Fiber & Electric: The Perfect Couple 

Fiber & Electric: The Perfect Couple 

April 18th is National Lineman Appreciation Day, honoring the technicians who put their lives on the line to keep the lights and broadband services going. There is a coordinated effort between fiber technicians and electric linemen as they work to get deployments and repairs done as quickly and safely as they can, plus a common history between the two, because their lives depend on safety while working, especially as conditions and locations may not be opportune.  

“Power utility and fiber broadband line workers have more in common than not,” said Joe Phillips, Director of Engineering and Design Services at S & N Communications. “Primarily, it is safety; it’s the most important common thread of all, along with customer care, because the crews are the face of the company to the customer, and dedication to service while providing quality workmanship is paramount, and they take pride in what they do and that shows in their product.” 

Safety and lateral work retraining programs, along with fiber installer and technician certification programs, have been growing in demand in the utility world as fiber network construction continues to increase. Quality training is a common primary goal for power, utility, and telecom line workers, as these programs ensure the safety of everyone on the job. Fiber technician courses such as FBA’s OpTIC Path (TM) have emerged due to the need for qualified technicians as demand continues to rise. 

Todd Butcher, Vice President of Power Distribution at S & N Communications, noted that with “… the monumental task of constructing the infrastructure comes the ongoing responsibility of maintaining and opening the network and the career opportunity for these land technicians… as fiber networks expand.” 

To learn more about the fiber and electric marriage, listen to the latest Fiber for Breakfast.  

# # #