Certified Telecom Technologies Technician  

1. Technologies Covered: This program includes five computer-based training (CBT) courses and the exam for each. It is intended to address employer concerns about employee competency and employees desire to be current with industry technology. Technology modules included are:

Managers, sales, and technical support personnel needing knowledge of telecommunications technology, services, and products.

5. Certification:

Persons completing the certification course of study will be awarded status as a Certified Telecom Technologies Technician by Telephone Apprenticeship Training & Safety. A transcript of training completed will be provided to each Certified Technician.

Certified Telcom Technicians will be offered periodic technology updates in in order to remain current.

The Certified CO Technician program is intended to update the knowledge of persons with experience presently working in Central Office related occupations or to improve the skills of those entering these occupations. The program includes 15 modules and the exam for each.

Provides a means to keep current with technology

Potential career enhancement

Increased job knowledge

Keep employees up-to-date

Improved customer service and support

Increased employee involvement

Central Office, networking, and technical support personnel requiring knowledge of Telecommunications

technology and services.

Completion of all required courses with a minimum score of 75%.

or)

Satisfactory completion of the Central Office Certification Test.

Persons completing the certification course of study be awarded status as a Certified Central Office Technician by the Telephone Apprenticeship, Training & Safety Program.

A transcript of all training completed will be provided to each Certified Central Office Technician.

Six hours of continuation training will be required to maintain certification beyond three years from the date of initial or last certification. Continuation training may consist of Telephone AT&S program courses or other training related to Central Office work.

Technicians who have previous knowledge of the subject matter may elect to demonstrate their knowledge and gain certification by completion of a monitored closed-book test. Retesting may be performed one time using another set of test questions derived from the same material.

Test Question Sources - Testing assumes a common basis of knowledge and availability of study materials. Test questions listed are derived from the books/courses listed for certification. All courses used in the test are available from the AT&S Program at no cost to employees of member companies.

Courses listed as part of the certification curriculum contain testing material for each course. All tests for individual courses are open book.

Independent Study (self paced) Courses Note: Courses listed as CBT are Computer-Based-Training

Anatomy of Telecommunications - (21 hours) This course is provides a view of history, an overview of telephone fundamental operating principles/systems and how they work. Starts from the invention of the telephone and telegraph and brings the student up to digital switching in a clear, mostly non-technical narrative. Intended both for non-technical employees and as an introduction to those entering technical occupations. Serves as a review of the overall picture for technicians.

Cable, Inside and Out- (24 hours) This first-course is for employees who have cable maintenance duties or for those who are simply interested in the basics of telephone cable technology.

Practical Grounding Theory and Design -(24 hours) A broad view of grounding in telecommunications. Grounding design techniques, electrical hazards, electrical protection, noise mitigation, and carrier, central office, and cable grounding.

SONET Basics - (33 hours) Provides a general knowledge of Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) standards and how the use of SONET in new fiber equipment can improve the transmission of information in digital form.

Understanding Fiber Optics - (33 Hours) A general course for technicians that covers most aspects of fiber-optics and their uses in networks. Serves as Fiber Optics 101, a foundation for understanding of a growing technology. It explains the principles and demonstrates how and why fiber optic systems operate. Emphasizes the use of fiber optics in telephony and other industries; present and future application

Overview of Frame Relay - (CBT 20 hours) Presents a broad view of Frame Relay protocol operation over a data network.

X.25 in Modern Data Communications - (CBT 22 hours) Provides a general working knowledge of the X.25 protocol, its structure and layout for all telecommunication employees.

SS7 Basics - (15 hours) An introduction to SS7 that allows the student to gain overall appreciation and understanding of its structure and impact. This course covers the reasons why SS7 exists and is necessary, as well as, step-by-step procedures describing actions that occur in the network when SS7 is being used.

LAN Basics - (CBT 15 hours) Provides a comprehensive introduction to the basics of networks to help communications professionals understand the basic structure and terminology of networked systems. The text allows the reader to grasp the structure, design protocols and other aspects of networked systems driving this important merger of communications and computer technologies.

Essentials of Cisco Router Configuration, Volume 1: Router Setup- (CBT 7 hours) Contains Cisco Router orientation, Internetworking, Operating System Orientation and Cisco Router operation. Provides introduction to Cisco Router components, basic navigation within the IOS and describes various administrative routines.

Essentials of Cisco Router Configuration, Volume 2: Basic Configuration- (CBT 7 hours) Covers Basic configuration, IP address configuration, IP routing configuration, IP Access List fundamentals, Wide Area Configuration and the three basic wide area protocols, HDLC, PPP, and Frame Relay

Essentials of Cisco Router Configuration, Volume 3: IP Routing- (CBT 7 hours) Provides an overview of IP routing and discusses the two major types of IP routing protocols. Presents fundamental commands to configure the important IP routing protocols. Describes the distance vector protocols of RIP version 2 and EIGRP. Shows how to configure these protocols. Describes hot the routing updates can be manipulated as they come into the router or before they are advertised to a neighboring router.

Essentials of Cisco Router Configuration, Volume 4: IP Packet Manipulation, Queuing & DDR (Dial-on-Demand) (CBT 7 hours) Covers the introduction and implementation of IP packets for the Cisco Router. It is designed to give students the essential knowledge of IP access lists as the relate to Cisco routers and explains the various queuing options and how to utilize them efficiently and effectively.

Essentials of Cisco Router Configuration, Volume 5: OSPF- (Open Shortest Path First) (CBT 7 hours) Explains how and why OSPF was developed, introduces the OSPF protocols, packet types and record formats. Details OSPF database update, teaches the configuration and show commands required to build and monitor an OSPF network, the concept of IP Route Summarization techniques, how it is configured, how to read the input and debug commands.

Essentials of Cisco Router Configuration, Volume 6: BGP- (Border Gateway Protocol) (CBT 7 hours) Overview of BGP, Intro to BGP protocol, basic and advanced configuration options, learn how to configure a basic BGP network, explains network summarization options, load balancing methods, and how route maps are used.