Skip to main content

Telecommunications Equipment Technician

Technology

Install, set up, rearrange, or remove switching, distribution, routing, and dialing equipment used in central offices or headends. Service or repair telephone, cable television, Internet, and other communications equipment on customers' property. May install communications equipment or communications wiring in buildings.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Electrical EngineeringComputer Science

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Demonstrate equipment to customers and explain its use, responding to any inquiries or complaints.
  2. 2Test circuits and components of malfunctioning telecommunications equipment to isolate sources of malfunctions, using test meters, circuit diagrams, polarity probes, and other hand tools.
  3. 3Test repaired, newly installed, or updated equipment to ensure that it functions properly and conforms to specifications, using test equipment and observation.
  4. 4Climb poles and ladders, use truck-mounted booms, and enter areas such as manholes and cable vaults to install, maintain, or inspect equipment.
  5. 5Assemble and install communication equipment such as data and telephone communication lines, wiring, switching equipment, wiring frames, power apparatus, computer systems, and networks.
  6. 6Run wires between components and to outside cable systems, connecting them to wires from telephone poles or underground cable accesses.
  7. 7Drive crew trucks to and from work areas.
  8. 8Test connections to ensure that power supplies are adequate and that communications links function.
  9. 9Note differences in wire and cable colors so that work can be performed correctly.
  10. 10Inspect equipment on a regular basis to ensure proper functioning.
  11. 11Remove loose wires and other debris after work is completed.
  12. 12Collaborate with other workers to locate and correct malfunctions.
  13. 13Repair or replace faulty equipment, such as defective and damaged telephones, wires, switching system components, and associated equipment.
  14. 14Route and connect cables and lines to switches, switchboard equipment, and distributing frames, using wire-wrap guns or soldering irons to connect wires to terminals.
  15. 15Maintain computer and manual records pertaining to facilities and equipment.
  16. 16Communicate with bases, using telephones or two-way radios to receive instructions or technical advice, or to report equipment status.
  17. 17Designate cables available for use.
  18. 18Remove and remake connections to change circuit layouts, following work orders or diagrams.
  19. 19Diagnose and correct problems from remote locations, using special switchboards to find the sources of problems.
  20. 20Clean and maintain tools, test equipment, and motor vehicles.
  21. 21Perform database verifications, using computers.
  22. 22Request support from technical service centers when on-site procedures fail to solve installation or maintenance problems.
  23. 23Program computerized switches and switchboards to provide requested features.
  24. 24Analyze test readings, computer printouts, and trouble reports to determine equipment repair needs and required repair methods.
  25. 25Enter codes needed to correct electronic switching system programming.
  26. 26Examine telephone transmission facilities to determine requirements for new or additional telephone services.
  27. 27Measure distances from landmarks to identify exact installation sites for equipment.
  28. 28Adjust or modify equipment to enhance equipment performance or to respond to customer requests.
  29. 29Install updated software and programs that maintain existing software or provide requested features, such as time-correlated call routing.
  30. 30Perform routine maintenance on equipment, including adjusting and lubricating components and painting worn or exposed areas.
  31. 31Determine viability of sites through observation, and discuss site locations and construction requirements with customers.
  32. 32Remove and replace plug-in circuit equipment.
  33. 33Refer to manufacturers' manuals to obtain maintenance instructions pertaining to specific malfunctions.
  34. 34Install telephone station equipment, such as intercommunication systems, transmitters, receivers, relays, and ringers, and related apparatus, such as coin collectors, telephone booths, and switching-key equipment.
  35. 35Dig holes or trenches as necessary for equipment installation and access.
  36. 36Clean switches and replace contact points, using vacuum hoses, solvents, and hand tools.
  37. 37Review manufacturer's instructions, manuals, technical specifications, building permits, and ordinances to determine communication equipment requirements and procedures.
  38. 38Provide input into the design and manufacturing of new equipment.
  39. 39Address special issues or situations, such as illegal or unauthorized use of equipment, or cases of electrical or acoustic shock.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • CST
  • EST
  • Wirer
  • Splicer
  • CO Worker
  • Installer
  • Switchman
  • Fiber Tech
  • P&E Worker
  • Test Worker

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Telecommunications — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Telecommunications — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service89%
  • Telecommunications88%

    Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesComputer Science / ICT

  • Computers and Electronics84%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • English Language80%

    English

  • Mathematics70%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Public Safety and Security67%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Indoors, air-conditionedRarely
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

11%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.08%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

TVET

Hands-on trades with strong employability: ILP, ADTEC, kolej vokasional, GiatMARA.

1–3 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org