Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

“ My director told me exactly the same, engineers work in the markets are safe for a year or more depends on which market, but rational RAN teams are all going in 2024”

First your director doesn’t know bunk because Director’s are not given this type of information. Cant tell you whom in work for but its a leadership team (HQ RAN VP and above). National teams aren’t going anywhere and in fact they are already devising training plans got include National RAN and local markets beginning in late 2024 and to continue through mid 2025. The 3-4 year transition to Ericsson doesn’t event include services in the contract. It’s a supplier contract not a services contract.

Your so called info is either complete misinformation or pure lies. This I know for a fact. AT&T has zero plans to hand the keys to the network and network engineering etc. Please just stop trying to rile people up.

My director told me exactly the same, engineers work in the markets are safe for a year or more depends on which market, but rational RAN teams are all going in 2024

" We already have Ericsson markets, have for years. Yawn. No big deal."

This is the issue ^^^ we still have people like this that aren't capable of understanding things.

This is not BAU. Educate yourself, you sound foolish.

Stupid is as stupid does and AT&T is on a ROLL!!

HQ for High Quality

What is the difference between HQ RAN and market RAN?

Dollars to donuts an Ericcson employee talked a Millennial at AT&at into inking this straw that will break a 150-year old camels back. Run for the hills!!!

“ AT&T is taking a big risk going with this contract, anyone know o-ran knows T plan is to lease or share the spectrum and radios to other operators, possibly google or Amazon but most likely to comcast and other similar companies”

I agree with your assessment

If At&t plan to lease or share the spectrum and radios then we are totally screwed

Do you remember when AT&T tried to acquire T-Mobile? This is a similar stupid move that will only get this company to lose the mobility business

AT&T is taking a big risk going with this contract, anyone know o-ran knows T plan is to lease or share the spectrum and radios to other operators, possibly google or Amazon but most likely to comcast and other similar companies
Ericsson will manage the process and services because it’s beyond at&t skills and capabilities, this is new technology that is not tested anywhere in the world yet even though the spec was approved by the 3gpp community
In addition to losing skilled engineers, I believe at&t service quality will degrade because of sharing spectrum and radios resources
In short, this is another risky bet by at&t that will only drive the company down

“Nothing could be further from the truth. The concept of "vendors" never started until ~ GSM deployment time frame. Prior to that, everything was done in house. Rack and stacking at the sites, to cabling at the switches, everything. Had no one to blame but urself if anything went sour.”

What rock have you been under? In ALU markets Lucent installed the TDMA, GSM, UMTS, LTE. Now it’s a a plethora of vendors installing 5G equipment. The vendor was Lucent before it became Nokia/ALU, before becoming full blown Nokia. Of course you may be referring to the Cingular way but that was some of the worst installs in the company. Along with that came the amazing leadership structure.

"Vendors have always installed the wireless’s equipment. Mobility technicians maintain it. It has been that since the Analog TDMA was installed. The vendors scope the sites, they install the equipment, they perform the cutover and initial testing, and they even complete growth work. This will be no different. The RAN engineers are going to get scalped eventually but Ericsson will need and use those folks for awhile. "

Nothing could be further from the truth. The concept of "vendors" never started until ~ GSM deployment time frame. Prior to that, everything was done in house. Rack and stacking at the sites, to cabling at the switches, everything. Had no one to blame but urself if anything went sour.

What could possible go wrong? LOL this is the most AT&T thing ever. I saw an article on this recently. The article quoted both Verizon and T-Mobile’s CEO on what they thought about open RAN.. they said the technology isn’t proven and it is not where it needs to be… so AT&T jumps headfirst into open RAN.. this will not affect just the engineers but this might sink the entire company. Take on more debt and hope it works.

The Nokia 5G (equipment &Network) is trash trash trash. Since the 5G launch every measurable stat is a dumpster fire. That said Ericsson equipment does seem to perform better in all the meaningful stats.

Local RAN teams are not very engaged nor do they attempt to fix problems. Is this because leadership doesn’t let them or is this because simply do not care? From state to state while traveling you can see a clear difference in who takes care of the network and who doesn’t.

Vendors have always installed the wireless’s equipment. Mobility technicians maintain it. It has been that since the Analog TDMA was installed. The vendors scope the sites, they install the equipment, they perform the cutover and initial testing, and they even complete growth work. This will be no different. The RAN engineers are going to get scalped eventually but Ericsson will need and use those folks for awhile.

One interesting tidbit though from a press release though. It said Ericsson will be providing many of the parts of the effort including hardware, the cloud software, and a management layer.

Post from TheLayoff.com

Mastec is awful! Wireless technician here…Mastec will hire anyone off the street and it shows. They’ve create havoc in our network since becoming our turf vendor.

Ericsson stock value in two days increased by about 16%
Also Ericsson freezes plans for layoffs for this year and next year, thanks to T

When it comes to wireless the work is moving to Ericsson and Mastec.

We already have Ericsson markets, have for years. Yawn. No big deal.

“Just look back to sprint 2008/2009 managed service $5b deal with Ericsson and you will know exactly what will happen”

I was in Kansas City working for sprint in 2009 and I can tell you my manager told me my job is safe, as well my director in a call. in less than a year everyone including my manager and director lost his job

Just look back to sprint 2008/2009 managed service $5b deal with Ericsson and you will know exactly what will happen
Before end of 2009 all RAN teams national and markets all gone
That time Ericsson hired some of the employees from sprint but by far almost everyone lost his job

“I was on several organizational calls today about this very subject. Ericsson isn't taking over anything. Stated very clearly by 5th level regional EVP's in calls today. Some RAN Engineering functions are moving to a national team, while some are staying in the markets. Anyone saying otherwise is just making stuff up and trying to stir the pot”

I was in one call as well, and as expected nothing to be alarmed about.
Typical talk before the true changes happens
Ericsson in the other hand is moving RAN teams from private 5G to public 5G RAN to start take over the at&t RAN and sharing network facts for T network to prepare the teams to take over very fast

Don’t believe our AVPs they are awesome in misleading us

“ Stated very clearly by 5th level regional EVP's in calls today.”

Same 5th levels that said RTO is not about headcount reductions?

No no , you are right. Suddenly the company is completely transparent with their employees.

I was on several organizational calls today about this very subject. Ericsson isn't taking over anything. Stated very clearly by 5th level regional EVP's in calls today. Some RAN Engineering functions are moving to a national team, while some are staying in the markets. Anyone saying otherwise is just making stuff up and trying to stir the pot.

This is bad, somewhere in India Ericsson will run our mobility network

JS is like saying “you ran teams are not doing good enough work to keep your job”
I think JS should go first

Ericsson confirmed the steps
1-HQ optimization/design
2-Market design
3-Market performance

Are we pretending AT&T is NOT looking at this as another way to reduced badged employees??

Of course this another way to reduce headcount.

Market RAN being pushed into a national team just to be surplused or forced to relocate. Why would AT&T keep the market people spread all over when they can let Ericsson foot that bill.

Wrong, it was stated unequivocally by two separate region VPs that the rumors of Ericsson taking over RAN or RAN going to a third party is absolutely false and nothing but irresponsible rumor and hearsay. T has no intention of giving up control of RAN Responsibilties now or in the future.

It make sense, why you want to keep the national team if your vendor’s experts running the show

Ericsson already provided support for HQ ran for many years already, the same team will take over the process
I hope we working in market keep our jobs

This is bad for AT&T
Ericsson will focus on maximizing the sales of equipment regardless of ROI for T
I hate T, you can’t plan anything based on T job security

I work in LA market RAN, Ericsson support mentioned this to me a week ago, HQ RAN will go first, and market RAN will work with Ericsson support/HQ for a transition period

I agree, Ericsson will soon take over HQ RAN activities first, likely in Q1, Ericsson PMs clearly pointed as this is step one.
All outsourced functions and jobs will be eliminated for T payroll immediately

Not true.

Wrong. For now BAU. ALL RUMORS.

Ericsson is finally swallowing ATT, and they'll be lean and mean