Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.

The occupation "Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers" has an automation risk of 19.5%, closely aligning with its base risk of 19.7%. This relatively low probability stems from the complexity and variability inherent in the core responsibilities of the job. Many tasks are hands-on and involve responding to unique, on-site challenges — situations that are difficult to standardize or fully automate with current technology. For example, installers and repairers regularly encounter unpredictable environments (like different building layouts, weather conditions, or terrain) that require human adaptation and troubleshooting abilities. These elements significantly reduce the likelihood that automation or robotics can substitute for human workers in these roles, at least in the near term. Among the most automatable tasks within this occupation are those that entail structured procedures and repetitive actions. Setting up service for customers, which includes installing, connecting, testing, or adjusting equipment, is typically well-documented and could be performed by semi-autonomous systems with limited human oversight. Similarly, traveling to customers' premises for routine installations or repairs, as well as measuring signal strength at utility poles with electronic test equipment, are tasks increasingly supported by smart devices and could be further streamlined as automation technologies advance. These specific duties are often rule-based, require consistent execution, and are ripe for digitization and remote monitoring — making them strong candidates for automation. However, a significant portion of the job involves tasks resistant to automation due to their manual and variable nature. Digging holes for power poles and setting them in place with cranes and winches not only require physical strength but also on-the-spot decision-making due to soil conditions, underground hazards, and logistics. Filling and tamping holes with cement or earth and using a variety of construction equipment to complete installations likewise depend upon adaptable, situational judgments that machines currently struggle to replicate. The occupation also relies on bottleneck skills like originality (rated at 2.5% and 2.4%), reflecting the need for creative problem-solving and improvisation in unexpected scenarios. These attributes anchor the occupation’s resistance to full automation and help explain why its automation risk remains relatively low.