Miriam has worked at cablex in the Wireline Rollout business unit as Head of Planning & Production Management for eight years. Her tasks include the planning and management of traditional telecommunication network construction as well as operational issues. As the demands placed on network infrastructure have changed, so has her area of work. Miriam is now increasingly kept busy with strategic matters and business development: from efficient expansion of the optical fibre network to development of processes and structures. Despite reducing her hours for family reasons, Miriam still works in the same role – with a level of flexibility that cannot be taken for granted and which she personally values greatly.
Female trailblazer in optical fibre expansion.
From the FTTS expansion with MicroCAN to FTTH.
One important milestone Miriam was involved with was the transition from the FTTS expansion with MicroCAN technology to the large-scale FTTH expansion. During the FTTS ("Fibre to the Street") expansion, optical fibre is routed through to a shaft near the building. This is where the so-called MicroCAN comes into play – an active component that converts the optical signal from the optical fibre into an electrical signal. This then travels into apartments through existing copper cables. For a long time, this technology was an efficient interim solution for providing households with a higher Internet speed more quickly.
Now though, things have developed further: The FTTH ("Fibre to the Home") expansion routes the optical fibre directly into the apartments. This results in even more stable and high-performance connections. For cablex, this change means larger expansion projects, more interfaces – and also new opportunities to further drive forward the optical fibre expansion in Switzerland.
The expansion is progressing rapidly. More and more households are being connected with optical fibre – and cablex is playing a key role in this. For Miriam, the importance of this is evident: Optical fibre ensures fast and stable Internet, reduces disruptions and also lowers the cost for network operation and maintenance in the long term. This means it is an important component of Switzerland's digital future.
Tempo and teamwork.
What Miriam particularly likes about her work is its dynamism. In the Wireline Rollout unit, lots of projects run in parallel. Decisions have to be taken quickly. And every person in the team contributes to the overall success. "I like the fact that everyone is working together on one goal and that every individual performance counts," she says.
I like the fact that everyone is working together on one goal and that every individual performance counts.
Miriam Thomann, Head of Planning & Production cablex AG
Women in the technical sphere.
Since the start of her career, Miriam has worked in a technical environment that is traditionally heavily dominated by men. Yet she describes her experiences as uncomplicated. And when she does encounter a woman, they are often impressive individuals: "They are usually real trailblazers."
Her advice for women who are interested in a technical career: remain persistent, be curious and show initiative. "There is nothing in the technical environment that women can't do equally well."
