Warren Gunton says no day is the same. Photo / Graeme Sedal

Warren Gunton says no day is the same. Photo / Graeme Sedal

Name: Warren Gunton
Age: 45
Role: Fibre optic jointer at Northpower.
Working hours: 7.30am to 4pm, occasional evening and weekend work as well as alternating monthly 24/7 standby.
Average salary: $50,000-$60,000

What do you do as a fibre optic jointer?

We install and connect fibre cables from the network centre to customer buildings and install equipment racks, termination boxes and jointing closures into buildings and jointing chambers located in the footpaths and roads. This can include putting connections into commercial premises and running new high-speed networks down streets. Depending on customer needs, we might have to run the fibre cable through two or three joints to get the connection from the exchange to the customer's communications room. It is my job to make sure the fibre link works and will continue to operate for years to come.

We also have to make sure that everything keeps running in a commercial building so, for example, if a firewall goes down we get called in. Sometimes the firewall needs replacing or a piece of equipment is failing at the customer end; other times someone has simply turned the power off. You have to work through issues such as who was in the area last to work out what has happened.

We need to get the link back up and running as soon as possible.

What is jointing?

Jointing is done by using a splicing machine that looks a bit like a Nintendo. The machine welds the fibres together and then we install the fibre strand into a closure.

What are fibre optic cables used for?

They are used for high-speed broadband, and transporting large amounts of data for businesses, telcos and internet companies. Because fibre has almost limitless capacity, it can transport huge amounts of data and other services.

Your history?

I've been in the telecommunications field since I was 16, long before fibre-optic technology existed. I was initially keen on precision engineering but had trouble getting a job in that area and then I saw a communications technician vacancy advertised with the Post Office.

I got the job and never looked back. The Post Office was taken over by Telecom, then my division was contracted out to ConnecTel and then to Downers.

What sort of training or experience is helpful with this job?