HFC .
Trading as....
GURU
About Us
Key achievements-
- ICT50197 Diploma in Telecommunications Engineering (2004)
- BSB51107 Diploma of Business Management (2016)
- Digital Fundamentals & Sub Systems One (2005)
- CMT-05-001-5 Fibre Optic OTDR, Commissioning & Reporting (2011)
- ICT30497 Certificate 3 in Telecommunications Cabling (2002)
- UEE30811 Certificate 3 in Electrotechnology (Electrician) (2019)
- Among the first to network fault find cable modem services in Australia on the CDLP Bigpond platform.
- Assisted in delivery of the first Docsis3.0 in Australia in Melbourne Exchanges under the UHSI Project for Bigpond.
- MIMA HFC SME with OMMA supporting role.
HFC Experience 1996 to 2017
Early 1996: “Optus Vision” broadband project. (Australian Power Industries. API Brisbane roll out)
Splicing hardline .625 coax cable – installing passives such as taps/ splitters, & actives such as amplifiers, gateways (node amplifiers) & power supplies & batteries.
Splicing hardline .625 coax cable – installing passives such as taps/ splitters, & actives such as amplifiers, gateways (node amplifiers) & power supplies & batteries.
Forward activation. Smooth balance of network amplifiers to within 1dB of the node plan design. This involved the initial power up, locating short circuits & RF faults using Wavetek Stealth SAM, RF generator, multimeter. I was in charge of 9 activation crews.
Mid 1997: “Optus Vision” Retrofit. (Australian Power Industries. API Sydney)
Retrofit existing Optus network which included the addition or removal of components overlooked in the initial build. All worked needed to be checked (forward path) & re-balanced if necessary.
1997 to 1998: “Optus Communications’” Telephony Certification (Australian Power Industries. API Sydney).
Setting up the Optus HFC for reverse (return) path capabilities. Network already operating forward path for analogue video. Reverse path would be used for Motorola cable access units (CAU) & allow PSTN services over the HFC to compete with Telecom (Telstra). This included forward & return “sweeping”, gateway (node) proofing, fault finding, ingress chasing, leakage drive-out/ repair, 2 tone testing end of line tap integrity, power supply test & certification, test CAU installation.
Setting up the Optus HFC for reverse (return) path capabilities. Network already operating forward path for analogue video. Reverse path would be used for Motorola cable access units (CAU) & allow PSTN services over the HFC to compete with Telecom (Telstra). This included forward & return “sweeping”, gateway (node) proofing, fault finding, ingress chasing, leakage drive-out/ repair, 2 tone testing end of line tap integrity, power supply test & certification, test CAU installation.
1998 to 1999: “Optus Communications” Maintenance. (Australian Power Industries. API Sydney).
Maintaining the HFC network now used for telephony, data & video. Tap up – Network faults such as ingress, power supply & monitoring (cheetah) equipment & gateway. Tap down – customer premises problems including CAU test & replacement, picture faults & rectifying installation damage.
1999 to 2000: “Optus Communications” Network Technician Sydney (Employee)
Preventative maintenance & customer trouble calls on the Optus broadband network including Local Area Telephony, high-speed data (cable modems), balancing amplifiers forward & reverse, & network ingress.
2000 to 2003: “FOXTEL/ Bigpond HFC Network Maintenance Contract” (Sub-contract to Skilled Communications Sydney)
Company GIBGIB Holdings PTY Limited created to work a shift roster with fixed rates per job instead of an hourly rate.
Involved maintaining customers’ existing services on the Telstra broadband network from the hub (node amplifier) to the customer TV/ cable modem. This included every aspect of using test equipment: align – forward path (Stealth SAM) & return path (signal generator), clearing noise – return path (HP spectrum analyser), Leakage detection (Super Plus+) & video picture fault finding (analogue). Customer complaint issue resolution & level 4 faults (highest escalation) also commonly undertaken.
Involved maintaining customers’ existing services on the Telstra broadband network from the hub (node amplifier) to the customer TV/ cable modem. This included every aspect of using test equipment: align – forward path (Stealth SAM) & return path (signal generator), clearing noise – return path (HP spectrum analyser), Leakage detection (Super Plus+) & video picture fault finding (analogue). Customer complaint issue resolution & level 4 faults (highest escalation) also commonly undertaken.
2003 to 2018: “Optus Power Supply Maintenance Contract” Brisbane. UCG > Downer > Stream Communications > Tech2Home > BSA (current)
Test of power supplies & battery back up on the Optus HFC network. All PSU’s visited once per year & fully tested. 3 X Gel cell batteries are conductance tested & the values recorded. Any batteries that fail conductance test thresholds are replaced as a full set. Looking after all QLD from Ipswich to Redcliffe. Not a full time job.
2003 to 2004: “Optus installations Brisbane” Sub-contract to Hills TV Systems, then UCG, then to Waters Communications.
Various tasks on a 6 day a week basis including tap down service calls, installation of telephone & pay TV services, changes to existing services & disconnects.
2004 to 2006: “Broadband Field Services Telstra Brisbane” Sub-contract to Pracom then Siemens Thiess (STJV).
Customer service calls for Foxtel & Bigpond cable. Involved diagnosing customer installation &/ or PC to locate & correct a fault condition. 6 days a week including after 5PM service calls.
2006 to late 2006: “FOXTEL Management business satellite services” All of SE QLD. Sub-contract to Brisbane Broadband Communications.
Service calls, digital migration, MDU installations, extra channels (STU & modulators) for FOXTEL business customers in SE QLD. Included motels, offices buildings, & gyms. Also upgraded power supplies for GME modulators.
Mid 2007, Mid 2008, Mid 2010, Late 2015: “Telstra HFC network leakage repair/ maintenance Brisbane & Gold Coast” Sub-contract Ventel & TPS.
Repair Telstra Broadband network RF leakage using Trilithics Super Plus+ & later Trilithic Seeker with MCA II GPS & LAW server in Brisbane & Gold Coast. Consisted of fault identification, rectification & test.
2006 to 2016: “Telstra HFC – various roles” Australia wide. Sub-contract to Total Peripheral Supplies TPS Melbourne.
2006-2010 “BMS node Upgrade” Removed Phillips “PAY TV” broadband equipment in racks in all Telstra HFC exchanges & upgrade to Pacific Broadband Networks (PBN) OCMR equipment.
This interfaced with the DOCSIS 1 services. Involved equipment placement, fibre works & cabling in & between racking. Full rack testing & network hub alignment in suburbs. Later some sites used OWDM fibre technology where exchanges had little space for a broadband router rack.
2010- 2016: OM4100 CCOR (Arris) Optical Node Replacement (Hubs). Australia wide
Replacing old Magnavox hubs to the newer more updatable higher spec OptiMax 4100 Arris Segmentable Node.
Old hub response to 750MHz, OM4100 to 1GHz & reduces downtime on network. Involves RF alignment & fibre splicing.
2009: “Ultra High Speed Internet” (UHSI) Melbourne. Australia’s first DOCSIS 3 roll out.
Rebuild, re-cable to integrate D3 into all Melbourne HFC exchanges to provide 100MB/s to Bigpond Cable customers.
2010-2013: Project “Endeavour”. Roll out UHSI (D3 100MB/s) to the rest of Australia but deploying a different approach to Melbourne architecture. Adding new equipment & cabling & modifying existing passives. Heaps of testing.
2013-2015: Project “Density”. Australia Wide. Replacing equipment delivering current D3 services for a higher density, more compact unit. Adding much more capacity with a shelf of half the physical size.
2015 to 2016: Project “D123” is adding the equivalent capacity as the existing DOCSIS 1 services so customers can be migrated across to DOCSIS 3.
At the time, the DOCSIS 1 service was being switched off. The spectrum is to be used by NBN HFC. Involves upgrading PBN equipment & adding more D3 segments to handle the migration capacity from D1 to D3 customers.
2016 to 2017: Project "MIMA". Construction/ alteration of the Telstra HFC Network in readiness for nbn Co handover.
Roles as a HFC SME:
Outage planning
Roles as a HFC SME:
Outage planning
Onsite outage supervision
Technical training & assistance.
Design proposals.
Final Completion result verification.