Students discover the telecom world at Orange

3 June 2024

In mid-May, we invited 24 master's students in Electrical Engineering from the École polytechnique de Bruxelles (EPB) to take a behind-the-scenes look at Orange. As an employer, we want to be a constant source of inspiration whilst rejuvenating and diversifying tech professions. That's why last year, we launched the Tech Academy to provide tech students with top-level telecom knowledge, in collaboration with the EPB. In this context, we also offer internships, summer jobs, and positions for young graduates, and we organize events like this student visit. Curious to learn about this enriching journey? Follow us through the day. 

The journey started on the main technical site of our Hybrid Fiber Coaxial network in Ixelles, where various signals (for digital TV and broadband internet, among others) are collected, processed, combined, and distributed to the end users via the fiber optic network and the coaxial cables. But first, we treated the students to a tasty breakfast because starting a road trip on an empty stomach isn't a good idea. After a brief introduction by our CTO, Philippe Toussaint, on the evolution of telecom and Orange's continuous investments in innovation, the students had an exclusive look behind the scenes of the headend of the Orange network in Brussels. 

Next, we hopped on the bus to the headquarters in Evere, where the Supervision Monitoring Center keeps a close watch on all our networks and fixed and mobile services, 24/7. The goal? To prevent incidents and, if they should occur, to resolve them immediately so that customers experience no service disruption. Critical infrastructures such as our services for hospitals, are literally life-saving, which emphasises the significant societal role we play as a telecom operator. The students were particularly impressed by the immense wall of high-definition screens displaying real-time data of both mobile and fixed networks through graphs and figures such as internet traffic to Netflix, social media … 

Then, they explored our labs where we develop our interactive TV and very high-speed internet services. Here, our experts explained how our products are developed: from market research and needs assessment over the product development to the technical and functional testing perfecting every detail to deliver a premium customer experience. The future engineers also discovered the latest wi-fi modem featuring amongst the most advanced technologies on the market. Did you know that sustainability and eco-development criteria account for 25% of the selection process for TV modems and decoders? 

Next stop was the Orange 5G Lab in Antwerp. Here, students learned what 5G is exactly and how the technology differs from 4G. Our colleagues demonstrated several practical cases of high-tech innovations, such as a robotic vehicle equipped with cameras remotely controlled via 5G to patrol large sites. Or a digital twin – an exact and interactive 3D visualization – of an industrial robotic arm, which supports the remote troubleshooting and correction of technical issues. 

To end the journey, the students visited one of the most advanced data centers of Orange Belgium. An impressive server room filled with network and storage systems, and especially... lots and lots of cables. The installations in this beating heart are all duplicated to always remain operational, even in case of an incident. This redundancy, where one connection takes over if the other fails, is essential in the telecom sector. We provide critical services to individuals as well as governments and businesses, which must be guaranteed 24/7. With features like dual power supplies, physically separated cables, multiple cooling systems, and extremely strict security, this data center ranks among the best in our country and contributes to Orange Belgium's role as a leader in the telecom sector. 

The students learned a great deal during this exclusive visit behind the scenes. They discovered how varied and challenging a job in the telecom sector can be, as well as the many directions their future career at Orange could take. 

Orange Belgium is proud to encourage young people to explore the many opportunities offered by the technology and telecom sectors. #ProudToBeOrange 

Watch the aftermovie and relive this inspiring day. 

Do you also want to immerse yourself in our innovative world and help shape the future of telecom? Check out the job openings at proudtobeorange.be or learn more about our initiatives for tech students on the website of our Tech Academy.