The so-called D-side is the copper communications cabling on the 'Distribution' side of the BT local exchange. These are the cables that go from the exchange to distribute telephone and broadband services to client homes, businesses and other organisations.D-side Copper Cable Jointing Training Course
An Open College Network (OCN) accredited course at level 2 with a duration from 4-days (mostly assessment and minimal training for more experienced trainees) to around 15-days (for trainees new to cabling). Covers skills required to work as copper telecoms jointers on the BT D-side network. This is currently an area with huge demand for trained staff, and the prospect of a long and rewarding career for hard workers.
With public courses for small trainee numbers (max 6) we are now planning some 5-day D-side copper cable jointing courses . Details...
BT Telephone Cable Jointer Training
D-side cable jointing is telephone cable jointing with copper cables containing up to 100 pairs of copper wires. These cables are installed underground for new build, but many incumbent telephone operators, like BT in the UK, have a huge overhead D-side cable network that must be maintained. Indeed this distribution side of the network is arguable the most valuable, and so there is a need for cable jointers and poling gangs to replace the cables and telegraph poles.
Since deregulation and privatisation of many traditional telephony companies, there has been a huge reduction in the numbers of people being trained to work on these copper telephone cables. Indeed much of the work on the BT network is now doen by BT contractors, and without long term contracts to justify the investments they have not been able to train the hundreds of new telephone cable jointers and telegraph pole erectors required by the industry.
Lucid's telephone cable jointing training courses and qualifications are a way into this industry as a skilled cable jointer and a route to a rewarding career. See our careers page for more information.
Many of the jobs for cable jointers will be with BT contractors or sub-contractors, rather than directly with BT - although we have trained cable jointers who have been poached by BT from their contractors! The skills are also applicable to some other organisations who utilise copper cable, and hence requires skilled cable jointers, examples of note are Network Rail and the Highways Agency and their contractors.
Network Rail Cable Jointers and Testers
To work on the rail network cables operated by Network Rail, you are required to be multi-skilled in that their cables are both fibre optic and copper cables. This aside the D-side cable jointing skills are transferable, but workers are also required to have track safety certification.
Highways Agency Cable Jointers
The UK Highways Agency have a network of cables running up and down the UK's trunk routes. These cables are fibre optic and copper based cables used for traffic cameras and signs on motorways and some other trunk routes.
As with BT and Network Rail, although they have their own staff, much of the cable jointing work is done by contractors.