Principal Specialist Broadband Network

Role Purpose

Lead the development of the Broadband IP network architecture to support the organizations long term objectives. Provide technical leadership to the engineering team and interface with FTTx, Mobile engineering and Enterprise sales and product teams to ensure successful fit-for-purpose product design and deployment.

Support management within Enterprise and FTTx technology sphere with technical decision making processes. Represent the company at technical partner and vendor forums.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

Provide technology strategic direction in the Enterprise Network Services Broadband including IP/MPLS domain.

Ensure alignment with Vodafones technology strategy, policies and objectives

Develop a clear technology strategy for Vodacom Enterprise in the field of Fixed Broadband Services which include Fixed Wireless Access (4G/5G), GPON, Microwave (P2P, P2MP), VSAT and legacy DSL.

Evaluate and implement new Open BNG, Radius/Diameter and traffic management technologies.

Define and manage technology roadmaps in the field of Broadband

Setting the strategic Broadband network technology direction in the Vodacom Enterprise Technology environment through the development and collation of the Technology strategy and roadmaps across technology domains in alignment with the Vodafone technology strategy and Vodacoms Business strategies.

Implement governance processes and reporting to drive effective implementation and monitoring of the strategy execution, including recommendation of required programmes to support business-wide transformation to deliver on strategy.

To lead initiatives that provide thought leadership and drive key strategic Vodacom Broadband and FTTx initiatives by liaising with and aligning Technology and all other relevant BUs in order to provide the SLT (Senior Leadership Team) with technical and non-technical guidance for a particular area of focus.

Provide support to Enterprise Technology and FTTx executive team. Support includes writing of research and strategy documents, producing artefacts and reports.

Provide guidance with communications (internal and external stakeholders) as required from time to time.

Engagements with vendors in all areas including strategy, adoptions and deployments.

Provide budgeting support to the Enterprise Technology and FTTX team. CAPEX and OPEX plan and execution.

Design technical blueprint for next generation NG PON deployments to deliver any-haul capabilities that can scale.

Identify Security risks and implement mitigating solutions.

Perform comprehensive lab tests on new equipment with the associated field trials where required and produce detailed reports, results and recommendations with the rest of the team.

Ensure alignment between supplier roadmaps and Vodacom requirements.

Arrange periodic meetings with suppliers to obtain the latest product updates and trends in the field of Broadband infrastructure.

Manage relationships with other technology departments within Vodacom and Vodafone

Set quality standards and procedures against world best practice benchmarks and the management of these processes

Compile strategic and operational documentation in relation to the field of Fixed Broadband and IP/MPLS that will inform internal planning guidelines and blueprints.

The Ideal Candidate For This Role Will Have

Matric Senior Certificate

A relevant degree

Active Cisco CCIE required

CompTIA Network+ certification (not compulsory)

8-10 years experience in the Telecommunications ISP industry (IP MPLS and Broadband Infrastructure)

Core Competencies, Knowledge And Experience

Technical Network Architecture focus with 8-10 years of Service Provider experience

Subject matter expert in the design and implementation of AAA Radius, Policy Charging Rules Function, Deep Packet Inspection /Policy and Charging Enforcement Function, Broadband Network Gateways.

8-10 Years experience of IP/MPLS Core Engineering

Broadband Network standards and Specifications.

Proven knowledge and experience on planning, design, implementation of

Different Access Technologies (GPON, Active-Ethernet and Fixed LTE)

NG-PON and 25G PON next generation technologies

High and low level design of architecture (HLD/LLD), strategy, troubleshooting, root-cause analysis and optimization (high availability and failover).

Sound understanding of Fixed Broadband Architecture, including all CORE network elements (L2 Access/Aggregation backhaul network, GPON, Microwave, Fixed LTE/5G, BNGs, PCEF and PCRF)

Good understanding of how Fixed LTE networks work (including high level knowledge of mobile network APNs, SGSN and PGW)

Good understanding of how GPON networks work (including high level knowledge of NG-PON2 standards, OLT/ONT setup and operations)

Understand TR-069 and TR-143 use cases

Detailed knowledge on IP address management mechanism to address shortage on IPv4 e.g. CG-NAT for (NAT44, NAT464, )

Broadband Network Resiliency Best practices

Practical knowledge and experience on Openserve Telkom IPC service including L2TP Off-load.

Understanding of Virtualization and SDN technologies

Knowledge on Wi-Fi Technology (Wi-fi 4/5/6 802.11 n/ac/ax/be)

Knowledge on CPEs, AP Mesh Solutions, HA setup and modes for inbuilding and outbuilding.

Ability to design high availability solutions using BGP, SRRP, VRRP, LACP (LAG and MC-LAG) and MCS

Must Have Operational Knowledge And Experience On

Cisco CNR (Cisco Network Registrar)

DHCP configuration

Static IP address Management

Cisco CPS (Cisco Policy Suite )

Topology layout

Radius and Diameter Setup

Templates

Services and Use Case Templates

Cisco CSG (Content Services Gateway)

Radius proxy setup

Policy management

Adult Content Management

Nokia BNG (Broadband Network Gateway) and vBNG

Configuration and functionality

PPPoE and IPoE

VPLS

SAP

MCS

Access redundancy protocols SRRP and VRRP

LAC/LNS setup

Nokia (ISAM Family)

Functionality of high capacity access node fx4 fx16s

Delivery triple play services

Local LAN VPLS

Sandvine

Packet-logic Subscriber Manager

Packet logic real-time Enforcer

Procera Insights Cluster

Strong Understanding And Experience On

Radius AAA configuration, attributes and troubleshooting

GX and GY functionality

Broadband Traffic Management Function

Quota Management

Subscriber Fair Usage and Acceptable Usage policies

Congestion Mitigation

Understanding of contention ratios

Billing /Call data records

TCP and Video Optimization

Zero Rating

Adult Content Management

Knowledge of L2 protocols, L2 and L3 QoS , QnQ and ethernet access services

Sound understanding of LAC, LNS, L2TP functionally and other tunnelling protocols (IPSEC ,DMVPN, PPTP, OpenVPN, GRE)

Understand in detail call flow of PPPoE and IPoE setup.

Design broadband customer solutions and write Solution Proposals

Good understanding of evolving technologies like Control and User place separation, Automation, Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), SD-WAN, SDN, ACI (controllers & Orchestrators etc).

Cloud Computing knowledge on NFV/VNF/CNF architecture.

vCPE and Universal CPE

Hosted cloud services

public and private cloud

Understand how load balancers operate (F5 LBs)

Understand how caching and content distribution networks operate.

Knowledge of IP address space management and allocation with RIR, (ARIN, AFRINIC etc)

Expert Level Knowledge And Experience

MPLS Core Network Engineering

Major Protocol and Protocols

OSPF/IS-IS

LDP & RSVP

SR-TE

MPLS-SR

Seamless MPLS

Internet

Peering/Transit

Internet Registry

Fibre FTTx

Wholesale and Bitstream providers cross connect design

Open Access Networks

Network Management & Programmability

Diameter (GX and GY)

Radius

Closing date for Applications: 06 April 2023

The base location for this role is, Midrand, Vodacom Campus.

The Companys approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.

Vodacom is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates and values diversity & inclusion.