What Is a Telecom Surveyor? Roles, Qualifications and When You Need One

Nothing gets modern networks in the air, down the pole or into the ground without an initial survey. Before crews can begin fixing antennas, or installing wiring, a telecom surveyor must identify the site constraints, establish what work is feasible and give the go ahead for the delivery phase to start. Small though their role may seem in the grand scheme of a project, surveyors are one of the key links in the chain which connects a network's planning stages to its delivery. Here, we take a look at what exactly a telecom surveyor does, what skills and qualifications are necessary, and when you need one more than you might think.

Understand Telecom Surveyor

A telecommunications surveyor is a trained and experienced individual who visits sites in order to survey their suitability for inclusion within a network. They are responsible for surveying, inspecting and taking measurements of sites such as mobile phone masts, base station sites, fibre optic routes, data centres, roofs, street furniture and underground utility corridors. The data they collect is designed to be accurate and specific to each individual site and so enable network operators, contractors and planners to use the information effectively when designing, installing, upgrading or decommissioning a network.

Telecom surveys are not a monolithic activity. A telecom surveyor can be asked to do anything from carrying out a structural survey of a tower or roof space to assess the loading capacity, an access survey to facilitate engineers and plant getting to site, a radio survey to establish existing coverage and signal levels, or even a utility survey to log existing pipework and cabling prior to ground works. Some surveyors carry out one discipline exclusively, but others are multi-skilled.

The result of a telecom survey will normally be a comprehensive report with photographs, measurements, drawings and risk assessments. This document will then be the bible for all who are involved downstream of the survey, such as designers, planners, installation teams and health & safety officers.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Although responsibilities can differ from one survey type and client to another, the majority of telecom surveyors are involved in the following main activities:

• Site assessment: Visiting locations to establish the feasibility for new or repositioned telecommunications equipment eg. masts, cabinets, antennas or fibre links.

• Structural assessment: Assessing the condition and loading capability of buildings, towers and rooftops for structural integrity, to ensure they are capable of supporting further equipment.

• Access and health and safety review: to determine routes that would safely enable personnel and equipment to reach working locations, while to highlight potential hazards such as working at height, confined spaces, or live services and suggest mitigation measures.

• Utility and asset mapping: Identifying existing cables, ducts and pipework to prevent having them damaged during excavations or installation.

• Radio frequency (RF) and coverage surveys: Assessing signal quality, interference, and line of sight to facilitate network design and optimisation.

• Documentation and reporting: To generate high quality survey reports with photo documentation, measurements and recommendations for supporting the planning applications, tenders & installations works.

• Liaising with stakeholders: Working closely with landlords, local authorities, network operators and contractors to gain access and deal with on site issues.

In reality, a telecom surveyor is generally the first person on site and (by default) the person whose reports will define everything else that happens. An accurate and well-documented survey can save weeks or months of costly rework, redesign or even (potentially hazardous) time delays.

Qualifications and Skills

Telecom surveying bridges the gap between the disciplines of engineering, construction and telecommunications. As a result the combination of qualifications expected of a surveyor reflect this balance. There is no one prescribed way to get in the UK but clients and employers generally prefer a mix of the following:

• A related professional technical background-qualification or experience in telecommunications engineering, civil or structural engineering, surveying or building services.

• The appropriate health and safety certification such as CSCS card, working at height training and where applicable IPAF / PASMA certification for access equipment.

• Specialist telecoms training, such as National Mast and Tower Group accredited courses, or training on equipment specific to the manufacturer.

• Proficiency in using survey and mapping equipment such as laser distance measurers, GPS units, radio frequency meters and CAD or GIS packages to generate maps and reports.

• A good level of knowledge and awareness of regulations and standards, such as planning permission regulations, ICNIRP exposure criteria for RF emissions and CDM regulations.

On top of the technical skills, a reliable surveyor should also possess good common sense. Attention to detail is key and failure to see a potentially damaging flaw on a project or make a critical error in a measurement can have far-reaching consequences for others throughout the process. Other skills that are often sought after include excellent communications skills to produce survey reports that engineers, planners and other interested parties can readily understand, and experience of working in challenging environments (such as height, confined spaces, limited access) can give candidates an advantage when getting hired. Knowledge of the relevant network technologies, whether that be 4G/5G, fibre broadband or fixed-line is desirable.

When Do You Need a Telecom Surveyor?

Getting a telecom surveyor involved is not simply for rollouts of large national network projects. There are many typical situations where a professional survey becomes necessary:

• Before a mast, small cell or rooftop antenna is installed, a survey has to be carried out to ensure the site is structurally sound, accessible and meets planning and safety standards.

• Upgrading current infrastructure-hosting new antennas, replacing cabinets or increasing capacity on an existing structure are two examples that require the site to be reassessed to validate capacity for increased load and complexity.

• Arranging fibre or cable installation and work: Before laying down any cable or conducting groundworks, a utility survey must be made to confirm no existing services will be damaged and to enable the installer to choose the best and most economical route.

• Pre-application for planning applications: Having access to comprehensive survey data (such as structural and access reports) can be a prerequisite for planning permission being granted. Landlords and local authorities usually ask for this information.

• Auditing or decommissioning sites: The survey gives a comprehensive overview of the site and gathers a detailed inventory during the removal or movement of equipment or the checking of the site for conformity.

• Addressing coverage or performance problems: RF and coverage surveys identify the causes of poor network performance in an area and guide decisions on further or relocated equipment.

In all of these examples, bypassing or rushing through the survey stage of the project introduces delays, potential overspend, risk of accidents, or breaches in regulations. When a survey is carried out correctly it provides assurance for the whole team that the project will be based on true, checked information from day one.

The Importance of Collaborating with Experts

As we know that it involves complex nature of the role including technical, regulatory and safety aspects, telecom surveys should ideally be carried out by skilled professionals as opposed to being turned into a generic project task. An experienced telecom surveyor not only possesses necessary certificates and equipment but also has essential practical knowledge and judgement to identify problems which other people may fail to see. This is crucial when carrying out work on live network sites, as any mistake may lead to disruption of service for numerous users, or during work on structures where safety margins are quite narrow.

Selection of a team of professionals in surveying also allows them to benefit from their wide-ranging expertise. Experts help you from structural and access surveys to RF measurements and utility mapping; all these will be conducted at the same high level and documented in a way which is necessary for further project phases, such as design, planning or installation.

FAQs

Is it necessary to carry out a survey before a mast is installed? 

Yes, surveys ensure safe construction, routes for access, and compliance with norms in regards to planning, preventing unnecessary delays and costlier reworking during mast installation development.

What kind of qualifications should a telecom surveyor possess?

Relevant engineering background, CSCS cards, working at height training, and specialized telecom certification are the minimum qualifications required for a surveyor.

How long does a telecom survey take?

The time period of the survey depends on the nature of the site but usually takes from a couple of hours to a couple of days.

Can the survey determine availability of the underground cables?

Yes, utility surveys give a layout of existing piping and wiring which averts a whole number of issues during digging.

Why hire specialists and not general contractors?

Specialists have qualifications, appropriate equipment, and regulatory knowledge required for the successful completion of a project.