Wireless Jobs
The wireless jobs spectrum encompasses a broad range of protocols for the delivery of voice, data and video applications. Some wireless jobs technologies exist to compliment, or improve the mobile telecoms user experience, Bluetooth for example, which has now become a standard for Personal Area Network (PAN) applications. A good example of a technology competing with 3G and GSM networks is WiMax. This operates on IEEE 802.16 protocol and is designed for Wide Area Networks (WAN) in metropolitan areas. The big advantage this technology has is it is a relatively low cost network, which can deliver wireless broadband applications. This is also an open platform, making it easier for development and deployment of services. As such, there is a view that WiMax could prove to be better in the long term than 3G, so WiMax is starting to be integrated within mobile phones, giving end users the choice of what kind of network they want to use.
Because the costs of development and deployment are lower, many see WiMax as a means of delivering wireless broadband to remote communities, or communities with fewer users, since the business model for ROI doesn’t require so many users. This makes WiMax an interesting technology, especially for deployment in large continents with scattered populations like the US, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Africa. Many new wireless jobs may require candidates to be familiar with WiMax.
The structure of the industry is similar to mobile telecoms, in so far as there is a need for network engineers, both in terms of design, architecture, planning, optimisation, site acquisition, installation and maintenance. In addition, software engineering wireless jobs are created to ensure all aspects of design, integration, test and billing requirements are met.
In addition, there is also a need for business consultants in the wireless jobs sector to work through the technical aspects to prioritise where networks should be deployed, for which target market/vertical and then for companies to gear up with the right blend of engineering, sales, marketing and support staff to deliver the proposition and launch effectively. Project management is key to making sure all these business activities are effectively coordinated in a timely and cost effective manner, in order to make the vision a reality.
Other key wireless jobs sectors include two way radio. This technology still has its niche and recent investments in TETRA digital private networks, like Airwave in the UK, mean that emergency services can have a coordinated approach to public safety within a secure environment. Some verticals, especially those that are sensitive to price and just want a simple ‘push to talk’ solution like construction, manufacturing, retail and the taxi business are happy to stick with analogue radio for now. Analogue two way radio has tried to evolve by offering more applications, though these are very limited as bandwidth is a problem. Digital radio on the other hand is able to be more spectrum efficient and can offer a broader range of services, including sending images through to handsets, which is ideal for security applications.
Wireless jobs in the radio industry are again more plentiful in the area of engineering and the positions are similar to those found in telecoms, as radio area networks have to be set up and handsets have to be designed, developed and manufactured, just like mobile phones. It is no surprise therefore to find a number of major mobile telecom companies operating in the two way radio sector, like Motorola, Nokia-Siemens and O2.
