Just a general question, no need for negative responses. Just wanted to know what would happen to the work force. They say surpluses until 2020 but if the future is 5g wouldn’t we need less techs thus meaning more lay offs? Would core and WT join forces or would there be contractors in the loop? Anyone have an idea how this would work?
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Being from mobility, I can tell you we have some involvement with the equipment installation, but tower work is handled by contractors and the equipment integration to the network is handled by a foreign owned entity operating out of the Chicago area called, "Quadgen". Once the additional 4G/5G network components are installed it is immediately mobility's maintence resposibility. However we have found repair needs greatly diminished and once the growth work related to carrier adds, first net, cran, and 5G slow down, its anybodys guess as to the head count that will be necessary to maintain this stuff. Fiber backhaul has greatly increased network reliability, with an occasional outage, but redundancy would have been nice. It's a shame that landline wasn't included in the cran technology since they are pole mounted and right up their alley, but most things don't make sense around decisions at at&t.
It will be contracted.
There will also be a need for repair techs. Fiber is not impervious to backhoes in the ground or squirrels in the air. Lightning doesn’t mix well either. The repair load will go down drastically. Glass, light and water have drastically different outcomes than metal, electricity and water mixing. Plus fiber is a lot quicker to repair once it is located. 8-10 techs working 24-7 for days on end will be a thing of the past for the most part on cable repairs. Rain will no longer lead to forced OT. However believe it will be a long time before copper disappears. Don’t see them running fiber to the double wide 5 miles off the main highway. Massive AirGig deployment seems years away. Question is how projects like First Net will make wireless substitution viable for the rural areas and the government enforcement of a good communications pipeline.
AT&T’s chief executive, Randall Stephenson, was an unexpected guest in the Oval Office Wednesday.
One of the topics broached in the conversation was the administration’s 5G policy, a person briefed on the matter said.
Well work for 5g, small cell, air gig should be handled like wireless service is now. Assuming no contractors will be used, the bulk of the work at each cell site, hub, or antenna would belong to the Wireless Techs. DT-SSIM would be handling whatever circuitry it takes to get it to those locations. C&E OPT(lineman)& FT(splicer) would get the fiber for the circuits to the locations.
5G is magic. No technicians required.