Telecommunications Equipment Installers & Repairers
Central Office Technician, Install and Repair Technician, Service Technician, Telecommunications Technician
What they do:
Install, set up, rearrange, or remove switching, distribution, routing, and dialing equipment used in central offices or headends. Service or repair telephone, cable television, Internet, and other communications equipment on customers' property. May install communications equipment or communications wiring in buildings.
On the job, you would:
- Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints.
- Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools.
- Test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms to specifications, using test equipment and observation.
Knowledge
Business
- customer service
Communications
- telecommunications
Engineering and Technology
- computers and electronics
- mechanical
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Skills
Basic Skills
- thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
- listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
- noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
- thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
- figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Abilities
Hand and Finger Use
- keep your arm or hand steady
- hold or move items with your hands
Ideas and Logic
- notice when problems happen
- make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
Verbal
- listen and understand what people say
- communicate by speaking
Visual Understanding
- see hidden patterns
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
- Adaptability/Flexibility
- Analytical Thinking
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft Excel
Presentation software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Analytical or scientific software
- Fluke ClearSight Analyzer
- Fluke Networks TechAdvisor Field Access System
Education
Education: (rated 3 of 5)
high school diploma/GED or
certificate after high school
usually needed
certificate after high school
usually needed
Job Outlook
Below Average
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
Explore More
- Audiovisual Equipment Installers & Repairers
- Electrical & Electronics Repairers, Commercial & Industrial Equipment
- Radio, Cellular, & Tower Equipment Installers & Repairers
- Telecommunications Engineering Specialists
- Telecommunications Line Installers & Repairers
You might like a career in one of these industries:
See more details at O*NET OnLine about telecommunications equipment installers and repairers.