Supporting fibre network

operators through their

business cycle
Sourcing the right talent
for a successful rollout
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THE MASS MIGRATION TO FIBRE 03 ATTRACTING TOP TALENT

TO STAY AGILE

01 FIBRE AS A CLEAR DRIVER Despite their advantages, new

OF REGIONAL COMPETITI- players still need to get the
VENESS right experts

Why the European Union is

pushing fibre 04 SUPPORT AT EVERY STAGE
OF A FIBRE PROJECT

02 A CLEAR OPPORTUNITY The relevant profiles and com-

FOR NEW AND NON-IN- petencies for the three key
CUMBENT PLAYERS phases of a fibre rollout

Why this backing signals that

niche firms should move in CONNECT WITH THE TALENT
YOU NEED
SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

The mass migration to

fibre

The digital economy creates a vast amount of data. Currently, esti-

mates suggest that we generate at least 2.5 quintillion bytes of
data every day. From big data analysis to video conferencing, smart
TV to eCommerce, companies and consumers alike need to transmit
enormous amounts of information. As the volumes and velocities
required continue to grow exponentially, traditional ADSL cables
simply aren’t cutting it. The reality is, telco players need to spear-
head a large-scale transition to fibre optics to meet demand.

This is even more so the case as the COVID-19 pandemic continues

to shape our economic environment. As we all know too well, the co-
ronavirus lockdowns have led to an explosion in remote working,
further emphasising the need to bring fibre to the broader consu-

Telco players need to

spearhead a large-scale
transition to fibre optics
to meet demand.

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SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

mer market. Moreover, it raises the question of security; as more and

more people begin to work from home, we need professional-qua-
lity security and speed brought into the domestic environment.

Enhanced security and speed is precisely what a fibre optic network

provides; in essence, the speed of the light-based signal versus a tra-
ditional electrical signal makes it much harder to intercept. With the
right network design, a fibre optic connection can assure efficient
data transmission, a reliable network, and maximum bandwidth usa-
ge. So it’s no wonder the European Union is throwing so much wei-
ght behind fibre deployment – it’s a key aspect of regional compe-
titiveness.

Subsequently, companies offering fibre optic connections have be-

come key players on every tier. From high-level, regional projects
bringing fibre connectivity to remote areas, to connections for indi-
vidual business park developments, telco players big and small are
looking to enter the fibre market. However, there is a key obstacle:
talent. As an example, a good fibre network designer is becoming
somewhat of a unicorn on the employment market.

Companies are scrambling for these competencies, and yet, they’re

becoming more and more difficult to find. That said, the solution is
out there – in the freelance market. Here, we discuss opportunities
in the fibre market and how to source the talent telco needs to
leverage this key opportunity.

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 01
Fibre as a clear
driver of regional
competitiveness
SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

National and international organisations are recognising the need

and value of fibre connectivity. The European Union, in particular,
has implemented various policies and financial instruments to en-
courage public and private investment in ultra-fast networks. The-
se measures aim to help European businesses and citizens benefit
from the digital economy as part of ‘the Digital Single Market’.

As a clear reflection, the EU has defined three main strategic objec-

tives for 2025:

• Gigabit connectivity for all of the main socio-economic drivers.

• Uninterrupted 5G coverage for all urban areas and major terres-

trial transport paths.

• Access to connectivity offering at least 100 Mbps for all Euro-

pean households.

This is supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments,

which has a specific pot of funding designated for high-speed broad-
band rollout. Furthermore, the Connecting Europe Facility in Te-
lecom (CEF) is supporting providers to expand Digital Service In-
frastructures (DSI). By offering funding opportunities for basic and
re-usable digital services, or ‘building blocks’, this financial support
is aimed at meeting targets for household broadband access.

In light of the EU’s aggressive promotion of fibre networks, we are

on the brink of a massive migration from copper ADSL networks
to fibre broadband. As a result, there are a number of established
incumbents and new players entering the market. Equally, private
equity is showing great interest in the fibre networks business, with
a lot of activity and investments in this space.

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 02
A clear opportunity
for new and non-
incumbent players
SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

All these initiatives and investments are making fibre one of the
highest growth segments in telecoms. As introduced briefly in the
previous section, this isn’t only the domain of established players;
many new companies are entering the space. New players are le-
veraging existing fibre networks that have been deployed by large
infrastructure firms and incumbent telecom companies. With the
support of EU regulators, who are promoting access for smaller pla-
yers to participate in infrastructure projects on fairer terms, there
are substantial opportunities in the market.

These players are competing against the established incumbents

based on their agility, regulation support and targeting of specific
markets. Despite high market penetration in Spain and the Baltic
States, some European nations are lagging behind. For instance,
reach in Italy and Austria hasn’t even hit 10%; meanwhile, outside of
the European Union, the UK’s fibre coverage remains poor. Howe-
ver, these gaps in the market present significant opportunities
for new players.

A good example of one such provider is City Fibre. This new fibre
player, self-described as the largest ‘alternative’ provider of fibre, is
completing high-speed networks in towns and cities in the UK. Re-
cently, they have bridged the gap between new players and esta-
blished incumbents by partnering with Vodafone. Their goal is to
bring Gigabit-capable ‘full fibre’ to a million homes and businesses
by 2021, with a goal of five million by 2025.

Recently, they have bridged

the gap between new
players and established
incumbents by partnering
with Vodafone.

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 03
Attracting top
talent to stay agile
SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

However, this scramble to enter the fibre market has had a knock-on
effect on the labour market. The amount of available expertise is
limited, not only because it was highly specialised to begin with, but
also because top talent has been snapped up fast. This is the case
both for business and technical profiles. A clear example is network
designers, who are crucial to the network completion projects des-
cribed above, yet in high demand and very difficult to find in the
labour market. So how do these new players attract top talent to
deploy networks and develop their businesses?

The answer, arguably, lies in the freelance market. However, this

comes with its own challenges; how do companies ensure skills are
certified? How do they identify professionals with relevant (or in-
deed authentic) experience? A common scenario for human resour-
ces departments is that they’ll design a high-level call out for ex-
perts, post on a non-specialist website, and end up inundated with
inappropriate applications. This is, of course, a waste of time and
resources.

This is where Outvise comes in. For highly specialised projects,

you need highly specialised talent sourcing – and Outvise provi-
des just that. As an exclusive network of digital and TMT experts,
companies can rapidly connect with experts. Thanks to Outvise’s
team of specialised headhunters and bespoke project-matching al-
gorithm, businesses can locate the expertise they need in as little
as 24 hours – and that includes niche expertise like network design.
Next, we’ll look closer at the expert profiles and processes relevant
to fibre rollout and business deployment.

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 04
Support at every
stage of a fibre
project
SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

Naturally, projects of the complexity, scope, and value of fibre op-

tic networks require comprehensive planning and expert support
end-to-end. Hence the need to source top talent – these profiles
are essential to guiding a fibre project to completion. Due diligen-
ce is necessary for commercial and technical fields when acquiring
existing assets; the network design needs to be the gold standard
when rolling out new networks or connecting existing ones; and
companies need expert support to take the product to market. It
goes without saying a product is only as good as its design, and ma-
jor infrastructure like fibre is certainly no exception.

A fibre project can be divided into three key stages: investment

analysis, infrastructure and business rollout, and operation manage-
ment. Each stage requires specific profiles, which we’ll detail below.

Investment analysis
Key profiles:

• Financial Modellers

• Strategy Consultants

• Market Analysts

• Regulatory Experts

A major infrastructure project with multiple stakeholders requires

thorough market analysis and scoring. After all, businesses need
to be certain that there is sufficient demand and commercial sus-
tainability. For this stage, external insight is virtually indispensable
– companies need experienced professionals with a comprehensive
overview of market conditions.

Equally, external regulatory expertise is invaluable. As the re-

gulatory environment evolves with technological advancements,
it’s essential to have experts on board that are abreast of develo-
pments. This is essential to the commercial viability of the project

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SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

going forward – if the infrastructure ceases to be compliant within

the next five years, it goes without saying that it isn’t going to repre-
sent good value for money.

Players are also actively considering M&A. In this case, having the ri-
ght resources to perform the required due diligence is a must, espe-
cially as the operation will happen at the intersection of commercial
and technical due diligence. Management consultants with specific
expertise in telecoms, network operations and competitive analysis
will be able to build a detailed view of coverage and points of com-
petitive advantage. On the other hand, fibre network architects and
tech experts will provide insights and analysis to have a clear view
of the quality of the acquired network assets. These insights will be
indispensable to steer the project going forward.

Infrastructure and business rollout

Key profiles:

• Finance & Business Planning Experts

• Network Designers & Architects

• PMOs

Following thorough due diligence are an effective business and fi-

nancial plan. In the fibre space, operators must consider revenue
streams, differentiation strategies, and how they intend to innova-
te. Consider the number of new market entrants, providers need to
diversify their offering. For instance, providers are developing pre-
mium packages with content partners, depending on their target
demographic. As a result, they need clear revenue objectives: is it a
residential service model? Or business? Or wholesale? This will have
a significant impact on the business case and calculations, so needs
to be managed effectively.

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SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

Next comes the nitty-gritty. A network designer is an integral pro-

file in a fibre project, spearheading the installation and operation of
the network. Network design entails determining the type of data
that will be carried over the network; the geographic layout; and the
required transmission equipment. Network design will also usually
entail interfacing with other networks, so firms will need to identify
talent with relevant experience.

Equally, the network designer will play an integral role in outlining

costs, drawing up the tender, and identifying a contractor. Thus,
they have a dual technical and business role and need to have a
good knowledge of the regulatory environment beyond the initial
expert analysis. They’ll have to consider permits, easements, and
inspections. Further down the line, there will also need to be a plan
for maintenance and restoration in the event of an outage.

These integral operations should be supported by a strong techni-

cal PMO. The PMO will be the backbone of a successful fibre pro-
ject, providing robust governance, accurate and transparent infor-
mation, and delivery support. This will ensure the project team does
their job effectively and efficiently and provides full visibility and
traceability to senior management.

Operation management
Key profiles:

• Marketing & Pricing Specialists

• Branding Experts

• Sales Consultants

• Customer Service Specialists

• BI & Data Analytics

• UX & UI Designers

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SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

Of course, a fibre project is so much more than its installation; the-

re needs to be a complete plan for its commercial rollout, running
and management. This begins with designing a plan for marketing
the product; pricing specialists will play an integral role in this pro-
cess, as they’ll calibrate the offer with the market analyst’s initial
forecast. Equally, branding and sales will be crucial to attracting
custom, so firms need the right expertise.

Looking to the future, the success of these decisions need to be clo-

sely monitored. This is where business intelligence and data analy-
sis comes in; firms need to monitor uptake, usage, cross sells, and
retention. A high level of customer service and well-designed UX
will also play an integral role in these metrics, so need to be mana-
ged and optimized over the long-term.

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SUPPORTING FIBRE NETWORK OPERATORS THROUGH THEIR BUSINESS CYCLE

Connect with the talent

you need

Fibre networks are the next generation connectivity that the

market demands. With substantial backing from transnational bo-
dies – particularly within the European Union – there are significant
opportunities for established players and new incumbents alike.
Moreover, with significant gaps in the market yet to be filled, sma-
ller firms have significant opportunities to capitalise on the mass
migration to fibre.

As is evident, a successful fibre network project requires multiple

competencies, from inception through to ongoing management.
The investment stage requires experienced business minds, inclu-
ding strategy consultants, market analysts and regulatory experts.
Network design and rollout demand the best technical minds, from
network design itself to technical PMOs. Once the system is in pla-
ce, subject-specific experts in marketing, branding, UX and custo-
mer service will be essential to the success of the rollout.

Sourcing the right talent is essential to the success of these projects.

In an increasingly competitive market, finding the right experts is
more and more challenging – which is why firms need the right
sourcing partner. Outvise can connect firms to all of the profes-
sional profiles described in this guide, creating a crucial bridge be-
tween telecoms firms and the certified, curated talent they need.

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