Brian Rudacille spends his days on the road to make sure cell-phone users have good access to the airwaves.
Rudacille, a system performance engineer for U.S. Cellular, drives 35,000 to 40,000 miles a year, collecting and analyzing data along the company’s network.
“My main job description is to monitor the network and improve the network, basically to improve the customer experience,” he said. “We’re monitoring our network 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
His sports utility vehicle is equipped with a laptop computer mounted on the dash to give him readouts about reception and potential problems; other support equipment for the system is tucked away under the SUV’s back seat.
“We can look at everything that’s going on with the network with this piece of equipment,” Rudacille said of the laptop during a demonstration drive this week. Lyle Schoen, network operations manager, accompanied Rudacille on the drive. Both men work out of Salina.
Rudacille investigates why cell-phone users are experiencing problems — dropped calls, interference, weak coverage areas, for instance. With the equipment available in the car, he is able to determine if equipment is working properly and to anticipate potential problems to solve in advance. Capacity of the system and coverage of the area are primary concerns.
“We’re not sitting back waiting,” Schoen said. “We’re being proactive.”
From his vehicle, Rudacille often can make needed software adjustments in the system. Hands-on repairs, including work on towers, are done by Schoen’s workers.
The company operates on two channels in this area and has four towers, with a fifth in the planning stages southwest of Emporia. Schoen said the new tower will be part of a $1 million investment to improve service in this area. Another new tower already has been installed in the area of the Kansas Turnpike and Highway 56.
The troubleshooters also take care of problems of individual consumers through use of “trouble tickets.”
“We view a trouble ticket as a work order,” Rudacille said. “We’ll actually contact the customer ... and explain what’s going on.”
One customer recently complained that he could not get good reception at his house. The problem was solved by a personal visit at the customer’s house.
“It actually turned out to be interference coming from the customer’s own home. ... It’s really neat when you’re able to do things like that,” Schoen said.
Some problems have become ongoing for cell-phone providers as they work to keep up with demand for service. When too many customers want to talk at once, the network “breathes,” Schoen said, and the coverage area contracts.
With an estimated 70 percent of the country’s population using cell phones and more being added hourly, Rudacille said he does not expect the workload to decrease.
“It’s only going to continue to grow and grow and grow, and we’ve got to keep up for all the customers who keep coming on-line,” he said.