The Telecom Awards – Blue Signal Takes First Place

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Blue Signal was recently recognized as the Best Wireless & Telecom Workforce Recruitment Agency - USA by Corporate Vision Magazine

CV Magazine rewarded some stand-out key players in Wireless and Telecom based on their positive and impactful influence within the industry as shown over the last year. Competing against top recruiting firms across the nation, Blue Signal's expansive growth and client-centric services made us stand out among the rest. We are excited and honored to announce our achievement of the Best Wireless and Telecom Workforce Recruitment Agency award.

(You can find the article on Blue Signal from the online publication of CV Magazine here, on page 10.)

CV Magazine Telecom Awards 2019 Cover - Blue Signal

Blue Signal takes pride in our extensive network of professionals, which allows us to make superlative matches within the industry’s top companies. Blue Signal’s immense company success would not have been possible without the diligent efforts of our recruiters and supporting team members.

Blue Signal’s service offerings are designed to benefit both clients and candidates. Our focus is to move candidates forward in their career goals and provide customized, individual action plans and introductions to prospective employers. With each of our clients, Blue Signal guarantees confidential replacement searches, new launches, or high-profile openings to ensure both clients and candidates can reach their best potential.

This recognition from such a large pool of successful firms shows our clients and candidates - current and potential! - that Blue Signal appreciates the trust and opportunities our candidates place with us in their career goals. The award for Best Wireless and Telecom Workforce Recruitment Agency - US gives Blue Signal the opportunity to showcase our current achievements and future endeavors. 

Blue Signal is incredibly grateful for the support and backing we’ve received from our partners, clients, candidates and the industry as a whole. In the future, we will continue to push through industry boundaries and change the game to better serve all those involved. “We are proud of all of the hard work we’ve put into supporting our clients and candidates, and we will continue to work closely with the best talent and companies in the telecom market over the coming years.” - CEO Matt Walsh

 

More about CV Magazine: Corporate Vision is a valuable resource created for leaders and decision makers to inform and improve how professionals manage their business operations from staffing to supply chain. CV is passionate about recognizing and showcasing top industry professionals with their individually-tailed awards that provide an in-depth analysis of the very best companies of each market, region and industry. To learn more about their print and online publications, visit their site here. 

 

More about Blue Signal: Blue Signal was founded in Chicago in 2012, and since then, has grown into a multimillion-dollar executive placement firm with offices in the Phoenix and Chicago areas. Blue Signal has established itself as the premier executive search firm within wireless/telecom, technology, and related industry niches.

At Blue Signal, we believe hiring the right people is the best way to transform business. Our targeted, specialized searches deliver highly qualified professionals to meet every hiring need. Our team has decades of combined experience in finding the right people for each unique company culture and industry niche.

Our team works with both candidates and hiring managers to find the right fit. Contact us today to let us know how we can help. 

2018: The Year of User-Friendly Enterprise DAS

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A recent industry survey by Coleman Parkes found that properties with excellent in-building wireless coverage technology were worth 28% more than properties with poor indoor coverage. The demand for reliable in-building wireless continues to grow. Many older buildings are constructed from materials that block cell signals and create pain points for building tenants. Even buildings with cellular coverage often lack capacity for today’s normal mobile usage. However, building owners have been reluctant to upgrade because of the perception that a DAS infrastructure investment is too costly. This year, that is changing. High-quality DAS solutions are becoming available for mid-sized businesses.inbuilding wireless

Wireless companies are competing heavily for businesses in the “middleprise” sector: venues between 50,000 and 500,000 square feet. While DAS is the default coverage solution for big venues like stadiums, airports, and large enterprises, a full-scale DAS is not usually cost-effective for midsize venues like hotels, malls, and hospitals. They are big enough to need an in-building coverage solution to boost the indoor signal, because poor coverage affects employee performance, productivity, and even the rent that the building owner can charge. However, traditional DAS solutions are often too large and expensive for these venues. WiFi coverage alone is not enough to deal with high data volume, and VoWiFi is not reliable enough for mission-critical telecommunications.

These midsize enterprises sometimes balk at pulling the trigger on a major DAS installation because of price or complexity. Since many companies have a BYOD policy, their connectivity solution needs to support bandwidth-intensive, multi-operator, multi-band functionality. At the same time, it needs to be cost-effective, secure, easy to manage, and somewhat future-proof.

 

Multi-operator Small Cells

Middleprise businesses have traditionally avoided small cells because of their limitation to a single carrier. Installing separate small cells for each carrier looks bulky and is unappealing from a design perspective. At this year’s Mobile World Congress, Baicells introduced their NeutralCell product, a multi-operator small cell technology that promises to eliminate this obstacle.

Shared infrastructure models are gaining traction fast. Today’s mobile user expects uninterrupted coverage, no dropped calls, high bandwidth, and high data speeds. However, MNOs cannot build their networks into every single building. Since building owners often have their own ideas about how much space they want to dedicate to network equipment, NeutralCell, SUMO, and similar emerging technologies will bridge this gap so that midsize venues can improve in-building coverage for all carriers for a competitive price.

Active Passive DAS

Signal Boosters & Passive DAS

One hybrid option that many enterprises will likely opt for in 2018 is a signal booster. While most people are familiar with indoor residential signal boosters, signal boosters in a passive DAS context are new to many enterprise owners. This option works very well for building managers who are struggling with poor indoor cell service, dropped calls, or inconsistent coverage. Passive DAS is a large-scale but simple signal booster that quickly improves coverage without complicated management.

The market often uses the term “DAS” to describe an active DAS system. But a DAS is by definition a distributed antenna system, and therefore both active and passive systems qualify as true DAS. Active DAS transmits signals through fiber cables and can boost and amplify signals as needed. Passive DAS transmits uses a leaky feeder communication system consisting of a coaxial cable that functions like an antenna, with “leaks” all along the length of the cable to allow radio signals to enter the cable along its length.

Since passive DAS costs about six times less than an active DAS system, many smaller enterprises choose it over the top-of-the-line solutions. In addition to the lower price, many enterprises prefer the shorter installation time of passive DAS (1 to 2 weeks). An active DAS can take 6 to 18 months to design and install.

 

5G and IoT-Friendly Network Design

The long-awaited 5G network infrastructure is starting to be switched on in parts of Europe, with America soon to follow. While the carriers themselves will be handling the physical wireless infrastructure 5G, many owners of large and midsize venues are considering timing their upgrades to coincide with new network technology and faster speeds.

Additionally, the number of IoT devices has ballooned to almost 9 billion devices worldwide, and is expected to hit between 10 and 15 billion devices by the end of 2018. The IoT landscape is a very strong incentive for building owners to consider DAS systems. Just 15 years ago, the vast majority of office equipment consisted of hard-linked computers, but today’s workplace depends on BYOD, consumer smart devices of all kinds, and IoT/M2M business equipment. This extra traffic puts pressure on the network. Additionally, middleprise building owners have a huge range of IoT devices customized to make their lives easier: smart utility meters, IoT-based security, smart traffic sensors, and more. The cost savings of smart building technology alone is sometimes big enough to offset the cost of a DAS or small cell solution.

 

Future Outlook

The most interesting aspect of the industry space outlook is the shifting relationship between enterprise customers and MNOs. It used to be that enterprise customers were completely dependent on the MNO to build network infrastructure to improve their connectivity and capacity. This model is still true for the individual cell phone user. But enterprise customers are experiencing such heavy demand pressure that they are no longer waiting around for the MNOs to expand the network equipment to meet their needs.

 

Learn more about our DAS and small cell recruiting specialties here.

Unified Communications Industry Predictions for 2018

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The unified communications industry has been very fluid over the past few years. Although the industry is maturing, people’s communication habits continue to evolve as social media and personal technology habits shift.

The major challenges of the unified communications industry are also shifting. Customers (and employees) struggle with overflowing inboxes and are less willing to pick up the phone. Cold-calling has lost much of its popularity. Employees want communication platforms that are intuitive and natural. And there are the challenges of drawn-out meetings, technology that doesn’t work, and ROI.

 

Prediction #1: Improved interoperability and security in hybrid platforms

For most companies, it just doesn’t make sense to use a single tenant solution. Not only is it expensive to build a custom platform and host on-premises applications, but companies feel restricted by the big purchase. In an agile market, companies need to be able to change strategies fast. Hybrid solutions have been common for a while, but there will be a more “modular” approach to UCaaS hybrid environments in the future. Unified communications providers will be able to close more deals and keep customer loyalty if they can provide a set of plug-and-play modules that fit their customers’ unique business needs.

Hybrid cloud - unified communications technology

As more and more technology crowds onto our desks and into our devices, interoperability will be even more important. It is mission-critical for unified communications features to function seamlessly in BYOD and hybrid environments.

This interoperability will come with beefed-up security features to protect against data loss, data corruption, and targeted breach attacks. As cybersecurity attacks rise, companies are becoming more open to spending serious money on data security.

 

Prediction #2: Technology that is natural to use — not just user-friendly

Many UCaaS platforms are easy to use, but not all are natural to use. They don’t match the way that people intuitively use other software and technology in their day-to-day life.

Just because features are new or high-tech, doesn’t mean they’re necessary or useful. Recently, a major Unified Communications hardware manufacturer launched a new advertising campaign for videoconferencing hardware to address the problem of low user engagement, which means a high added cost to the business.

Making UC technology low-effort is only half the battle. Tech giants like Facebook and Apple have created the expectation that all software has a sleek, streamlined UI/UX (user interface/experience). Thanks to these companies, a bad user interface is a show-stopper. User experience is a top consideration for UC technology companies, alongside functionality.

 

Prediction #3: Shift from “feature-rich” to “rich features”

Most features on smartphones, TVs, and other electronics never get used. People get used to using their devices a certain way and don’t branch out. The same goes for unified communications technology. Developing new features is expensive and time-consuming. As the UCaaS market continues to heat up, companies will focus on delivering a few high-quality features that users actually want. Cutting down on the overwhelming number of unnecessary features is the next logical step.

There will be a boost in features to support mobile users and telecommuters, who are becoming more common in the workforce. The unified communications industry relies heavily on remote employees, and customers will be loyal to platforms that support this model.

 

Prediction #4: Data-driven decisions that are actually data-driven

Many companies already consider themselves to be “data-driven,” but the quality of data and the subsequent conclusions based on it is often questionable. Engagement tracking and big data analysis are becoming more commonplace, with simpler tools so that companies don’t need to hire a data scientist to get results. These powerful data tracking tools are helping companies make smart decisions more easily, and based on better data and better insights.

 

 

Prediction #5: CPaaS will be a major UC disruptor

CPaaS is “communications platform as a service,” and includes communication apps such as B2C text messaging, human and bot chat platforms, and other real-time communications applications. UC features in this category include instant-messaging apps like Skype, WhatsApp, and Slack, which have exploded in popularity as a response to overflowing email inboxes. IM applications will continue to grow and most likely eventually totally replace intraoffice email.

Technical support is another department likely to pick up on CPaaS fast. Video-enabled IT support, live 24/7 assistance, and real-time chats are an easy, low-cost solution to common IT problems, and they make the IT department’s job easier.

UCaaS - unified communications predictions

Prediction #6: Smart bandwidth usage for UC apps

Not all UC apps are created equal in terms of data usage. Bandwidth-heavy UC applications like video-streaming can seriously slow down a user’s system, or even the whole network. Smart application integrated platforms reduce the load by taking bandwidth away from inactive applications and funnel it towards the ones in use. This improves the efficiency of the entire system and boosts software speeds. In advanced UCaaS software, this can even occur in totally cloud-based applications.

 

Breakdown in communication is one of the top causes for the failure of relationships, so it comes as no surprise that breakdowns in communication in the workplace are one of the top threats to revenue, productivity, and competitiveness. Unified communications is the technology that helps companies to solve communication problems in the workplace. As our ways of communicating evolve, the UCaaS industry will evolve with us.

Need help with your Unified Communications hiring? Contact us here.

 

Small Cell Industry Trends & Talent Predictions

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Trend #1:  Outdoor Small Cell Growing 50% Faster than Indoor Solutions

The original purpose of small cells was to efficiently reuse spectrum as a capacity solution – not as a replacement for cell towers. However, outdoor small cell use as a coverage solution has grown significantly, both in rural areas and dense urban areas. While DAS and low-power small cells are well suited for indoor applications like office buildings and open-air venues like stadiums, high-power small cells are gaining ground in outdoor applications. Carriers have found that it is cheaper to densify and reuse spectrum rather than buy new blocks of spectrum for macrocell coverages. The major takeaway is that network providers and customers are taking a more nuanced view of coverage that includes a mix of small cell types and power levels to provide efficient, reliable coverage and a better handling of capacity.

Small cells still cannot beat the distance and power of macrocells (1 macro tower equals 10-30 small cells), but small cells are a cheap and effective way to patch coverage holes (at least for now — the maintenance and backhaul costs are still significant). Verizon is investing heavily in small cell densification in preparation for 5G and to support larger capacity demands. It has announced that it will begin commercial deployments this year.

Small cell comparison chart

Chart: Small cells include a mix of indoor/outdoor and high/low power solutions. Small cells improve network coverage and/or capacity. Wi-Fi is included for comparison, but is not considered small cell. 

 

Only two-thirds of new small cells are indoor, and the rest are deployed in outdoor environments. The United States is a hotbed for telecom innovation, but international demand is growing strongly as well. In the next two years, outdoor small cell is projected to jump 600%. By contrast, indoor/in-building solutions are projected to grow only 400%.

One important point to note: this small cell definition includes femtocells, whose cell radius is usually less than 50 feet and can service about 5 users at once. While femtocells do technically qualify as DRAN small cells, their application differs from other members of the small cell family.


Trend #2:  Wi-Fi Starts to Slip

It is surprising to think of Wi-Fi as an obsolete technology, but industry trends show that Wi-Fi may be on a downward slope. It used to be that only a lucky few had access to unlimited data plans, usually grandfathered from years past. Today, unlimited data plans have made a comeback. T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T all offer unlimited data plans. Slower speeds have replaced overage charges for heavy data users.

LTE’s biggest advantage over Wi-Fi is that LTE can be taken anywhere (and Wi-Fi, which is an extension of LAN, will never be as mobile as LTE). As data usage climbs, people expect to use all of their devices everywhere, and finding a Wi-Fi hotspot becomes more of a burden. Coffee shops and public areas are less enthusiastic about footing the bill for Wi-Fi when many customers only buy a cup of coffee and use the network for hours. Wi-Fi technology is fussy and less secure than LTE. As security becomes more and more of an issue, customers are likely to demand LTE-based solutions over Wi-Fi. This trend will accelerate as expanding technology offers more options for less money.

Unlicensed and Licensed Spectrum

Overview of key differences in LTE-U, LAA, and MuLTEfire by Qualcomm.

Image: Overview of key differences in LTE-U, LAA, and MuLTEfire. Source: Qualcomm

 

Unlimited data is not the only competitor to Wi-Fi. Carriers are rushing to densify networks and expand unlicensed spectrum coverage, a family that includes LTE-U, LAA, and MuLTEfire. Wi-Fi is becoming more of a niche technology than the go-to. LTE-U (deployments in the US, Korea, and India) and LAA (deployments in the EU, Japan, and others) use unlicensed spectrum aggregated with licensed spectrum as a Wi-Fi coexistence strategy. They improve the signal without interfering with Wi-Fi. MuLTEfire, by contrast, is LTE realized fully in unlicensed spectrum, and it poses the most serious threat to Wi-Fi. The technology may advance to the point where customers can install a private LTE router in their homes, just like Wi-Fi but with the added benefits of LTE. If the price is comparable to Wi-Fi coverage, this could make home Wi-Fi coverage obsolete.

All the way back to 1993, data usage has never dropped. Growth has accelerated year over year as carriers continue to throw money into network expansion, mostly on outdoor small cell technology to keep costs down and allow for future compatibility with 5G devices.

5G is projected to unseat (or at least compete strongly) with Wi-Fi, especially when it comes to connected devices. Connected devices are compatible with Wi-Fi and LTE, but 5G is specifically designed for compatibility with connected devices. This may prove to be the downfall of Wi-Fi. One opposing viewpoint is Wi-Fi is not going anywhere. As new technology emerges within LTE, Wi-Fi technology is also evolving. New Wi-Fi technologies are closer to carrier-grade — and carriers still rely heavily on their ability to offload on Wi-Fi.

Voice vs. Data Usage since 2011

Mobile voice traffic has been flat since 2011, while data traffic has climbed 1800%

Image: Voice traffic growth has been flat since 2011, while data consumption has jumped over 1300%. Graph: Akamai’s Q2-2016 State of the Internet Report. data from Ericsson’s Mobility Report.

 

One opposing viewpoint is Wi-Fi is not going anywhere. As new technology emerges within LTE, Wi-Fi technology is also evolving. New Wi-Fi technologies are closer to carrier-grade — and carriers still rely heavily on their ability to offload on Wi-Fi.

 

Trend #3: Changing Government Regulations

Many regulations are outdated, obsolete, and have no guidelines for the newest technology, including small cells. This hits hardest at the local level, where budgets are tight and laws can be slow to change. Many local municipalities do not have the resources to keep up with telecom technology that is changing at lightning speeds, let alone revamp the regulations.

Carriers are expecting the FCC to streamline municipal telecom regulations this year to ease the administrative and financial burden of installing small cells, towers, and other network infrastructure. Currently, many cities classify small cells the same as macrocell towers, even though the two technologies have totally different footprints, sizes, and expense. A tower can be hundreds of feet tall, while a small cell can be the size of a lunchbox. However, some cities charge the same fees for both. Some companies have attempted to classify their solutions as public utilities to save themselves hefty permit costs and administrative roadblocks.

Despite some difficulties, there are success stories. The city of Orlando, FL recently accepted bids for a large-scale small cell installation to improve coverage in the city. Some municipalities, especially in tech-friendly large urban areas, are moving ahead with ambitious small cell projects. Laws are changing to better accommodate new technologies. The city of Philadelphia worked with AT&T and Verizon to deploy a 37-node small cell network in anticipation of Pope Francis’s visit in September 2015. The project took only 9 months from start to finish. It was able to proceed thanks to huge public demand and pressure for the city and the telecom companies to work together to achieve a mutual goal.

 

Predictions for Small Cell Talent

Network providers are facing many challenges for their projects, including a severe talent shortage. We predict the following skills will be in highest demand for 2017 and early 2018:

IoT/M2M and 5G

The distance between IoT and small cell is shrinking. As Wi-Fi dependence begins to drop, network providers will need to build more and more IoT/M2M functionality into network designs (especially as 5G comes closer to being a reality). M2M connections are expected to make up almost half of all connected devices by 2020. Specifically, companies will be looking for people with hands-on experience within the IoT value chain. This includes IoT platform design, smart object design, module design, and integration with 3rd party applications.

Because of spectrum limitations, 5G will deploy on a very high frequency, including mmW. This means that traditional cell towers cannot deploy that spectrum, even with advanced beam-forming techniques. Small cells are the only way to deploy the mmW spectrum. This means carriers will have to deploy small cells—possibly on the order of millions—within the next 10 years. Since small cells have design, maintenance, and repair needs just like macrocells, there will be a huge uptick in field work, engineering, construction, and related job duties.

This is one of the biggest looming talent shortages. The IoT/M2M/5G space will create millions of jobs — some estimate over 4 million IoT developer jobs alone by 2020. However, experts also expect that IoT and connected device technology will severely disrupt the labor market. Millions of people who work low-level jobs in fast food, retail, transportation, and supply chain will be displaced.

Standardization & Infrastructure Sharing

Infrastructure sharing is a growing trend while the telecom landscape continues to shift rapidly. There will be a very high demand for employees who can understand and build strategy around shared infrastructure. This will be especially true in the next five years as networks complete coverage expansion projects.

European markets had another record year in 2016 for colocation data center capacity. Colocation promotes standardization and harmony between carriers’ data/voice technology, which is good for the consumer and the industry. Demand will continue to increase for employees with a sound understanding of existing 3GPP standards, as well as foresight for how standards may evolve to accommodate emerging technology.

Interference Mitigation Skills

In an increasingly crowded network, interference is one of the top challenges for high-traffic networks. Managing interference and higher spectrum utilization techniques will be a key goal for network providers, integrators, colocation facilities, and product developers, with applications at almost every level. Demand for this skill will rise fastest among design engineers and product managers. Expect strong demand for sales engineers who can explain interference mitigation technology to potential customers.

Public Sector Technical Sales Skills

While private sector companies are scrambling to upgrade their networks, the public sector is more uneven in its acceptance of new telecom technology. With the challenge of previously mentioned regulatory hurdles, telecom firms need to arm themselves with persuasive and highly knowledgeable salespeople. A strong salesperson can effectively navigate administrative roadblocks and match municipal requirements with network solutions that work. By contrast, some public sector entities are way ahead, aggressively updating building and fire codes with new wireless standards. Companies who win key installation deals early on are more likely to enjoy repeat business and maintenance contracts from the same customers.

 

If your company is searching for small cell talent, contact us for a free evaluation of your hiring needs. Reach our telecom specialist directly at [email protected].

 

The Changing DAS Space and the Looming Skills Gap

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The Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) market has made important gains in the past several years. The United States is the world leader in 4G technology (with 5G in the works), and exploding growth in wireless broadband coverage has led to a big rise in network infrastructure.

 

The Changing DAS Landscape & Forecast

In-building wireless applications are one of the most important areas of DAS market growth. Tier 1 demand has dropped (this includes stadiums, large office buildings, urban mass transit systems, and other large venues). Tier 2 demand (mid-size venues) will grow steadily over the next five years as retailers and medium office buildings invest in DAS and small cell technology. This growth is due to a high demand for coverage that is never interrupted. Network outages are more expensive than ever, and consumers demand continuous access to data and a good phone signal.

Will DAS/small cells replace macro cells? Not likely—they require 10 times the number of sites to cover the same area as a macrocellular site. Instead, they are a new facet of the new heterogeneous network infrastructure model.

Intense market demand has flooded the industry with small solutions firms hoping to make it big. In the next few years, we can expect this high-innovation environment to stabilize and thin out as the strongest players begin to dominate the space, acquiring and driving out smaller firms as they grow.

 

The DAS Skills Gap

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs in the telecom industry has fallen dramatically since 2006, but this statistic does not give the full picture of today’s telecom labor market. The telecom industry experienced a bubble in the 1990s as cell phones gained popularity. Although the total number of jobs has fallen, there is a growing skills gap in technical industries, including the telecom and RF/DAS space.

The economy as a whole is facing one of the biggest skills gaps since the government began collecting data. This also applies to the telecom industry. Companies report major labor shortages within three major areas: technology experts, engineers, and field technicians. Even worse, the Baby Boomers, who dominate positions in senior management, are retiring in large numbers. They leave behind no good source of talent to replace them. This is a good reason to start succession planning early.

Although the millennial generation is one of the most educated workforces in history, telecom companies cite lack of technical experience as one of the biggest hiring challenges they are currently facing. The economy is experiencing high levels of educated workers being unable to find employment, despite the huge demand for skilled labor.

BLS Statistics - DAS and Telecom Employment

After the 1990s telecom bubble burst in 2000, there was a sharp drop-off in telecom employment. But competition is still intense for top talent, like engineers and technology experts.

How to Secure DAS Talent

Large enterprises are scrambling to implement training programs to grow the next generation of talent. This is the best approach for a long-term plan, but many companies need to capitalize on DAS market demand now. It takes years to train up new recruits.

This “land grab” phase has led to an industry-wide war for talent, which makes it difficult for DAS-focused SMB telecom firms to attract and retain top talent. For these companies, investing in a comprehensive training program is dangerous—it means falling behind the growth curve. Instead, invest in a relationship with a trusted recruiting firm who knows the telecom and wireless space well. In a high-demand, employee-driven market, sourcing and attracting talent is a full-time job. The cost of a bad hire can cripple an entire project during a critical time.

 

If your company is invested in DAS and small cell projects, contact us for a free comprehensive analysis of your talent sourcing strategy for the next 2 to 5 years. Get in touch with us at [email protected], or at (480) 939-3200.