Rush to roll out fibre optics training

Fibre optic cables that went live a few months ago have opened a new revenue door for training institutions as IT staff in government and the private sector seek to upgrade their skills to match the new technology.

African eDevelopment Resource Centre, for instance, has partnered with local and international technology experts to host a series of training on fibre optics towards the end of this month.

The institution says that there is a high demand for the training that are more urgent for telecom firms and internet service providers (ISPs) that have their products anchored on technology which results in the need for frequent network configurations and upgrades.

The products include mobile money transfer services and corporate communication services based on the internet.

“People need new skills to deploy the fibre optic technology. We train staff of ISPs, IT consultants, and anyone yearning for knowledge,” said Andrew Karanja, operations director at Afrcan eDevelopment Resource Centre.

The three-day course that starts on October 27 will cost Sh122,250 per person and will have four units covering simple introductory concepts to more technical topics.

The courses are designed for people who already have high technical knowledge and are already working in ICT environments.

“We are dealing with power users who need just a few days for them to become familiar with this new technology, hence the short courses,” said Karanja.

“Again, these are busy people who are holding jobs and the short courses therefore make sense,” he added.

Analysts say that fibre optics training is bound to gain speed now that it is the internet platform of choice, given its speed advantage over satellite connections.

Business Daily has learnt that Zetech College is working on a fibre optic course to be launched next January.

According to people familiar with the matter, the course will last for one year and is targeted at equipping students with new data communication technologies that are currently much sought-after by employers.

A source at Strathmore University, who sought anonymity, said the institution offers training for corporate staff on communication networks.

The training costs Sh25,000 but the rates may vary if the professionals want to be taught separately in a customised training programme.

Other companies are taking a two-pronged approach to meeting training needs that rapid changes in the ICT world necessitates.