OSP Fiber - Field Operations Technician

We are a Hudson Oaks, Texas-based Internet Service Provider (ISP) delivering High Speed Internet and Voice Services throughout multiple states to residential, business, K-12 Education and government customers. We believe there is much more to an internet company than just delivering cost-effective internet solutions; we believe in delivering an overall customer experience that our competitors simply cannot match.

The OSP Fiber - Network Operations Technician supports the reliability and performance of Nextlink’s fiber optic network through splicing, testing, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, and service restoration. The position maintains aerial and underground backbone, feeder, distribution, and access facilities, including splice closures, fiber and splitter cabinets, network electronics, and associated power equipment. The technician coordinates planned maintenance and outage response with management and network operations, directs field crews during assigned maintenance events, and documents completed work to keep network records accurate.

Classification:
Field Infrastructure | Full-time, Non-Exempt

Work Location:

In person / field-based

Schedule and Travel:
Combination of day and night work; 75–100% travel required.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Fiber Preparation, Splicing, and Plant Maintenance

Read construction prints, splice diagrams, fiber assignments, route maps, and wiring diagrams to plan work; verify field conditions and resolve discrepancies before changing network connections. Prepare and fusion splice loose‑tube and ribbon fiber optic cables using single‑fiber and mass fusion methods appropriate to the assigned cable. Identify fibers using the standard color code; clean, strip, cleave, protect, and organize fibers to maintain splice quality.

Install, repair, and maintain splice closures, trays, pigtails, connectors, patch panels, splitter cabinets, and related hardware. Maintain bend radius, strain relief, slack storage, sealing, and labeling; complete grounding and bonding of metallic components as required. Perform mid‑span access, express fiber routing, and work on high‑fiber‑count cables as assigned, protecting unassigned fibers and existing live services. Inspect aerial and underground plant, including rights‑of‑way, cable routes, cabinets, vaults, and attachment hardware.

Identify damaged cable, water intrusion, loose hardware, routing problems, or other conditions affecting network reliability and complete or coordinate repairs.

Optical Testing and Troubleshooting

Operate fusion splicers, OTDRs, optical light sources, power meters, optical loss test sets, visual fault locators, and connector inspection equipment. Inspect and clean connector end faces before connection and testing. Set appropriate OTDR wavelengths, range, and pulse width; use launch and receive fibers where required. Interpret traces to locate faults and evaluate splice events, reflections, excessive loss, bends, and cable damage.

Measure end‑to‑end optical loss, perform bidirectional OTDR testing when specified, and compare results against approved loss budgets and acceptance criteria. Correct deficiencies and retest before closing work orders. Troubleshoot live optical networks and loss‑of‑signal (LOS) conditions across backbone, feeder, distribution, and access points. Apply working knowledge of FTTx, passive optical networks (PON), and GPON to isolate outages and restore service.

Network Equipment and Power Systems

Inspect, troubleshoot, and maintain headend electronics, cabinet equipment, and other critical network infrastructure within assigned training and…