Telecommunications Engineer

Telecommunications engineering, or telecom engineering, is an engineering discipline that integrates electrical engineering with computer science to develop telecommunication systems. The work ranges from basic circuit design to strategic mass developments. A telecommunication engineer is responsible for designing and overseeing the installation of telecommunications equipment and facilities, such as complex electronic switching systems, copper telephone facilities, and fiber optics.

According to MapMyTalent research, telecom engineers use a variety of equipment and transport media available from a multitude of manufacturers to design the telecom network infrastructure. The most common media, often referred to as plant in the telecom industry, used by telecommunications companies today are copper, coaxial cable, fiber and radio.

Telecom engineers are often expected, as most engineers are, to provide the best solution possible for the lowest cost to the company. This often leads to creative solutions to problems that often would have been designed differently without the budget constraints dictated by modern society.

A telecommunication engineer should have a sound knowledge of both computer software and hardware. Additionally he/she should be adept in technical writing, public speech and project management.

A telecom engineer often focuses on a specific area like fiber optics, networking or circuit design. Telecom engineers are involved in designing processors and circuits to design large infrastructure projects to establish wireless technologies or networks. Telecom engineers who design the infrastructure also manage the project. After a project is completed they also maintain the systems that they have designed. As technological advances keep coming they have to upgrade their skills and capabilities throughout their careers.