GCI Communication Corp. and Suddenlink said three of their technical operations employees – GCI’s Daniel Tanner and Suddenlink’s Chad Winnell and John Underhill – are the first to be certified by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers in all nine of the current SCTE programs that test and confirm technical proficiency and knowledge.
Daniel Tanner, field operations support supervisor for GCI, Fairbanks, Alaska, was the first to earn all nine SCTE certifications. On Jan. 25, he passed the exam for Business Class Services Specialist (BCSS), which certifies him for installations for small- and medium-size business customers.
“Dan has risen quickly to become an excellent supervisor and an inspiration to his team. He has done this by taking advantage of the exceptional training opportunities that SCTE has made possible through its certification program,” Gary Haynes, Vice President of OSP Design, Construction and Maintenance for GCI, said in a release.
Suddenlink Atlantic Region Technical Trainer Chad Winnell, Shrewsbury, W. Va., was the first to earn BCSS certification. On Feb. 15, he also earned certification as an Internet Protocol Engineering Professional (IPEP), which certifies knowledge in the engineering aspects of Internet protocol systems as deployed in the cable telecommunications industry. With these two certifications, Winnell became the second individual to earn all nine SCTE certifications.
Suddenlink Technical Operations Development Manager John Underhill, Conway, Ark., was the third person to gain all nine certifications. By Feb. 28, he passed tests for both BCSS and IPEP certifications.
“This achievement is just one of many examples of Chad’s and John’s dedication to Suddenlink and our customers,” said Corporate Vice President of Technical Operations Andy Parrott said in the release. “We’re fortunate to have them on our team and applaud them for the example they’ve set for the rest of us through their dedication to learning and development.”
In addition to BCSS and IPEP certifications, Tanner, Winnell and Underhill hold certifications in the following areas: Broadband Premises Installer, Broadband Premises Technician, Broadband Premises Expert, Broadband Distribution Specialist, Broadband Transport Specialist, Broadband TelecomCenter Specialist, and Digital Video Engineering Professional.
