How to become a telecommunications lineman
Official title: Telecommunications lineman
Also called: Overhead wireman (telephone and telegraph), Telecommunications and telephone lineman, Telephone and telegraph cable jointer, Telephone and telegraph cableman, Telephone and telegraph lineman, Telephone and telegraph wireman, Overhead wireman (telephone and telegraph), Telephone and telegraph cable jointer, Telephone and telegraph cableman
Telecommunications lineman installs and repairs overhead, underground and submarine wires and cables for telephone and telecommunications transmission, attaching terminal boxes, repeaters and other specialised equipment to poles. He/she installs auxiliary equipment such as terminal boxes and repeaters and makes connections to complete underground telephone and telecommunications cable systems.
Main tasks
- Installing and repairing cabling for computer, radio, telephone and television transmission
- Joining telecommunications and data cables and sealing sheathes
- Installing, maintaining and repairing antennae used in communications
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Consumer audio/video equipment/radar broadcasting/transmitting equipment fitter/mechanic
- Computer and related electronic equipment mechanic
- Telecommunications installer/servicer
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
Will AI change the work of a telecommunications lineman?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026