Telecommunications Engineer Career Information
Are you fascinated by the world of satellites and dish antennas? Would you like to connect the whole world together? Ever wondered how messages are decoded and reach thousand miles across continents?
How about a career as a telecommunication engineer then?
What a Telecommunications Engineer does
For starters you will be concerned with sending and receiving data. This could be done using basic telephones, fax machines, mobile phones, over the radio or T.V as well as the Internet. You will make use of high-end technologies such as radar technology, microwave technology and even communication satellites.
Telecommunication engineering encompasses the field of hardware and the software. In the hardware field you will be responsible for the installation and servicing of equipments. It could be anything from laying telephone wire under a busy metropolitan road to putting up a satellite dish in a remote corner of the country. You will also be responsible for ensuring that all this complex telecommunication equipment is operating at its optimum level. If there are any breakdowns, you will the one who will need to fix it and fix it real quick. After all nobody likes a dead phone or a disconnected Internet connection for hours on end!
In the field of software you could be sitting in a plush office, but your job will be just as hectic and challenging. You will be responsible for ensuring that all the communication devices are linked properly and that there is smooth data transmission. Looking after aspects of data transmission such as signal strength, data loss, etc. will be your responsibility. Since telecommunication equipment are so complex, in the event of something going wrong, you will have to be quick in detecting where the fault lies and even quicker rectifying it.
Technology is growing at a rapid pace and there is enormous scope in the field of research and development. If you come from a hardware background, you will develop new communication devices like mobile phones with the latest state of the art services. You could also develop transmission devices like sleeker compact dish antennas. As a software person you will create programmes that will help new devices communicate or modify old software to suit new devices and technologies.
Job Opportunities
As a telecommunication engineer you will be employed in:
• Telecomm hardware and software manufacturing companies like Siemens, Motorola, etc
• Companies manufacturing telecom related products like copper and fibre optic cables, dish antennas, telecommunication switches, etc.
• Telephone and mobile telephone service operating companies like MTNL, BPL, Orange
• Satellite service operating companies like Iridium
• Internet Service Providers like VSNL, NOW, Tata Nova, etc.
• Television and radio broadcasting companies like Star TV, Zee TV, etc.
• Research & Development organizations like the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation)
• Government agencies such as ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation)
• Defence, police and paramilitary organisation
You can also work in the sales and marketing departments of telecommunication companies. Teaching at academic institutions remains another arena that could be considered.
Career Prospects
Convergence is the name of the game today. Getting different equipments like the computer and mobile phone to communicate with each other is the main thrust of the telecommunication industry. Along with that is the emphasis on developing better forms of wireless communication systems.
Increased competition amongst the players in providing basic telephony services, mobile services and Internet services has resulted in a substantial demand for telecommunications experts.
Although research opportunities in India are limited there is enormous scope abroad in working for telecommunication giants such as AT & T, BELL, Motorola, etc. and government agencies such as NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Abilities & Traits Required
You need:
• Good technical and numerical abilities
• Good communication skills
• Team work and leadership qualities
• Keen interest in technology
If you are keen to work as a hardware engineer in the telecommunication industry, then physical fitness and an adventurous outlook becomes essential. Your work may take you on hundred feet tall towers with close proximity to electrical wires and circuits. At such a point of time presence of mind is what would be needed. You also need to make sure that you are not colour blind as communication wires and cables are colour coded. You should be able to distinguish red from green or else people using the telephone will have to hear from the mouthpiece and talk from the earphone!
Qualifications
A diploma in electronics and telecommunication engineering is the minimum qualification to enter this field. Of course, a bachelor's degree in the above streams will make your prospects brighter. You can also have a BE Computer Science or BE Electronics to work with telecom software companies.
Constantly updating your knowledge on the subject is important for telecommunication engineers, as you need to keep up with the rapid newer changes in technology taking place. Going in for a master's degree in Telecommunication /Electronics/ Electronics & Telecommunication/ Computer Science & Engineering in India or abroad will be time and money spent wisely.
At the advanced levels you could specialise in current and emerging technologies such as: • Voice telephony - the ability to transmit voice over the Internet • Laser and fibre optic technology - using fibre optic cables instead of old copper cables for communication • Wireless technology - Technologies such as bluetooth that allow you to transfer data without using wires. • Data compression technology - the ability to shrink huge amount of data making it possible to transmit it successfully. E.g. being able to transmit live television signals over the telephone lines.
A diploma in electronics and telecommunication engineering is the minimum qualification to enter this field. Of course, a bachelor's degree in the above streams will make your prospects brighter. You can also have a BE Computer Science or BE Electronics to work with telecom software companies.
Constantly updating your knowledge on the subject is important for telecommunication engineers, as you need to keep up with the rapid newer changes in technology taking place. Going in for a master's degree in Telecommunication /Electronics/ Electronics & Telecommunication/ Computer Science & Engineering in India or abroad will be time and money spent wisely.
• Voice telephony - the ability to transmit voice over the Internet
• Laser and fibre optic technology - using fibre optic cables instead of old copper cables for communication
• Wireless technology - Technologies such as bluetooth that allow you to transfer data without using wires.
• Data compression technology - the ability to shrink huge amount of data making it possible to transmit it successfully. E.g. being able to transmit live television signals over the telephone lines.
Salary
Starting salary is in the range of Rs 30000-40000 per month. Companies involved in software development pay between Rs 35000-45000 per month in the beginning. Salaries for diploma holders are in the range of Rs 25000-35000 per month.
Telecommunication engineers need to update their knowledge and skills from time to time. Most companies therefore have internal or external training programmes for their engineers. So you may even get to go to a reputed university abroad to specialise in a particular area of expertise at the company's cost.