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Recent articles describing some of the challenges of solar companies (i.e. bankruptcy and facility closures) made me think about the natural progression of any industry.  You may recall an earlier post about how the telecommunications industry went through its own house-cleaning and the advice to stay informed with your chosen field.  It's just a matter of time before the renewables go through the same thing, if it hasn't started already.  However, do not despair and abandon your efforts to gain a foothold in the industry.  One of your responsibilities is to stay in tune with the industry of your choice and understand the dynamics.  Why is one company going bankrupt?  Is it a true depiction of industry strength or weakness? What is influencing change? Or is just the result of the cycle that all industries go through?  I would lean toward the latter with the belief that this is a good thing. But let's step this aside from the obvious and start ap...

Wireless spectrum has long been the true arena in the communications industry where the team that holds the most territory is usually the network that will have the most control.  This has been a common place for strategic purchases amongst wireless carriers.  So common, that I had completely forgotten about the importance of spectrum until a new player came in to the game. In today's article from Gigaom, "Utilities Want More Spectrum, Too", the focus is on the utilities and how the evolution of smart grid is making the utilities realize the need for wireless spectrum.  The more features (smart meters, remote monitoring and access, and application support) the utilities are going to promote with their smart grid solution, the more bandwidth these entities will need.  To accomplish this, the utilities can create their own networks or partner with a third-party vendor.  As you may recall in a previous article, "How Smart is the Smart Energy Industry", we talked ...

When I was in telecommunications, there was nothing more fascinating than being part of cutting edge technology.  Part of the enjoyment while in the industry is being able to watch your industry to not only evolve, but to also be a major influence in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  But that psychological theory was never a prominent thought in my own mind as I watched the progression of technology in the wireless industry slowly choke out the workforce that supported it. While working in a switching office between late '98 and early 2000, I recall the size of the switch rooms and the many rows of equipment required to provide communications to mobile subscribers.  Jump ahead 10 years and you'll find that technology has either eliminated that switching office or reduced the equipment down to a single box.  Less equipment, less headcount. I recently sat down with a very good friend of mine who was with me in the industry from the beginning of our careers in telecommu...

What I love the most about any given topic is the idea that there are two sides of the coin.  Those of you who know me well can always expect me to present another perspective on a topic, no matter how obvious (or logical) something may be and even if I agree with your position. Today, I ran across a post from Gigaom.com that describes Verizon's "Connected Home" and how it will be leading the company into the realm of smart energy management in 2011.  In essence, Connected Home will allow users to do all the things the Jetsons did in their home, such as controlling appliances and environmental elements like thermostats and lights remotely through a phone app.  I've done several interviews here in Sacramento that supports the important role that telecommunication companies, both cable and wireless, will play in energy efficiency.  Please keep them on your list of targets if you want to expand your search for internships. Let me continue with the other side of the ...