Charles Donald Mwakapola
Dar Es Salaam
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior RF Engineer
Isat Africa
Kenya
01.2015 - Current
- Responsible for design and implementation of teleport infrastructure
- Responsible for installation and maintenance of all Ground satellite systems
- Conduct site field testing, surveys for wireless broadband data and Internet connectivity
- Conduct RF interference testing to secure transmitted and received signals
- Conduct technical Training to Technical and Network Operation center staff
- Perform multi-radio coexistence mitigation (including RF link budget planning and issue debugging, RFI scan)
- Plan & design Long Distance Fiber network deployment and expansion of existing network, ensuring resilient, flexible and scalable managed network
- Implementation of RF over Fiber links for VSAT systems
- Evaluate technical bids from contractors
- Ensure project timelines are met and resolve escalated issues affecting roll out of Satellite systems
- Ensure testing, commissioning and integration of fiber optic and VSAT infrastructure
- Plan project, define activities and deliverables, prepare project documentation, plans, network drawing, etc
- Assist in the prioritization, scheduling and coordination of daily maintenance work for the Fiber, Wireless and VSAT
- To ensure that link budget is within limit as per link design
- Identification of key potential area as a part of Transmission planning
- Vendor evaluation & finalization for cable route, OFC & accessories supplies
- Understanding of fiber optic cable splicing and testing process
- Project planning and management, defining deliverables and preparing project documentation
- Verification of material delivery & job execution by vendors on the sites
Senior Engineer & Head of VSAT Department
SimbaNET (T) LTD
01.2002 - 01.2014
- Project Design, Planning, Scheduling, Implementation, Managing, Hardware & Software system integration, Project Coordination, Project monitoring, Network Management, Trouble shooting and providing customer support
- Installation, troubleshooting, repair and preventive maintenance for Vsat Hub and Vsat Customers
- Travelled extensively throughout Africa for installation and troubleshooting problems for Higher learning institutions, Interpol, Maesk, Danmex and ‘SimbaNET site out of the country
- Managing system integration, design and resolving technical issues for surveillance products, satellite communication system and Telecom products
- Solution architecture for communication systems products (VSAT Antenna and Wireless solutions)
- Co-ordination with vendors, channel partners & distributors regarding technical solutions & problems
- Preparation of Bill of Material
- Handling techno-commercial task involving tendering in compliance to the technical bid standards
- Installation & Supervision of VSAT antenna & DSNG antenna
- Project execution
- Site installation (Electronics/Electrical & Telecommunication Equipment) as per drawings
- Structural cabling for data transmission & Electrical
- System integration
- Pre-commissioning Test
- Commissioning & Testing
- Responsible for product demonstration, BTS and BSC Antennas installation
- Preparation of detailed project report
- Technical Support for the company products
- Trouble shooting and providing customer support
- Subscriber complaint handling and management
- Managing system integration, design and resolving technical issues for surveillance products, satellite communication system and Telecom products
- Solution architecture for communication systems products (VSAT Antenna)
- Co-ordination with vendors, channel partners & distributors regarding technical solutions & problems
Telecommunication Engineer
TRITEL (GSM NETWORK)
01.1999 - 01.2002
- Optimized, analyzed and improved performance of GSM network per client specification
- Monitored and analyzed statistical and drive test data to improve system performance indicators such as dropped calls, blocked calls, orientation failures and hand-off features
- Worked in coordination with telecommunications and software engineers to integrate designs into large scale communication systems
- Responsible for capacity planning, GSM frequency planning and frequency hopping through carrier/interference(C/I) ratio analysis
- Implementation of international roaming data base
- Minimum supervision with focus on meeting deadline while observing
Education
BSc - Electrical Engineering
Makerere University
Skills
- RF troubleshooting
- RF optimization
- Antenna design
- Link budget analysis
References
- James, Kiiru, james.kiiru@ke.wananchi.com, +254734391378, Wananachi Telecom, Box14400-00800, Nairobi, Kenya
- John P, Mwakysua, ASS. Professor, qusa5@yahoo.com, +255754384453, University of Dar Es Salaam, Box35046, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Training
- Unix System administration
- Certified Vsat Installer – Dubai
- Intelsat Technical Training for Africa- Fuchssdat,Germany
- Certified Optical fiber technician- Dar Es Salaam
- IT Project Management Capacity Building course- AeRC Training Centre, Nairobi
- Motorola Select V Technical training- Danmex Denmark.
- Design of iDirect Network and Vsat Products – Nairobi, Kenya.
Timeline
Senior RF Engineer
Isat Africa
01.2015 - Current
Senior Engineer & Head of VSAT Department
SimbaNET (T) LTD
01.2002 - 01.2014
Telecommunication Engineer
TRITEL (GSM NETWORK)
01.1999 - 01.2002
BSc - Electrical Engineering
Makerere University