Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Telecommunications Technician

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking a dependable, safety-focused Telecommunications Technician to perform field installation, maintenance, troubleshooting and testing of telecommunications systems including fiber optic networks, structured cabling, coax, voice and data equipment, wireless access points and customer premise equipment. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience with fiber splicing and testing (OTDR, power meter), cable certification, interpreting engineering drawings, and delivering exceptional on-site customer service while meeting service-level agreements (SLAs).

Core SEO keywords embedded: telecommunications technician, fiber optic, fusion splicing, OTDR testing, cable certification, network installation, VoIP configuration, RF testing, tower climb.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Field Service Technician (entry-level)
Cable Installer / Line Installer
Low-voltage or Electrical Technician

Advancement To:

Senior Telecommunications Technician / Lead Field Technician
Fiber Optic Specialist / Splicing Technician
Network Operations Center (NOC) Engineer
Project Coordinator / Field Supervisor

Lateral Moves:

RF Technician / Wireless Installer
Structured Cabling Technician
VoIP/Voice Systems Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Install, terminate, and test fiber optic cables, splices and connectors using fusion splicers and mechanical splicing techniques; perform OTDR and power meter testing and document results to industry standards and customer acceptance criteria.
Perform installation and termination of copper, coaxial and structured cabling systems (Cat5e/Cat6/Cat6a), including punch-downs, RJ45 terminations, cable routing, labeling and cable management to meet ANSI/TIA standards.
Interpret blueprints, engineering diagrams, network schematics and work orders to plan and execute installations for residential, commercial and utility customers while ensuring compliance with site requirements and local codes.
Troubleshoot complex voice, data and broadband issues on-site and remotely, isolating faults across physical layer cabling, customer premise equipment (CPE), modems, routers, switches and IP telephony endpoints.
Configure and test network devices including Ethernet switches, routers, firewalls, and VoIP phones; apply static and DHCP addressing, VLAN tagging and basic routing as required by the work order.
Perform preventative maintenance and routine inspections of telecommunications infrastructure, including cleaning and re-terminating connectors, replacing damaged cabling, and verifying signal levels to prevent outages.
Complete trunk and drop installations, splice closures, vault work, aerial strand attachments, and conduit pulls safely and to specification while following utility and right-of-way procedures.
Conduct wireless site surveys and install, align and commission wireless access points, small cells, antennas and remote radio heads; document RF signal levels and coverage metrics.
Respond to emergency trouble tickets and perform expedited repair work to restore service within SLA windows, coordinating with dispatch and NOC teams to prioritize tasks.
Use diagnostic tools—OTDR, power meter, fusion splicer, VFL (visual fault locator), cable certifier, spectrum analyzer, multimeter and tone generator—to verify and certify network performance and complete acceptance testing.
Prepare accurate, timely documentation of field activities, test results, service tickets, change orders and customer sign-offs using mobile workforce management or ticketing systems (e.g., ServiceNow, Salesforce Field Service, ClickSoftware).
Adhere to safety protocols and regulations, including lockout/tagout procedures, fall protection, confined space entry, and OSHA and company safety policies while operating hand tools, heavy ladders, lifts and climbing towers.
Coordinate material staging, parts inventory and logistics for scheduled installs; order parts, manage spares and maintain service truck inventory to support rapid response jobs.
Install and terminate coax and RF equipment for video/broadband services; align amplifiers, splitters and verify signal levels to distribution points.
Perform fiber restoration, emergency splicing, and network cutover activities with minimal customer disruption by following established change control and outage notification processes.
Collaborate with project managers, engineers and subcontractors to execute large-scale deployments, provide field feedback on designs, and escalate technical issues for timely resolution.
Teach and mentor junior technicians on best practices for cable handling, splicing techniques, test procedures and safety compliance to build team capability and consistency.
Apply grounding, bonding and surge protection techniques to telecommunications equipment to maintain system integrity and protect customer equipment.
Ensure quality control by visually inspecting terminations, splices and cable runs for bend radius, slack, strain relief and adherence to manufacturer specifications.
Manage customer interactions professionally on-site, explain work performed, collect acceptance signatures, and ensure a positive customer experience while representing the company brand.
Execute scheduled network upgrades and decommissions, coordinate cutover windows, and verify post-migration performance against acceptance criteria.
Support inventory reconciliation and asset tagging processes to maintain accurate records of deployed customer premise and field assets.
Maintain professional certification and training currency (e.g., FOA, ETA, RCDD, OSHA) and proactively recommend improvements to tools, processes and materials based on field observations.
Perform tower climbs and rooftop installations when required, using appropriate fall protection and rescue plans; coordinate with third-party tower crews when necessary.

Secondary Functions

Assist with site surveys, drafting as-built documentation and creating basic CAD markups or photos to support engineering and project closeout.
Support escalation management by collecting logs, test reports and evidence for remote engineering or vendor troubleshooting.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to optimize installation workflows, reduce truck rolls and improve first-time fix rates.
Train customers on the operation of installed equipment (modems, set-top boxes, IP phones) and provide basic troubleshooting guidance.
Assist in ordering and staging equipment for planned network expansions and maintenance windows.
Participate in scheduled on-call rotations and weekend emergency support as required by business needs.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Fiber optic fusion splicing and termination (single-mode and multi-mode) with OTDR and power meter proficiency.
Fiber optic testing and certification: OTDR trace analysis, insertion loss testing, end-face inspection and visual fault locating.
Structured cabling installation and certification (Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a) and familiarity with TIA/EIA standards.
Hands-on experience with fusion splicers, OTDRs, power meters, cable certifiers, spectrum analyzers, and basic RF test gear.
Fiber connectorization, splice enclosure closure assembly and aerial/pedestal/vault cable management.
Configuration and troubleshooting of basic network devices: Layer 2 switches, routers, DHCP, VLANs and static routing.
VoIP and SIP endpoint installation and configuration, including basic dial-plan and QoS awareness.
Proficiency with ladder, manlift and tower climbing operations; use of fall-arrest systems and rescue procedures.
Use of field service and ticketing systems (ServiceNow, Salesforce Field Service, Microsoft Dynamics) and mobile devices for work order completion.
Basic understanding of RF principles and ability to perform wireless access point installations and basic RF signal level verification.
Knowledge of grounding, bonding, surge protection and electrical safety relevant to telecom installations.
Cable pulling, conduit installation, and knowledge of cable pull calculators and bend-radius best practices.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, site plans, and single line diagrams.
Familiarity with network acceptance testing, SLA reporting and documentation best practices.

Soft Skills

Strong customer-service orientation: professional demeanor and ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical customers.
Problem-solving and analytical thinking to isolate faults quickly and implement effective fixes in the field.
Time management and organizational skills for managing multiple daily work orders and emergency dispatches.
Clear written and verbal communication skills for documenting work, escalating issues and coordinating with cross-functional teams.
Team player with the ability to mentor junior technicians and collaborate with engineers, project managers and vendors.
High attention to detail to ensure compliance with technical standards, safety policies and quality assurance procedures.
Adaptability and resilience to work in diverse environments, outdoors, at heights and in varied weather conditions.
Dependability and punctuality with a strong safety-first mindset.
Initiative to proactively suggest process improvements and identify recurring issues in the field.
Ability to learn and adopt new tools, testing procedures and vendor equipment quickly.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or technical certificate in Telecommunications, Electronics, Networking, Electrical Technology or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Telecommunications
Electronic Engineering Technology
Network Engineering / Information Technology
Fiber Optic Technology / Cabling Systems

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of field telecommunications, cabling or fiber experience (entry-level technicians may start with 0–2 years under apprenticeship/training).

Preferred:

3+ years of direct fiber splicing, OTDR testing and field installation experience.
Experience with municipal, commercial or large-scale residential deployments and familiarity with local permitting and right-of-way procedures.
Certifications preferred: FOA Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT) or equivalent, ETA Fiber Optic Installer, RCDD (preferred for structured cabling leads), OSHA 10/30, CPR/First Aid, CompTIA Network+ or CCNA (beneficial).