DMACC Telecom graduates from the Iowa Communication Network NOC center. The DMACC Telecom grads below are employed by McLeodUSA and work as the maintenance and surveillance crew for the Iowa Communication Network. The ICN is a network of fiber optic links, video sites, internet connectivity and voice services offered by the State of Iowa.

The grads below are (from left to right) Doug Root, Jason Akers, Hadis Trnjanin and Tim Backes.

NOC Technician I (Network Operations Center), McLeodUSA, Johnston Iowa


I work for McLeod USA as a Network Operations Center Tech. I currently work with a group of about 30 other McLeod techs that are contracted to operate and maintain the Iowa Communications Network based at Starc Armory in Johnston, Iowa. The ICN handles almost all voice, video, and data traffic for the state of Iowa's government agencies, prisons, schools, and national guard sites. I am an Immediate Response Tech that monitors and maintains the ICN twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. My group is the first to deal with current issues with the ICN. We monitor and work with various equipment daily such as Lucent and Nortel OC48s down to OC3s, Optical Regen sites, a Nortel DMS 500 tandem switch, Grass Valley Video 3x3 switch, Alcatel 3x1 DACs, Tellabs 1/0 DACs, Cascade 9000 and 500 Frame relay switches, Nortel FMT-150s, Lucent ATM edge devices, Coastcom and Telco System CBs, PBXs, customer phones, and also generators, rectifiers, and battery plants. This equipment is located all over the state and most all the equipment reports back to us at the NOC. From the NOC we can remotely work with a majority of this equipment and sometimes fix problems that arise all from the NOC. If we are unable to remotely fix problems we are the people that dispatch a field tech to go and fix the problem at hand. We also are the group that is responsible for taking all customer and vendor calls that come in to the ICN.

In only two years of education from the DMACC telecom department I was able to learn how to work with almost all of the equipment that I currently work with today. This allowed me to start working almost the first day I showed up for work. The on the job training time that I received at my job was cut in half, due to my training at DMACC. I also learned how to deal with equipment that is new to the telecom field that no one has any knowledge of. My training at DMACC was not all equipment training though. In the telecom program at DMACC I also learned management and network techniques that allows me to deal with situations effectively and rapidly. I use those techniques in situations like optical fiber outages where time and planning is crucial in restoring traffic to all of our customers that are affected. I also learned how to deal with customers, and that is how the majority of my time is spent at work. At DMACC the learning environment could not have been better for me. The campus and technology at DMACC West campus was astonishing. The instructors, Jay and Galen, are very knowledgeable in all aspects of the telecom field and I am confident in the training that I received from both of them.

Clint Watts, Telecom Class of 1990

Clint Watts is currently a Combination Technician with the Readlyn Telephone Company. Clint works on every piece of technology his company provides to customers. His workday involves testing, installing and repairing services such as; High speed DSL internet, digital television, phone service, outside cable repair and maintenance and direct customer problem solving.

Brian Wilson, Telecom Class of 1987

Brian Wilson is an OSP (Outside Plant) Technician employed with Liberty Communications in Eastern Iowa. His skills and DMACC training have been put to use by working with outside cable repair and splicing, preparing new lines for service and working to deliver new services to customers.

Keith Janssen, Telecom Class of 2002

Keith Janssen is a Combination Technician working with the Dumont Telecom Company in Northern Iowa. Keith is responsible for maintaining business communication systems and high speed internet connections.

Central Office Technician, Griswold Independent Telco, Griswold Iowa

As a CO (Central Office) Technician for an Independent Telco, my responsibilities include the day to day maintenance and testing of all Central Office and cable TV equipment. I make daily checks of Class 5 switches, fiber optic transport equipment, digital loop carrier systems and CATV satellite receivers. I install, configure, and test new equipment such as DLC cabinets, channel banks, DSL modems and customer premise equipment for DS1, DS0 and subrate data circuits. I train fellow employees in the operation of new CO equipment and how to satisfy move/add/change requests from our customers. I am actively involved in the planning for our future growth in order to insure that our company remains competitive and our customers remain satisfied. I enjoy the challenging and rewarding work environment where no two days are alike. Most importantly, I feel fortunate to have a job that I enjoy and actually look forward to going to work each morning! DMACC West Telecom training helped prepare me to meet these daily challenges head on and gave me the training needed to work in this fast moving, telecom technology career field!

Kirby Underberg, Telecom Class of 1993

Contract Manager, Qwest Communications, Des Moines IA

I currently work for Qwest Communications in Des Moines as the Contract Manager for Iowa and Nebraska. I am responsible for all contracts and contractors that do work on or around the outside plant facilities of Qwest. The training I received from the DMACC Telecom program gave me a broad understanding of all aspects of the industry. I recommend the Telecom program at DMACC to anyone that asks how to get into the telecommunications career field.

Andy Ver Woert, Telecom Class of 2001

Inside and outside plant technician, Brooklyn Mutual Telephone Company, Brooklyn Iowa

Working for Brooklyn Mutual Telephone Company in Brooklyn Iowa I do a variety of duties including switch maintenance, MDF frame wiring, and CO equipment installs, cable locates and troubleshooting. I also install DSL equipment at the CO and do customer installs. I provide computer and networking help for customers in my exchange. DMACC gave me the basic knowledge and skills I needed to be successful in the telecom industry. The staff is very well knowledgeable and they are willing to go the extra mile to provide students with the best education available. I enjoyed my learning experience at DMACC and I recommend that anyone interested in telecom training look at DMACC for their needs.