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Wireless Communications Training PDF Print E-mail

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Telecommunications networks in emerging countries are often growing at a rapid pace. But in the absence of local skilled technicians, mobile phone operators tend to hire expatriates to drive network installation. To fill the gap, we have created the first Wireless Communications Training in Cambodia. We defined the curriculum together with the operators so that it would match their requirements. This training is initially targeted towards underprivileged students from partner NGO (CIST*), who have already completed a Computer degree.

The training covers all the key standars: GSM, GPRS/EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, Wifi and Wimax. It comprises 230 hours of both theoretical courses and practical work. We have installed a full radio lab. Most of the equipment was donated to us by some large mobile communications companies.

materiel telecom

Over and above the direct benefit for the students, this training also improves our action long term sustainability as:

  • Some of the trained technicians will be able to handle our private education network if we leave.
  • We build a trust relationship with some of the local operators and train their own employees.

The revenues coming from the operators enable us to train poor students free of charge. In 2 years, 40 students have been trained by our French volunteering engineers. Following the training, all the CIST students found a job at a local operator.

Additionally we experimented "distance learning" ourselves in two different configurations:

  • Some of the lectures were given directly from France by our experts to our Cambodian students via the Internet using our conferencing toolset.
  • Some of other lectures were given simultaneously to two classrooms in Phnom Penh: one in our Connected Schools premises for our regular operators employees and the other at the CIST for their sutends, thereby enabling a larger audience to follow the lectures.

remise diplomes 2008

(*CIST: Center for Information System Training)

 

Creating such a training may look like an overkill to experiment a simple "distant learning" pilot project. However it is a strategic element of our long term vision to enable a "nationwide deployment" thanks to a partnership with a local Telecom operator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find here some feedback from students and connected schoold volunteers in cambodia

 

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