Occupational Profiles

Telephone installers and repairers perform some or all of the following duties:

• Install, arrange, remove and maintain telephone equipment, wiring and associated hardware
• Test installed telephone systems to locate transmission faults
• Repair or replace defective and damaged telephones, wire and associated equipment.

Switch network installers and repairers perform some or all of the following duties:

• Install electromechanical, analog and digital trunking systems, circuits and equipment in telecommunications central offices and switching centres
• Inspect and test trunking systems, circuits and equipment
• Analyze test results and adjust, change or repair switching system, network, associated equipment and software.

Telecommunications service testers perform some or all of the following duties:

• Operate computerized testing systems to conduct service tests on customer lines and equipment
• Determine the nature, cause and location of service trouble
• Dispatch appropriate repair personnel
• Complete test reports and maintain test and service records
• May assist repair personnel to test lines, circuits and systems, isolate and clear cable faults and verify records.

Telecommunications equipment technicians perform some or all of the following duties:

• Install, remove and maintain various telecommunications equipment and related systems such as telex and facsimile machines, teletypewriters, mobile radios, cellular telephones, pagers and other telecommunications equipment
• Configure operating systems and install software for access to the Internet
• Inspect and test operation of telecommunications equipment
• Diagnose and locate equipment faults, and adjust, replace or repair telecommunications equipment.

• Completion of secondary school is required.
• Telephone and switch network installers and repairers require completion of an apprenticeship program ranging from three to four years or A combination of over three years work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry related courses.
• Telecommunications equipment technicians usually require completion of a college electrical and electronics program and several months of on-the-job training or Completion of a three- or four-year apprenticeship training program.
• Trade certification for communication technicians is available, but voluntary, in Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
• Experience as an installer and repairer (telephone and switch network) is usually required for service testers.