A working relationship between Nortel Telecommunications and the SAIT telecommunications faculty has resulted in a series of donations to the school. Nortel began donating to SAIT in 2006.
The donations have come in the form of equipment that has passed its industry shelf life but is still of value for training purposes.
“There aren’t many places to get a formal telecom education,” said Darwin Risdon, academic chair for the program.
Former NAIT graduate Hugh Heaton has been instrumental in bringing this valuable equipment to SAIT’s campus.
“Nortel has given quite a lot of material to SAIT over the years,” said Heaton, who has also been with Nortel for over 25 years.
“The equipment is a little past its shelf life, but it still performs and functions admirably in a classroom setting.”
The SAIT telecom program, which has operated for 40 years, is hands on with 50 per cent of its time devoted to labs.
The equipment that has been passed down includes switching equipment, both for land lines and for cellular telephones.
The cell phone switch equipment is especially beneficial to SAIT grads as no other schools have this equipment available for use by students.
SAIT students are able to learn the equipment in a practice environment. By taking chances and making mistakes students can take learning risks they would not be able to do it they were connected to live equipment.
“Most don’t learn this until they go to a big carrier,” Risdon said.
“It’s a safe bet that no one else has got this.”
Along with the donation of the cellular switch, Nortel also donated manpower to install the equipment and make it operational.
“Any time material is phased out we always check to see if there is anything that can still be of use,” Heaton said.
SAIT’s telecom training centers are so useful to the industry that companies can come and rent the facility, Heaton said.
Many SAIT grads have gone on to work at Nortel over the years
“I consider my work for the industry as a way to give back to the college,” Heaton said.
SAIT stays connected with telecommunication companies by attending a telecom advisory board made up of representatives from Nortel and other companies.
This is where the SAIT program is presented to industry professionals.
“A whole host of companies send someone,” Heaton said.
“They give feedback.”
Risdon estimates the new value of what they have been given would amount to a $6.5 million with the current value for the equipment estimated at $400,000.
“We still get lots of use out of this equipment,” Risdon said.
“It has a lot of value to me.”
