2025-11-04 – Weekly Telecom News : Training for outage talks

Last week, discussions on the forum centered around effective communication strategies during network outages, with members sharing the need for better training. There was a buzz about the surge in project management roles in the telecom sector, and many shared their experiences balancing workforce demands in ongoing 5G deployments. Technical debates also sparked interest, particularly around the performance of audio codecs like Opus and G.711 in challenging network conditions.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Training that truly improves outage conversations
This discussion delves into the importance of training for handling outage communications effectively. It’s essential for maintaining customer trust during service disruptions.
Read more here

2025-10-31 – Weekly Telecom Jobs : “Project management roles are booming!”
Explore the rise in project management roles in telecom, reflecting industry growth and evolving project needs.
Read more here

Balancing crews across a 5G build
This thread tackles the logistical challenges of managing crews for 5G infrastructure projects, a hot topic as 5G continues to expand.
Read more here

Opus vs G.711 on lossy links
A technical comparison that explores which codec performs better in environments with packet loss, an important consideration for network quality.
Read more here

FAQ/Guidelines
For newcomers, this is a must-read to understand how to navigate and contribute effectively to the forum.
Read more here

Admin Guide: Getting Started
A helpful resource for admins new to the platform, outlining essential first steps.
Read more here

What Was Your First Job in Telecom?
A nostalgic thread where members share their entry into the telecom industry, offering insights and inspiration.
Read more here

Which Telecom Role Matches Your Skills?
This discussion helps members identify roles that align with their skills, a useful resource for career planning.
Read more here

What’s the Meaning of LTE?
A straightforward thread that clarifies the fundamentals of LTE for those new to telecom terminology.
Read more here

Best Software for Network Monitoring?
A practical discussion on the software options available for effective network monitoring, crucial for maintaining service quality.
Read more here


Looking forward to seeing more engaging discussions continue throughout the week. Keep sharing your experiences and insights.

We’ve had the best results appointing a single comms lead (often a PM) to deliver 15-minute outage updates with a tight ‘impact / what we know / what we don’t / next update’ script; escalations dropped about 40%, but it only works if you hold the cadence even when there’s nothing new. Anyone tracking ‘mean time between updates’ as a KPI?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‍​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‌​⁠​⁠‍​‌‌‌​‌​‍‍‌​‌⁠‌‌‌‌‌​⁠‌‌⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠‍‌​⁠‌‍‌‌​​‌​‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

@Guide we embedded the ‘impact/known/unknown/next’ script in a Slack slash-command; quarterly drills and timezone/segment fields.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‍​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌‌​⁠​​‌‌‍‍​⁠​​‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌⁠‌​​‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‍‍⁠‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‌⁠‌‌‌‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

We do 15-minute updates, but mirror to Statuspage; @Guide’s script keeps 5G crews synced.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‍​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​‍⁠​⁠‍‌‌‍​‍​⁠​⁠‌‍‌‍‌⁠‍​‌‍‌‍‌​⁠‍‌⁠​⁠‌​‍‍‌‍⁠​‌​⁠‍‌‍‌⁠‌​‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

@ashields45, small tip: we built a 90‑second “first update” template into MS Teams and auto‑translate it to ES/PT for field crews; , nothing derails training faster than ad‑hoc bilingual rewrites mid‑incident… We also rotate a PM shadow with the comms lead each week so they get reps before the real thing, and while Statuspage works for execs, critical crews still get SMS via PagerDuty for visibility.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‍​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠​‌‌‌‌‌⁠​​​‍⁠‌‌​⁠⁠​⁠‌‌‌‍‍⁠​⁠​​‌‌‍​‌‍​‍‌​⁠‌‌‌‌‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

Quick tip: we added a Jira incident macro that stamps an owner and a next checkpoint time, so all outage comms live in one thread during 5G cutovers. , nothing derails training faster than side‑channel pings, so we coach one rule: “no owner, no update.” If you’re not on Jira, @ashields45, a pinned Google Doc with timestamps works just as well.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‍​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‌​⁠​⁠​⁠​​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‌​⁠‌‍‌‌‌​‌⁠‍​‌‍‌​‌⁠‌⁠‌‍‍‍‌​⁠⁠‌​​‌‌‍‍‌​⁠‌​‌⁠‍​‌‌​‌‌‍​⁠​⁠‌​‌‌​‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

We started doing a weekly ‘radio check’ drill: within five minutes of a mock page, the incident lead delivers a 60‑second update — ‘what we know, what we’re doing, next ETA’ — on Zoom; it’s made first comms feel like muscle memory, like a fire drill for words. Small caveat: we still require a human to tweak the template for severity and region so it doesn’t read robotic.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‍​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌​‌​‍‍​⁠‌‍‌​‍⁠‌​‍‍​⁠‌​‌​⁠​‌​‍⁠‌‍‍​‌⁠‌‍​⁠​‍‌‍​‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

We made “status page first” a hard rule: within two minutes we post a stub to Statuspage that auto-feeds Slack/Teams and the IVR, so every update keys off one source — like pinning the map before the hike. Caveat: some enterprise customers insist on email, so we mirror the same text via a template to keep wording identical; anyone else do that?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌‍‌‌‌‍​⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠‍​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌​​‌​⁠‍​‌‍⁠​‌‌​​‌‍⁠‍​⁠​​‌​‍‍‌‍⁠‍‌⁠‍​‌‍​‍‌​​⁠​⁠​​‌‌⁠⁠‌​‍‍‌​​⁠‌‌‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​