Q: What is your role at Clearnetworx and how long have you worked for the company?

A: Install Lead, I have worked here for about a year and a half. 

Q: What first sparked your interest in becoming an Installer for Clearnetworx? What did that journey look like for you?  of the most in-depth network-related problems you face? 

A: I’ve always enjoyed working with low voltage. Before joining Clearnetworx, I worked at St. Mary’s Hospital, where I ran Cat 6 and troubleshot phones and cameras throughout the hospital. I always knew that I would want a career that was similar to the duties I performed. When I saw the job opening for installer, I knew it would be a great match. 

Q: As an Installer you are working closely with our customers to ensure everything is running smoothly from the location of their router to setting up their internet passwords. What is one part of the install process that might surprise people?   

A: Customers are usually under the impression that wireless means no wires. Unfortunately that is not the case, you still have wires that will give you access to be wireless. 

Q: Clearnetworx is all about community. When you are completing the final step of the process for a customer by installing internet in their home, what does it mean to you knowing that you are helping bring them access to high-speed fiber internet?  

A: It’s a great feeling to know that we are providing the customer with something that has become a necessity, that is evolving more and more everyday. Internet used to be a luxury but now it has turned into a essential for everyday uses. 

Q: Our goal is to provide ‘A Better Internet Experience.’ From an install perspective, what is a philosophy that your team leans on when it comes to how you approach the customer experience during the install process?

A: Our team takes pride in being knowledgeable and confident and when the customer sees the confidence, it lets the customer relax during the install process knowing that they have a confident installer who will take care of their needs. 

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job as a Field Install Lead for Clearnetworx? 

A: As the Install Lead, I enjoy learning something new everyday. Whether it be from other installers or Managers. I appreciate learning something each day.

Q&A with Jonah

For Jonah, no two days are exactly the same. As a Tier 2 Help Desk Technician, he approaches every support call like a puzzle—gathering information, asking the right questions, and working through the details until he finds the solution. It’s that curiosity and determination that help keep customers connected and make him a valuable resource for both our team and our commercial partners.

Q: What is your role at Clearnetworx and how long have you been a part of the team?

A: I am a Tier 2 Help Desk Technician, and I have worked at Clearnetworx for 2 and a half years. 

Q: As one of our higher-level technicians on the team, you are working every day on a variety of tasks ranging from customer ticket mitigation to commercial account IT support on larger issues, how do you approach some of the most in-depth network-related problems you face? 

A: I approach each individual case as its own unique puzzle that we need to solve. Sometimes, all the pieces are laid out in front of you and everything makes sense, but other times pieces are missing and you have to use all the resources available to find the information needed to either diagnose the issue or fully resolve it. I am a very dedicated person in general, so once I start working on a problem, I will do everything I can to help find a solution. 

Q: What is one aspect of being a Help Desk Technician that might surprise people?  

A: One thing that might surprise people about being a Help Desk Technician is how much goes on behind the scenes. A lot of people think of help desk as just answering calls and fixing basic issues, but there is a lot more to it than that. We are constantly learning, troubleshooting, and working with different systems to figure out what is happening.

Q: What first sparked your interest in working for Clearnetworx, and tell us what that journey was like from when you first started to where you are now.   

A: I always knew I wanted to get into the technology field eventually, but I was lucky enough to start my journey at Clearnetworx as a CSR. That is where I first discovered my interest in networking and everything that goes into building and maintaining a network like ours. It has continued to fascinate me every day. As I started taking more technical calls, I was given opportunities to learn more, gain access to additional tools, and work alongside our higher-level technicians on more complex issues. That experience helped me grow into my current role as a Tier 2 Help Desk Technician, and I hope to continue working on my skills and taking the necessary steps to become a Network Engineer. 

Q: Clearnetworx is all about community and providing real, local, human help when folks call in for support. When you are speaking with a Clearnetworx customer, what does it mean to you knowing that you are a key piece of their overall customer experience?  

A: I take pride in knowing that my team and I are one of the first lines of defense when customers need help. We are often the first people to identify larger outages or issues, and it is important that we communicate quickly and effectively with our engineering team so they have the information and support they need to resolve problems as fast as possible. 

Q: A large portion of your role is handling internal provisioning for things such as setting up IT resources, software and setting up internal systems. How does the work that you do help your fellow co-workers to do their jobs efficiently so that we can continue to provide a better internet experience?  

A: My team and I are responsible for making sure account changes are properly reflected across the network and equipment when needed. This includes things like speed changes, service cancellations, customer moves, and other account updates. We pay close attention to these changes to make sure everything is configured correctly and to prevent future issues. This helps keep workflows smooth and allows us to spend more time focusing on customer-facing problems. 

Q: From a technician perspective, what is the biggest difference in the way that our team approaches supporting each customer and their issues or questions?  

A: The biggest difference is that customers can call our number and speak with a real person who is here to help. They are not stuck navigating automated systems trying to reach someone. Another big advantage is that many customers use the equipment we provide, which allows us to troubleshoot more effectively. We are able to look into the network, review information, and help diagnose issues with ease. Having that visibility allows us to identify and resolve problems much faster. 

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?   

A: I enjoy being part of the technology field. Before Clearnetworx, I worked several different restaurant and coffee jobs, but I always knew I wanted to move into tech. I enjoy solving problems, learning new things, and figuring out how systems work. It is something I genuinely enjoy and feel like I am good at. 

Q: What is your role at Clearnetworx and how long have you been a part of the team?

A: I am one of the Fiber Field Foreman at Clearnetworx and have been working here for 2 years.  

Q: As a Splicer you are working with delicate glass strands that help carry internet to people’s homes. What is one part of the splicing process that might surprise people or is more complex than they’d expect? 

A: One thing that might surprise people is that data travels through the fiber at 70% the speed of light. 186,282 miles per second.  

Q: What first sparked your interest in becoming a Splicer? Was there a specific moment in your life when you realized this was something you wanted to pursue?  

A: I first wanted to become a splicer when I saw a guy working in a trailer watching NFL red ticket in the middle of winter, haha. What intrigued me to pursue this trade was the complexity of the network. There will always be more to learn. 

Q: Clearnetworx is all about community. When you are connecting fiber for a neighborhood, what does it mean to you knowing your work is laying out the foundation for a local student’s education or a neighbor’s small business growth?  

A: In a world where everyone relies on a dependable network for everyday life, I want to be the guy people can count on. Working for a company that understands the customer is the most important part of the process. That’s why I do what I do. 

Q: Our goal is to provide ‘A Better Internet Experience.’ From a splicing perspective, what is the biggest difference between a standard internet connection and the fiber network you’re building here at Clearnetworx?

A: It’s the moments where all of our hard work comes together as a whole that means the most to me. There are many people involved in getting the first customer live in a new zone. From engineering to design, taking it from plans and computers, and implementing into the physical world one splice at a time. It’s really cool. 

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job as a Splicer for Clearnetworx? 

A: What I enjoy the most about Clearnetworx is my crew. Not only do I have good coworkers, I’ve made better friends. You don’t get that everywhere.  

Q: What is your role at Clearnetworx and how long have you been a part of the team?

A: I started with Clearnetworx as a Splicer 4 years ago next month. For about 2 1/2 years, I’ve been on the Design Team primarily as a PON designer assigning fiber across our networks. Generally that entails making assignments on new build networks, maintaining existing networks, and supporting field techs with troubleshooting. 

Q: What first sparked your interest in engineering? Was there a specific moment in your life when you realized this was something you wanted to pursue? 

A: The first time I thought about it was thanks to an idea put in my head by Mike Tong, the person who first taught me how to splice here with Clearnetworx. After a few months of splicing, he mentioned that he thought I could be a designer. That vote of confidence and my growing interest and experience with fiber, coupled with the fact I’ve always been a computer guy, worked out great!

Q: You’re often described as the ‘brains’ behind how we physically get fiber into the ground. What is one part of the planning process that might surprise people or is more complex than they’d expect? 

 A: I don’t know that I help much (yet) with getting the fiber in the ground, I would say the primary pathway designers, project managers, and last foot crews should take the credit there. I’d say that without them, none of my assignments would mean anything if there’s no fiber to splice! With that said, something that’s more complex than many may expect is maintaining existing and legacy networks. Chase K, my first mentor in the design process, taught me from the very beginning the importance of keeping track of every single assignment for future reference – that has saved me more time than I could imagine. 

Q: Clearnetworx is all about community. When you are designing the infrastructure for a new neighborhood, what does it mean to you knowing your work is laying out the foundation for a local student’s education or a neighbor’s small business growth?  

 A: I feel great being part of a team all working together to bring internet to those who need it. Knowing that I’m one of the steps towards bringing information to curious minds and entrepreneurial spirits brings me a lot of fulfillment in my career. 

Q: Our goal is to provide ‘A Better Internet Experience.’ From an engineering perspective, what is the biggest difference between a standard internet connection and the fiber network you’re building here at Clearnetworx?

A: In my opinion, “A Better Internet Experience” comes from more than just the physical networks we’re designing and building here. That is certainly part of it, but I believe it comes down to the Clearnetworx culture and people. Faster, more reliable networks built and maintained by the very people that live here plays a key role in just why it’s a better experience. 

Q: From your perspective, what makes the fiber internet experience different from other types of internet – and why does it matter to the people using it? 

A: I would say the biggest plus to a fiber connection would be the reliability — Not just with 99% connection uptime today, but being able to maintain and improve upon that in 20 or more years. As we all consume more data, fiber infrastructure can be easily expanded upon and upgraded to serve the needs of the community. 

Q: Of all the projects or neighborhoods, you’ve engineered, is there one ‘connection story’ or a specific moment in the field that stands out as a reminder of why you love what you do? 

A: I recall a man I met when I was splicing just off of Pioneer Rd in Delta who shared a story with me about his experience with fiber. He showed me a laminated business card he’d owned for decades from his time working at AT&T in the San Franciso area in the late 70’s for the first fiber network in the state. It had strands of fiber under the lamination, preserved for all that time. The same base technology improved and utilized by us in our community nearly 50 years later. It’s amazing to think of how many connections have already been made, yet Clearnetworx saw the need for more to be made and is realizing that need. It’s great to be a part of that process.