iBwave, University of Maryland team to train future RF professionals

Montreal QC -- iBwave is happy to announce its successful partnership with the Masters in Telecommunications program at the University of Maryland (UMD). The goal of this partnership is to equip future RF engineers with a solid knowledge of industry-leading iBwave Design software.

Twenty-five iBwave Design Lite Licenses were installed in a secured lab for the duration of the Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and Small Cells graduate level course. “We are thrilled to have this partnership with iBwave, the de facto software for the in-building RF planning.” said Dr. Rikin Thakker, Faculty at the ECE department at UMD, who designed and taught this course. “Innovations in the wireless and cellular industry are happening at a staggering pace and it is important that academia keeps up with the latest developments in the field to avoid deficit of skilled workforce” he added. As part of their coursework students were given hands-on training on the software, using realistic scenarios and use cases.

Since iBwave Design experience is considered a key requirement for RF Engineering positions industry-wide, many students are able to kick start their careers while enrolled in the course. “I was quite excited to be a part of this course and learn Small Cell and DAS Design on iBwave. During this time, I was fortunate enough to be hired by a company that designs in-building systems” says Ameya Joshi, Graduate Student at UMD. “My experience in iBwave was the most important skill that helped me leverage my profile and secure the job” he added.

“The partnership between iBwave and the Masters in Telecom program has been a unique opportunity for our students to learn hands-on indoor wireless design skills” said Dr. Zoltan Zafar, Program Director. “By taking this course on DAS and Small Cells, our students have learned not only the principles of in-building RF design, but they have also acquired familiarity with iBwave. Many wireless companies have welcomed the possibility of hiring students with iBwave Design experience. We hope that our partnership will continue in the future” he added.

“This academic partnership is very important to us as it reinforces our commitment to innovation and collaboration. By making our industry-reference software available for instruction and academic research, new ideas will be brought to light embracing new technical developments within the in-building design industry” said Benoit Fleury, VP Product Line Management at iBwave.

Inclusion of iBwave Design in the course work is seen as a welcome move by leading companies, as graduates of the two-year program typically end up working for global enterprises such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Apple, Microsoft, and Google. Due to the popularity of the course, it is set to resume in fall 2016.

For more information on the program, please contact iBwave or visit: www.ibwave.com. More information on the M.S. in Telecommunication Program can be found at: www.telecom.umd.edu.