TECHNOLOGIES

When communications equipment that was working well suddenly fails, the only way to minimize the damage is to recover quickly. The longer the recovery time, the exponentially greater the damage. The difference in restoration time depends on the skill level of the technician on the scene, who may have to use different configuration commands for different makes and models of telecom equipment. However, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain highly skilled dispatchers.

Telecommunications equipment often has different pin arrangements for different product models from different manufacturers for security reasons, which means they have to carry a lot of different serial communications cables and laptops, which weighs them down.

When they are called out to a site, often in the early morning hours, they arrive at the telecommunications room in the apartment where the telecommunications equipment is installed, squat down on the narrow, dirty floor, hold their laptops on their laps, connect the telecommunications equipment and serial communications cables, and start typing complex console commands to figure out the problem. While typing in such an uncomfortable position, they sometimes accidentally type typos, which creates another problem. They work in harsh conditions where they have to get acquainted with the cold in winter and insects/heat in summer.

They need a solution to solve these difficulties. SensorNet is developing a solution that allows workers to visit the site with only a small terminal, take out their own smartphone, run the app, and repair the failure with a few button presses.