With over 30 years’ experience in the installation and commissioning of networks, Telent supports mobile network operators with a wide range of activities to ensure the stability and reliability of their wireless networks and new deployments.
We have one of the largest vendor-independent field forces of its kind in the UK, undertaking activities that include site audits, ‘line of sight’ surveys, network deployments and optimisation as well as on-going preventative and corrective network maintenance. The company project manages and provides network roll-out and maintenance services, utilising in-house resources to ensure maximum quality, responsiveness and sustained reliability.
As the industry evolves, Telent is now becoming increasingly involved with the roll-out of 4G services. The company has worked with most of the major UK mobile operators and its experienced teams of engineers are trained to install and maintain equipment from vendors including Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, NEC and SIAE.
Telent currently undertakes corrective maintenance activities for a number of network operators and has responded to over 2,000 service requests in the last 12 months. These tickets cover both PCN and microwave-related faults. Highly qualified teams of engineers are based throughout the UK to ensure a rapid response to the four hour to fix SLA associated with high priority faults.
The Challenge
As mobile network operators, Telent’s clients have a big job to fulfil. Their subscribers expect round-the-clock service and reliability and they must meet the increasing demands on the network as the usage of mobile data and the downloading of video, apps and gaming grows.
At the heart of this service delivery is a core network of equipment which must function reliably and without down-time. Any fault in the equipment can affect service delivery and, in such a competitive market, this can affect the operator’s reputation and the loyalty of its customers.
Networking equipment is often in remote or hard-to-reach locations, such as the tops of buildings, gantries, towers and masts. Maintenance engineers must not only be expert in the technologies and equipment they are servicing, but also be fully trained and certificated for the difficult working conditions and inaccessible environments they operate in.
The Solution
Telent supplies on-site field rigging teams who are fully qualified to perform wireless network deployment activities as well as the restoration and resolution of on-site microwave- and PCN-related faults. The company maintains a large team of skilled and specialised engineers with the technical expertise to handle mobile network technology and the know-how, training and certifications to operate in tough outdoor environments.
Telent services include three main areas of activity: installation, commissioning and integration, microwave/PCN maintenance and site audits and inspections.
Installation, Commissioning and Integration
From ‘line of sight’ surveys and pre-installation audits to the installation of new equipment, plus commissioning and integration, Telent’s qualified engineers support many network roll-outs and upgrades. The teams also undertake equipment swap-out and upgrades and the decommissioning and recovery of end-of-life and redundant equipment.
Microwave/PCN Maintenance
With a 24/7 service centre to support maintenance activities, Telent provides on- site engineer support with 4-hour to fix service level agreement (SLA). Maintenance is handled through full trouble ticket management, with reporting and trend analysis, plus analysis of under-performing microwave links and the implementation of a corrective improvement programme. Where required, the Telent team also handles spares management and returns, and can undertake the management of ‘line of sight’ tree obstructions, including identification of owners and negotiation with private landlords or councils to agree appropriate resolution.
Site Audits and Inspections
Telent undertakes site auditing and inspection activities to assess the suitability and structural integrity of the gantries, masts and towers that host the network equipment. The Telent in-house structural engineer then issue a “safe to climb” certificate or identifies the remedial work to be undertaken before certification is issued.
With an impressive list of customers, including most of the major names in UK telecoms and broadcast technology (NSN, Ericsson, Huawei, EE, Vodafone, Telefonica and Arqiva), Telent has many examples of how the company has helped customers to ensure the stability and reliability of their networks, improve network performance and design, project manage and deploy new network roll-outs, on time and on target.
Examples include:
- Completion of over 250 LTE upgrades for a mobile operator’s London-wide network, including the deployment, commissioning and integration of new radio base stations, installation and alignment of multi-band antennas and extensive equipment testing
- Ongoing street works, undertaking a range of site-enabling and rigging services that enable microcell sites for RAN (radio access network) refresh, covering around 150 street sites, with cabinet and antenna swap-outs, feeder upgrades, UCU installation, civil works and traffic management
- Telent teams have completed over 2000 installations in five years as a preferred supplier of mobile telecoms infrastructure deployment for a major UK telecoms and broadcast infrastructure provider. These include a wide range of on-site installation works across sites that include rooftops, gas sites, pylons and broadcast tower sites, from trenching to tower erection and including electrical works, steelwork fabrication and microwave radio installation
- Numerous digital switchover and DAB radio projects, supporting the digital transition with a range of activities including antenna installation and commissioning
- Partnering with a major telecoms company to optimise and build resilience into a microwave network for the emergency services, providing a full turnkey service for a microwave upgrade programme of 3,300 base station sites, including network design, project management, acquisition, construction , installation & integration
- Maintenance for a major UK mobile phone operator, including a full managed service for both preventative and corrective maintenance for the microwave network, including 24/7/365 help desk, transmission first line maintenance, repair and return and logistics for over 2000 sites.
Additional specialist certifications held by Telent engineers include:
- IRATA L1
- Environmental Awareness Training
- G3 Cellular Worker
- BESC Overheads
- Confined Spaces Inc. Escape BA
- IPAF Operator 1b
- Level 1 Electrical Safety Awareness
- Level 2DC Electrical Working Competence
- NG Person Overhead Lines
- Off-road Driving – Standard
- Slinger / Banksman
- Utility SHEA (Gas)
All Telent maintenance engineers have the following certifications:
- Rooftop Safety & Access
- RF Awareness Training
- Advanced Climber & Tower Rescue
- Asbestos Awareness Training
- Basic Rigging of Light Lifting Equipment
- First Aid at Height
- Manual Handling Awareness Training
- Pylon Access and Rescue
- Medical Checks
For more information contact services@Telent.com