depending on me. But I often welcome that challenge.”

 

Yates also took it upon himself to question the corporate culture and how it could become more diverse.

 

“There’s room for improvement in opening doors for various people with ethnic backgrounds. The employment opportunities have been at the entry level and have not advanced technically or to the executive level,” he comments.

 

With the full support of TDS Telecommunications' executives, Yates and others within the company launched a grassroots program approximately two years ago. First on their agenda was to connect with college students and young professionals to alert them to career potential in the industry and at TDS Telecommunications.

 

“There needed to be a strategy to go where the diversity was. So we sought out partnerships with educational institutions about how could we together create opportunities and internships for students in the technical realm or finance or information technology,” he says.

 

Additionally, TDS joined with the Urban League to host job fairs.

 

“It’s an interesting time in Madison right now. There’s a focus on diversity and we’ve been received well,” says Yates.

 

More than just exchanging resumes, Yates sees these interactions as a chance to shine a spotlight on the growth potential in the telecommunications industry.

 

“Everything is changing and advancing right now. The industry has room to grow,” he states.

 

CORNING CAPITALIZES ON NEW KNOWLEDGE

The 1960s was a legendary decade for dramatic shifts in political, cultural, and technical realms, not the least of which was the Space Race. But did you know there also was a race to be the first company to develop low-loss optical fiber? Did you also know that Corning (www.corning. com) was the first to introduce the new data-transfer material?

 

By the start of the 1970s, re - searchers at the materials manufacturer had perfected the optical fiber communication technology to transmit 17 decibels of light per kilometer (dB/km) of fiber. But technology never stagnates. Today, the Corning Optical Communications unit, based in Corning, NY, produces fiber optic cables measuring 0.17 dB/km, a speed 100 times faster than the original.

 

“It’s so interesting how this tiny glass can carry so much information,” observes field engineer Tiffany Ellis. “It offers a different aspect to benefit everyone, from government to big data companies to hospitals.”

 

When Ellis was searching for her first professional position, she didn’t specifically set out to work with fiber optics. Rather, she sought a job that would challenge her and provide ongoing learning experiences.

 

“I looked at the [Corning] job description and everything about it excited me,” she remembers. “It said things like troubleshoot, customer experiences, leadership, and on top of all that, work with fiber optics. I thought this could be a great thing to get into.” She joined the corporation in 2013.

 

One of the initial challenges Ellis encountered in the professional environment was fitting in with a workforce and customer base that was generally several years her senior.

 

“Some contractors have been in the industry quite a bit longer than I have and their terminology was different. Even though it was a challenge, I was learning at the same time,” acknowledges Ellis.

 

She’s also been sharing her knowledge with this segment, mostly by leading training sessions.

 

“I walk contractors through on how to properly connect the optics. I listen to their feedback about our projects to see how we can help them work through issues, such as bringing in equipment or providing additional training,” explains Ellis. “At first, I was hesitant about teaching classes being a young female while most of those in the classes are middle age men, but I really enjoy it. I love the customer interaction.”

 

Now that she’s more confident in her professional role, Ellis has begun looking to new challenges.

 

“I feel like I’ve learned a lot on the technical side and I understand customer interaction. Now I want to focus more on the business side,” Ellis explains.

 

Ellis has attended in-house leadership training courses and has determined she’d like to earn an MBA with a focus on leadership and operations management. While she always entertained the idea of continuing her formal education, Ellis also knows the importance of obtaining her managers’ endorsement.

 

“When I was looking for a job, I wanted an organization that would be on my side and encourage me to go back to school,” she states. “Fortunately, my supervisors are definitely all for it.”

 

RAD DATA COMMUNICATIONS CATERS TO MANY

When it came time to decide what to study at university, Nigerian native Emeka Enekwizu thought he knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted to solve problems, so it made sense for him to study power engineering.

 

“I lived in a country that had huge power problems,” he explains.

 

His plans changed, however. By the time Enekwizu was a junior, the telecommunications industry had exploded onto the scene and captured his attention.

 

“It was a new field that brought a lot of excitement and possibility to Nigeria,” he remembers. “During my senior year, I decided to focus on a telecom track because of its endless possibilities.”

 

Enekwizu also realized that the US telecommunications industry was much more advanced, and he could learn more about both the technology and business if he moved to the United States. In 2008 he began a master’s degree in telecommunications engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Not long after graduation, he joined the Boston, MA offices of RAD Data Communications (www.rad.com), a telecommunications solutions and product vendor. Global headquarters are located in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

 

“I wanted to start up my career exposed to different fields and technologies, rather than just pick one. At RAD, there’s a broad product portfolio spanning different areas of technology,” he says.

 

Among the technologies RAD specializes in are distributed NFV, hardware miniaturization, and timing synchronization over packet-switched networks. It also has a variety of clients, including communications businesses, transportation organizations, and critical services agencies for municipalities. And as a team lead for strategic accounts, Enekwizu has experienced almost all of it. During his six-plus years with RAD, Enekwizu has taken it upon himself to become a subject matter expert on many of RAD’s products and solutions.

 

“I’ve expanded my horizons more than I could imagine with any other company. I’ve been able to have access to the technology and I’ve been able to be involved with anything because there’s a platform here to learn anything you want. The opportunities to learn are endless,” he explains. “I can walk into any company and discuss anything within telecommunications.”

 

That extensive training has led to increased job duties.

 

“In my role now, I have two primary responsibilities: I support strategic accounts with service providers, carriers, or transportation companies and I also lead the solutions architecture group translating technical specs into practical solutions,” Enekwizu explains. “I liken my job to an episode of ‘24’ because there’s always something happening. You never know what the next challenge is going to be, but there’s always intense pressure, and for me, that keeps me excited and focused.”

 

He’s also focused on his own professional progression, building on the experiences he’s gained from working with an international organization.

 

“Having success in a multicultural environment means learning how to adapt and understand, and using it to my advantage,” he comments.

 

Eventually Enekwizu hopes to use his knowledge and expertise globally. “I want to take technology that’s prevalent here back to Africa and bring African countries up to speed. That will allow me to learn more about business development, but at the same time, apply technology,” he concludes.

 

COOLPAD TECHNOLOGIES CREATES A NAME FOR ITSELF

For many consumers around the globe, the word “smartphone” is synonymous with Apple or Android. But Xin Hamilton is working hard to change that automatic association. As senior marketing manager for Coolpad Technologies, one of Hamilton’s primary responsibilities is to build up worldwide brand recognition.

 

“It’s about getting people to know what Coolpad is and what we do,” Hamilton says.

 

Established in 1993, Coolpad (www.coolpad.com) has evolved from producing pagers to releasing Coolpad 728 in 2005, the first CDMA/GSM dual-mode, dual-standby smartphone. In the ten years since, the telecommunications business has garnered an impressive list of international accolades. However, it’s still a relative newcomer in the United States. The Hong Kong-based company entered the US marketplace in 2012 with the introduction of its first LTE smartphone. Around the same time, Hamilton joined the company’s North American headquarters in San Diego, CA.

 

“I do love this industry and not only the hardware of the phone, but the software, ecosystems, and mobility,” Hamilton acknowledges.

 

In addition to her affinity toward technology, Hamilton relishes the interaction she has established with sales and leadership teams. Originally from China, she is fluent in Mandarin and fully understands cultural differences when conferring and strategizing with her superiors.

 

She explains, “For example, China doesn’t have Google, but the rest of the world uses Google, and that’s a big thing in digital marketing. I have to be able to talk to the leadership and explain how we should utilize that resource in the global space.”

 

And as the company ventures into other international markets, Hamilton has had to learn how to communicate and create brand recognition across various cultural expectations.

 

“Right now we are expanding fast throughout Indochina, Africa, and India as channels open up. It’s part of my job to support the sales side. That means determining what kind of message we want to create as a global brand and creating visual brand messaging in different markets,” says Hamilton.

 

One of her favorite duties is planning product launches. A particularly memorable campaign in Puerto Rico involved setting up at a musical festival where Hamilton and her team mixed with the crowd, handing out t-shirts and product information.

 

“We arranged a tent in front of the festival venue where people could take a picture and post it on a Coolpad phone. We also were on the street talking to different people, helping them join the campaign. That has been my favorite launch so far,” she remembers.

 

For individuals interested in telecom careers possibilities, Hamilton suggests they rethink their definition of where and how the industry is headed. For instance, smartphone users expect information at their fingertips so digital marketing has become and will remain a critical component.

 

“It’s not just about the smartphone, but the bigger mobile ecosystem,” Hamilton says. “From this angle, the industry is growing rapidly.