Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers
Telecommunications line installers and repairers install and repair telecommunications cables, including fibre optics.
A phone line repair service lineman is a type of electrician who works for telecommunications, utility or energy companies to maintain, repair and install power lines. They can work on power lines that are strung on poles aboveground or power lines buried underground. Electrical power linemen are in many ways the pillar of the electricity industry. Also called electrical linemen, they are typically on call round-the-clock for quick response to power breaches and other emergencies.
Electrical linemen routinely work at heights and deal with high-voltage electricity and perform phone line installation. Most of the work is done outdoors, in all weather conditions. Transmission linemen bring power to the pole and distribution linemen bring the power from the pole to the customer. Lineworkers work on all emergency situations- day, nights, evenings, weekends and holidays.
To perform phone line repair, one requires technical instruction, often at a local college or technical school, plus on-the-job training. An internship may provide both classroom instruction and on-the-job training. Most line workers require a basic knowledge of algebra and trigonometry.
To be successful in a career as an electrical lineman, one should be physically fit and agile and have good balance and no fear of heights. They must be comfortable working outdoors and be detail-oriented.
Qualifications
Every career requires an element of study and academic qualification, and there can be several study routes and pathways you can take. In following any academic pathway you will study subjects that contribute to the specialised knowledge required to achieve your career goals. These qualifications provide a future employer with the evidence that you have the desired knowledge, understanding and experience of their industry, so it’s important to consider the various types of qualifications available to you and to understand how they can boost your career and create opportunities for you.
- Diploma Electronics Engineering
- Diploma Electrical and Electronics Engineering
- Training and Certificate Optical Fibre Technician
- ITI Course Electrical Trades
Tasks
- Travel to customers' premises to install, maintain, or repair audio and visual electronic reception equipment or accessories.
- Inspect or test lines or cables, recording and analyzing test results, to assess transmission characteristics and locate faults or malfunctions.
- Splice cables, using hand tools, epoxy, or mechanical equipment.
- Measure signal strength at utility poles, using electronic test equipment.
- Set up service for customers, installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment.
- Place insulation over conductors or seal splices with moisture-proof covering.
- Access specific areas to string lines or install terminal boxes, auxiliary equipment, or appliances, using bucket trucks, or by climbing poles or ladders, or entering tunnels, trenches, or crawl spaces.
- String cables between structures and lines from poles, towers, or trenches and pull lines to proper tension.
- Install equipment such as amplifiers or repeaters to maintain the strength of communications transmissions.
- Lay underground cable directly in trenches or string it through conduits running through trenches.
Progression Routes
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