METRO AEBE, aiming for continuous training and improvement of its technical staff’s skills, participated in the CPCT® (Certified Premises Cabling Technician) seminar focused on structured cabling for premises installations. The training was organized by the SCHOOL OF TELECOMS and took place in March and April 2024 at the S.O.T. facilities.
METRO AEBE is a 100% Greek company that operates two chain stores: METRO Cash & Carry wholesale stores and My market and My market Local retail stores. The company employs more than 11,000 workers, making it one of the largest employers in Greece. As part of managing, maintaining, and developing its infrastructure, METRO AEBE invests in specialized equipment and staff training.
The purpose of the training program was for the trainee engineers to understand the basic principles, concepts, and specifications of structured cabling (copper cables, optical fibers, wireless communications), communication systems used in premises installations, the design, testing, and installation of premises cabling, and finally, the certification of these cablings.
The training was divided into three main categories:
A) Copper Technologies: Participants specialized in UTP cabling categories (Cat5/5e, Cat6/6a, and Cat8) and their related characteristics (length, insertion loss, NEXT, PS NEXT, ACR-N, ACR-F Loss, PS ACR-F Loss, return loss, propagation delay, loop resistance, etc.). After completing the theoretical part, they proceeded with:
Installing UTP Cat 6a cabling and terminating it on patch panels.
Mapping the cabling using a tone generator and wire map tester.
Checking the actual speed of the ethernet network using a verification network tester.
Certifying the installation with a Certification Cable Analyzer, according to TIA/ISO standards.
B) Optical Fiber Technologies: Participants specialized in optical fiber cabling categories (OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, OM5, and OS) and their related characteristics (insertion loss, optical return loss, chromatic dispersion (CD), polarization mode dispersion (PMD), etc.). After completing the theoretical part, they proceeded with:
Installing optical fiber cabling on an Optical Distribution Frame (ODF) and terminating it on pigtails.
Mapping the cabling and performing visual inspection with a VFL tester.
Checking optical loss using an OLTS (Optical Loss Test Set).
Inspecting cable connectors with an optical microscope
C) Wireless Communication Technologies: Participants specialized in wireless transmission categories (802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax) and their related characteristics (absorption, reflection, refraction, interference, etc.). After completing the theoretical part, they proceeded with:
Conducting a site survey for Access Point placement.
Troubleshooting installation issues.
Installing POE devices.
The seminars concluded with the successful certification exams for the CPCT® – Certified Premises Cabling Technician by the Fiber Optic Association (F.O.A.), where participants achieved high scores.
Training has always been a vital factor for the successful operation and continuous growth of an organization. The numerous benefits that arise from training range from increased efficiency and productivity to the development of critical skills and enhanced teamwork, equipping the technical staff with the tools needed to meet ongoing challenges.