beBee background
Professionals
>
Cape Town
Dewald van der Merwe

Dewald van der Merwe

FTTx Planner / Designer | Fibre Planner

Telecommunications

Cape Town, City of Cape Town

Social

Services offered

As a Fibre Planner, I design and plan fibre-optic networks to ensure efficient, high-speed connectivity. My role involves assessing routes, conducting feasibility studies, and ensuring compliance with local regulations. I work closely with engineers and field teams to optimize network deployment while considering technical and logistical challenges. In addition to planning, I am also involved in quality assurance, ensuring that fibre installations meet industry standards and project specifications. I manage capacity planning, documentation, and permitting processes to support the seamless rollout of fibre infrastructure.

Fibre planner
Network planner
Quality assurance
Design specialist
Approximate rate: ZARR 300 per hour

Experience

Work Experience

Company: Fibre Network Design Ltd

Location: London, United Kingdom

Positions Held:

• Network Planner (October 2021 – May 2022)

• Lead Network Planner (May 2022 – May 2023)

• Senior Network Planner & Design Specialist (May 2023 – November 2024)

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Led design teams across major projects for clients, including Swish, Freedom Fibre, and Wildanet, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to quality standards.

• Managed and mentored a team of planners (onshore and offshore), fostering skill development and maintaining high performance.

• Conducted project planning, resource allocation, and workflow optimization to enhance project efficiency.

• Oversaw the quality assurance process, ensuring all designs met client specifications

• Delivered client onboarding and training sessions to ensure smooth project handovers and team alignment.

• Spearheaded the design onboarding for new Electric Vehicle Charging Bay clients, overseeing trial and start-up projects for Connected Kerb.


Company: Flomatik Network Services

Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom

Positions Held:

• Network Planner (December 2020 – July 2021)

• Backhaul Network Planner (August 2021 – October 2021)

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Developed comprehensive FTTx design deliverable packs, optimizing the use of existing PIA networks.

• Delivered design solutions for high-profile clients, including CityFibre, Kcom, and Airband.

• Facilitated the onboarding of Kcom and Airband, collaborating with stakeholders to define design requirements and project expectations.

• Briefly managed the Kcom project, serving as the primary point of contact for all client-facing communications.

• Led the Airband project, driving process improvements and enhancing overall design efficiency.

• Backhaul network planning, including the design and distribution of feeder cables to FTTx areas.

 

Company: NOKIA

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Positions Held:

• Support Design Engineer (February 2017 – September 2018)

• Lead Fibre Planner (October 2018 – November 2020)

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Led a team of contractors and design partners, ensuring consistent quality and on-time delivery of projects.

• Managed all training and onboarding for new planners, both in-house and offshore.

• Conducted site surveys and planned MDU and B2B projects, coordinating with build teams for seamless execution.

• Oversaw the creation and quality control of design deliverable packs, including release sheets, bill of materials, and wayleave management.

• Maintained direct communication with clients, providing regular updates and addressing project challenge. 


 

Education

Institution: Bergvliet High School (2009–2013)

• National Senior Certificate Achieved

 

Institution: Prestige Academy (2014–2016)

• Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management Achieved


 

Professionals in the same Telecommunications sector as Dewald van der Merwe

Professionals from different sectors near Cape Town, City of Cape Town

Other users who are called Dewald