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How do I get started as a cable contractor for Time Warner Cable or others? I live in San Antonio, TX . Do I need a contractor's liscense or do I just need certifications? My partner and I have experience with cable installation/disconnection and would like to go into business for ourselves. We just need to know where to start.

Customer (name blocked for privacy)

Status: Closed Value: $10

Please find here Contracted Installers job ad in Austin TX

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?IPath=JRGT&job_did=J7X6NB79PK2K8JN7TNN&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=6fc44da1af134ab99aa889a8694b4e96-204907581-WU-2

It listed following requirements:

Must be able to pass a nationwide background check as well a drug test.
Must have a reliable truck or van to work from
Valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.

And there is no license requirement. So far I assume there is no such requirement in TX.

Electrical work on communications equipment provided by telecommunications providers is exempted from electrician licensing - http://www.license.state.tx.us/electricians/elecfaq.htm#l1

Edited by levr on June 29 2006 at 3:43 PM

Reply to Lev's Post: COI Telecomunications is a contractor for the larger cable companies here in Texas (Time Warner being one of them). What they are looking for is actually a sub-contractor whom they can train and will send to classes to get them certified (which can make COI more credible and increase the employees rate of pay. What I wanted information on was how to become a "COI Telecommunications" or someone like them who deals direct with the major cable providers. I do appreciate the lead, but it did not answer my question. Thank you.

As it is stated above electrical work on communications equipment provided by telecommunications providers is exempted from electrician licensing - http://www.license.state.tx.us/electricians/elecfaq.htm#l1 - so you are not required licence in TX.

FCC doesn't require a license either.

You might want to be sertified to gain some cretitability. You could get certified by SCTE - http://www.scte.org/home.cfm. Please find here

some sertification programs - http://www.scte.org/content/index.cfm?pID=1180
and education workshops - http://www.scte.org/content/index.cfm?pID=1162

You alaso mey need to list your company in the industry Yellow pages - http://www.cableyellowpages.com/index.htm

The most difficult part is getting contracts. You would need to participate in the open contract tender. Each large company or local government have rules how they award contract. Here is just example of such rules - http://www.yale.edu/ppdev/GuideBusinessAgreementContracts.pdf

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