Our GOT COVERAGE? photo contest ran from May 20 to July 19. We received many great entries featuring RF engineers, babies & kids, pets, landmarks, offices and iBwave software conveniently placed in the background of some shots – not to mention the HAT of course! Thanks to all who participated by sending photos or voting! And now… the winners!

First Place:

Mohammed Yahya Siddiqui | Ericsson | Dubai, UAE

Mohammed Yahya Siddiqui is an RF Test Engineer for IBS projects at Ericsson in Dubai. He regularly analyses existing network performance, collects stats identifying issues in performance, does DAS troubleshooting and data collection, performs CW tests for antenna locations and represents Ericsson at customer sites. He has worked on over 200 indoor sites in the United Arab Emirates. He has a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering, an advanced diploma in wireless technology and he recently became iBwave Level 1 certified. 

Ericsson is a world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and services to mobile and fixed network operators. Over 1,000 networks in more than 180 countries use our network equipment, and more than 40 percent of the world’s mobile traffic passes through Ericsson networks. We are one of the few companies worldwide that can offer end-to-end solutions for all major mobile communication standards. Our networks, telecom services and multimedia solutions make it easier for people, across the world, to communicate. And as communication changes the way we live and work, Ericsson is playing a key role in this evolution. Using innovation to empower people, business and society, we are working towards the Networked Society, in which everything that can benefit from a connection will have one. Our vision is to be the prime driver in an all-communicating world. Learn more about Ericsson.

Runner Up:

Zafarullah Bhutto | Crown Castle | Plano TX, USA

Zafarullah Bhutto has over six years experience working with technologies like LTE, UMTS, CDMA, WiFi and GSM in over ten countries across several continents. He is highly experienced with in-building/high capacity and special coverage solutions with wireless industry exposure, far exceeding 250 buildings/stadiums and projects globally in various capacities stretching from hand-on technical roles to management. 

Crown Castle owns, operates, and leases towers and other infrastructure for wireless communications. Crown Castle offers significant wireless communications coverage to 98 of the top 100 US markets and to substantially all of the Australian population. Crown Castle owns, operates and manages over 30,000 and approximately 1,700 wireless communication sites in the US and Australia, respectively. Learn more about Crown Castle.

The Finalists:

Guillermo Parra | Lattice Telecommunicaciones Personales | México, México

Guillermo Parra is an Applications Engineer for Lattice since 2006. He primarily works on mobile telephony systems, broadcast, 2G and 3G network planning, microwave network planning, optimization data collection, post processing and in iBwave Design for indoor planning. He studied aeronautical engineering. 

With more than 23 years of experience in the telecommunications market working with all the actors: operators, integrators, manufacturers and the regulator, Lattice Telecommunicaciones Personales has experience in projects for wireless design, and radio electric spectrum management, based on our software platforms ELLIPSE, Planet and iBwave, either for Microwave or 3G networks (Wimax, UMTS/EDGE) indoor or outdoor. They established the first certified laboratory in Mexico; recognized as competent laboratory, based on the Mexican Norm MNX 17025, equivalent to the international recommendation ISO/IEC 17025. Lattice employs certified engineers for the design, planning, installation and setting up of wireless networks under the end to end modality. Learn more about Lattice Telecommunicaciones Personales.

Gustavo Piquer | TELUS | Calgary AB, Canada

Gustavo Piquer is an RF engineer at TELUS Network Operations in Calgary, Alberta. With over 15 years experience in telecommunications design and implementation for different wireless technologies, he has designed and optimized DAS using passive, active, hybrid and mutli-operator systems. For the past six years, he has worked for TELUS and completed the evaluation and design for more than 20 private and public buildings. Gustavo is iBwave Level 1, 2 and 3 certified. 

TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $11 billion of annual revenue and 13.2 million customer connections including 7.7 million wireless subscribers, 3.4 million wireline network access lines, 1.4 million Internet subscribers and 712,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video. Learn more about TELUS.

Tomer Tsabary | Leadcom | Lima, Peru

Tomer Tzabari is an RF engineer at Leadcom since 2003. He has managed several of the company’s high profile projects all over the world including over 200 sites in Israel from 2003-2005. He designed and implemented the first ten in-building sites in Congo, including 150 antennas at the IINGA 1 and INGA 2 hydroelectric station below the Congo River. Tomer is now the RF Planning Manager for Leadcom CALA, managing projects in Peru, Colombia, Guatemala and Costa Rica. 

Leadcom Integrated Solutions Ltd. is an international leader in the provision, implementation and management of telecommunication network deployment services and solutions for global telecom vendors, operators and large enterprises. Leadcom employs over 700 professionals and operates in nearly 30 countries in Africa and the Americas. Leadcom’s key success factor is its mastery of diverse telecom technologies and solutions and their successful integration, making the company a welcome system integrator and a partner of choice wherever flexibility, innovative technical proficiency, integrity and professionalism must be combined. Learn more about Leadcom (www.leadcom-is.com).

Richard Krigsman | CSI (Goodman Networks) | Weston CT, USA

Richard Krigsman is a DAS Solutions Engineer for Goodman Networks’ Mid-Atlantic region and has over 25 years experience in technical roles and project management within the wireless industry. Richard has been recognized by the chairman of the FCC for wireless implementation and analysic work provided during 9/11 in NYC and by the director of the secret service for wireless support provided during Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast. 

Goodman Networks helps customers design, build, optimize and maintain state-of-the-art wireless networks. Our end-to-end network solutions, rapid mobilization, superior quality and project management skills enable faster network deployments and improve the subscriber experience. Today’s data-intensive wireless devices and applications are generating an unprecedented pace of change for network operators. For more than a dozen years, Goodman Networks has been a trusted partner to wireless network operators, helping them respond to rapid technological advances and meet subscriber expectations. We remain focused on helping new and existing customers by doing what we do best – designing, engineering, deploying, integrating, optimizing and maintaining high-quality, high-speed wireless networks. Learn more about Goodman Networks.

As iBwave continues to grow with new team members each month, the Montreal HQ office has been running low on space. With that came the decision to move the marketing team to a new suite. When we first saw the place, a few of us needed a bit more convincing to get excited about the move.

But with a few brainstorming sessions, the mindset began to shift. DIY’ers at heart, we dedicated many hours to researching, designing, choosing colours, shopping, painting, assembling, decorating and creating the ideal work space to foster our creativity and cater to our fast-paced jobs.

With a fresh coat of paint and some new carpet, the place was starting to come together. Now for the decorating.

After three weeks, several trips to Ikea and some compromising, the office is functional, comfortable and showcases the personalities of the people who spend their days in it.

To make the move official, we hosted a cocktail for all of the Montreal iBwavers last Friday. We even had a ribbon cutting ceremony with our President and CEO, Mario Bouchard.

Mood lighting, music, pink lemonade, rosé sangria and some munchies made for a nice ambiance for people to explore our new digs.

And although some iBwavers now refer to the marketing team as “remote”, the equivalent of being in Hong Kong, or as being on “the other side”, we know that those who make the trip across the hall are greeted with colour, sun light, Nespresso and a warm welcome.

The cell phone is 40 today! To celebrate its birthday, we want to hear about your first cell phone – post a photo and a story on our Facebook page. The iBwave marketing team got the ball rolling and took a moment to ponder their own personal cell phone history. Here’s what came out of the conversation:

Nathalie:

Here is my first cell phone… (pretty sure that was it). That was when I was working in Shenzhen, China.

Marie-Claire:

I joined the revolution pretty late. Here’s my first, which I proudly kept for my full three year contract and even a bit more!

Laurence:

These were my dinosaurs:

My first attempts at personal communications: A PAGER!

 My first cellphone (mine was red).

 My second cellphone: BEST EVER! I still have it and my mom still uses it.

 My third cellphone: Like MC!

Nicholas:

I had Laurence’s first cell phone too! But dark blue.

In Japan (2003), I used this one below (had a very cool rotating camera in the center with ‘motion eye’ technology). You could even create short 30 second videos and there were movie trailers loaded onto it, a feature which very few phones had at that time.

 Here I am with said phone, calling my folks from the top of Mt.Fuji with perfect reception!

What was your first cellphone? Post the picture and story on our Facebook page!

Juan Felipe:

Here’s what Juan Felipe, our VP Sales remembers about his first cell phone:

My first phone was a Motorola Timeport. It was a first world phone but it was pretty heavy and, when I had it on my belt clip, the antenna always pricked my love handle. Indeed, it was painful and very uncomfortable to carry. Someone stole it when I was in a Paris restaurant; that day, I was a happy camper.

Until next time!