21581 - SCTE Broadband August2022 COMPLETE v1

38 Vol. 44 No. 3 - September 2022 Issue from the industry We manage the design, deployment and manage the training of engineers in India. We’ve brought them to the UK now. We are helping many of the leading operators in the UK to deploy a network. We are bringing our technical know-how to make sure that it is done right, the first time. We are producing solutions which are easier to deploy. For example, splicing a cable can be time consuming and need training. But providing solutions that are plug and play, pre-connectorized solutions - anybody can do it, even a trainee or intern can do it. Also we have developed intelligently bonded ribbon cables which help upgrading existing networks by deploying up to 4x of fibre in existing ducts and also help faster and more cost efficient deployment of high fibre count. With our network services business, we are able to bring in specially trained resources from India who are certified in our academy. These trained resources help cover the shortfall on trained fibre engineers in the UK. Once successful, we will be looking to replicate this model in other European markets as well. We are using the strength of the STL Academy in India to help network deployments in Europe. To date, STL academy has trained more than 100,000 in the areas of 5G and fibre network deployment. And female upskilling and empowerment is something that is very, very important to STL. What an inspiring company this is. What’s it like to be a female employer in India? Upskilling is just one bit of it because deployment is not only happening in cities and densely populated areas. It’s happening in remotely and rural areas, so women’s safety and their needs have to be taken care of. So the teams which we have on the ground help them enable all those services for them. It is not about sustaining them, but creating a solution around making sure they are taken care of end to end. It is very empowering for women because if there is deployment happening close to their village, they can actually just make Sustainability I N F O C U S