In this Q&A, we caught up with Operations Director Rashid Collins to learn about his history with Kelly Group, our ongoing work with VMO2, and his outlook for the future.
'I joined Kelly Group in 2000 as one of several engineers Tupe’d across from an outgoing supplier on an NTL Business Installations contract in Bedfordshire.
I became a site supervisor in 2002 on the same contract and then site manager in 2003 following the award of the Telewest Business and Network Contract in London. I continued in site management roles across London and the SE up until 2013 when I became a regional manager, responsible for several SE sites delivering the same range of services, our client now being Virgin Media.
Telecoms for me was initially a part-time or summer job that I would do in and around further education at Sixth Form and then University. My Stepdad got me into the industry (thank you Mark!) when I was 17 with an American-owned company, Triax, in Cambridge. I got to know a little about the component elements and design of CATV and HFC network build and it provided an income while I was studying. Although I’ve no regrets about sticking with further education, as things have panned out, I do not think it made a great deal of difference to my career path or where I have ended up which I put down to simple hard work, durability, and the support of my colleagues.'
Virgin Media Contract
'The current version of our Virgin Media / VMO2 Contract covers a range of services across North London, Essex, the Home Counties and East Anglia. I am ultimately responsible for the Non-Consumer Projects which include Business Installations, Emergency Restoration of Services, Diversions, Site Exits and Electrical Vehicle Charging Points which are detailed as part of this feature. In addition, I also head our regional FTTP Build projects for VMO2 & NexFibre which have delivered Fibre coverage directly to more than 20,000 homes in Essex over the last 2.5 years.
A range of civils operatives, cabling teams, and fibre splicers are employed on these projects. Given the complex nature of the orders we deliver, our lead engineers are amongst some of the most experienced and longest-serving in the company at least 30 of whom have been with us well in excess of 10 years. These engineers are integral to the many successes we have enjoyed in delivery.
Some standouts over the past 5 years would be the Camden Head End Exit, H3G Mobile 5G Installations and Backhaul Project, and the Infill Build Areas in Pump Lane and Broomfield, Chelmsford. Each of these was a highly pressured delivery programme that required thorough project management, back office and commercial support. In the main though, it was the experience and aptitude of our engineers who were prepared to work in challenging conditions and often committed to unsociable hours over many months that made the difference and have helped to strengthen the company brand and relationship with our client.'
Looking Ahead
'As to our relationship with Virgin Media, I would say it continues to thrive. It would be fair to say there have been a few challenges over the past 3 contract terms spanning the last 16 years. However, have managed to sustain a very good level of service during our present term, and as a result, we have been invited to tender for additional work in our footprint and beyond. We must continue to work hard, maintain the level of service we currently provide and look to enhance our portfolio further, in the right areas, to ensure we are well-positioned when the contract comes up for renewal. I think it would be fair to say there is no time to stand still or any room for complacency in telecoms at present.
One element that has changed the shape of our delivery on VM projects over the past 2 years have been the advent of PIA (Physical Infrastructure Access). This has enabled VM and other ISPs to access the Openreach network in order to deliver their products across a larger footprint.
Happily, our internal training schools have been able to provide our engineers and supervisors with the accreditation required to do so, and we have been able to upskill them quickly for deployment on these orders. As mentioned, we do not suffer a great deal of churn on our projects, with engineers staying with us long term, but as and when we do recruit, the PIA accreditation piece is now rolled out as part of the induction process where required.'
Training
Depending on the nature of the deployment, trainees are generally sent to the field under supervision from a lead operative. This could range from 3 months for Cabling Teams, to over a year for Live Fibre Splicers and Civils Operatives. Any engineer working on the live network needs to be aware of the ease at which significant outages can be caused, and due to the aggregation systems now in use, it is possible that a break or bend on a single fibre could see up to 64 residential premises lose service!
Innovations
'Aggregated fibre would be one of many changes to the network I have seen during my tenure, and for this and many other network solutions, we have a crucial role to play in installation, testing and maintenance in Virgin Media’s busiest area in terms of customer density. We hope to be providing these services for a long time to come.'
