Women in tech: interview with installation technicians Caprice and Acacia
May 21, 2025
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4
min read
Highlights
Vorboss is committed to gender balance and diversity in the tech sector, setting an industry example with over a third of our Installation Technicians and Planning Engineers being women. Caprice and Acacia, Vorboss Installation Technicians, have benefitted from the company's inclusive environment and supportive measures.
This blog is part of a series of techUK interviews platforming inspiring women in tech. The series aims to call out gender bias, expose industry barriers, and spotlight the importance of a diverse tech future.
Women make up almost 40% of the build and installations team at Vorboss, so they are undoubtedly an influential part of the company. Their successes highlight the possibilities that arise when telecoms companies create inclusive, gender-balanced workplaces.
This is an interview of Caprice and Acacia, two of our inspiring Vorboss installation technicians. They serve as fantastic examples of flourishing women in tech.
Women in tech: interview with installation technicians Caprice and Acacia
Were you always interested in the telecoms industry, or were you drawn in by Vorboss and the diversity they offer?
Caprice: I’d say both to be honest. I like doing jobs where I’m busy and get to use my brain. This job was perfect, as I liked that there were good opportunities for women, and it’s something that I’m genuinely interested in. Before I started, I didn’t even know what chambers were (the covers you see on pavements where fibre cables are stored). Now I’m able to tell my grandparents about what they are and what they’re for, which is cool.
Acacia: I think having diverse teams is incredibly important, as you get more variety of views and people have different ideas and experiences. There’s always been another woman on my team with me at Vorboss, which is nice.
When did you join Vorboss? Can you give us an insight into your day-to-day job?
Caprice: I started in September. I work Tuesdays to Fridays in the field. Sometimes we could be blowing fibre through a subduct, other days we could be rodding and roping a route. Every day is different; it’s never the same, but it’s always exciting, and I’m always happy to go to work.
As this was your first job in telecoms, was training available to you?
Caprice: There was lots of training. There were also lots of people on standby to support me if I needed anything. I joined the Vorboss Academy—an accredited in-house training programme—which was eight weeks long. Some of it was online training, but I also went to the warehouse training centre every day and learned things like how to safely lift chamber lids and how to splice.
Why do you think that there are more men working in this sector than women?
Acacia: As it’s quite a physical job, traditionally people probably viewed it as more suited to men. Times have changed and women can now have a career in something that they feel suits them.
Do you feel Vorboss creates a supportive environment for women?
Caprice: Yes, definitely. For example, if there is a really heavy chamber lid, women can do it together. Women can work together on things like that. Also, they have made sure that the uniform fits for everyone. There is a uniform for women, but if women also want to wear the menswear to suit their personal preference, they can choose that also.
Acacia: We have support like period days. It’s a great help, especially as you can’t avoid having symptoms. We also have events such as women’s movie nights and women’s breakfasts where we all come together to talk about issues that we’re going through and how to make the workplace more inclusive for women. It definitely feels like a safe space to talk about things and helps to build a nice company culture.
Looking around at the people you work with, do you feel that it’s a diverse group?
Caprice: Yes, I would say so. In my team, there are actually more women than men. It’s nice to work with other women, and it feels more equal. I don’t feel belittled, and it shows that women can do a job which traditionally has been thought of as a man’s job. We get a lot of comments from pedestrians going past saying it’s nice to see women doing this job.
Acacia: It’s nice to see that a company in the industry is supporting women, and it’s inspirational for women working at Vorboss to see that they are trying to make a change. It shows that women of all ages can work as part of the installation teams, and it’s not just a role for men. Anyone can do it once they’re trained.
What sort of challenges have you faced in your role?
Acacia: There have been times where pedestrians walk past saying this isn’t a woman’s job. I don’t get that as much anymore. Vorboss is trying to encourage more women to work in the industry, and it’s becoming more normal. When things like that happen, we can go straight to our manager and are given support to make sure that we feel comfortable going to work every day. As Caprice said, there are also a lot more positive interactions with the public where we are recognised for having such a diverse team.
What’s your number one piece of advice for the future generations entering tech?
Acacia: Just go for it! If the opportunity comes up, take it with both hands and try to shine. You can learn so much!
Caprice: I’d say the same. Don’t let anything stop you or get in your way! You never know unless you try. Believe in yourself and don’t have self-doubt! Gender shouldn’t matter. There’s an opportunity for everyone.
Our people and culture team always puts equity, inclusion, and diversity first. If the Vorboss culture sounds right to you, head to our careers page to see our vacancies!
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If you run a business in the UK, you’ve probably heard of 'fibre broadband'. But what does that mean – and are all fibre services the same?
The short answer: no.
Two companies might both be sold ‘fibre’ but get very different results. Speed, reliability, and consistency vary wildly depending on the underlying engineering.
Why? Because some connections still rely on outdated infrastructure. Others are shared with your neighbours, and often with residential customers too. Most don’t come with the guarantees modern businesses need.
Let’s break down the three most common types of connection you might be offered:
- FTTC
- FTTP
- direct internet access (DIA)
and why the difference between them matters.
1) FTTC (fibre to the cabinet): fibre, kind of
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FTTC runs fibre from your provider’s network to a street cabinet near you, then uses copper wires to reach your premises (while still selling you ‘fibre’).
Copper = outdated. Which means slower speeds, interference, and fluctuating performance – especially if the cabinet’s a few blocks away or shared by lots of users. And those cabinets? They’re exposed to weather and vandalism, adding yet another layer of risk.
FTTC might work for casual browsing, but if your business depends on video calls, cloud platforms, or remote collaboration, expect slow uploads, dropped connections, and no guarantees when things go wrong.
2) FTTP (fibre to the premises): better, but not ideal
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Unlike FTTC, FTTP is a fibre connection that runs straight from the exchange to your building. With no copper cabling involved, it offers better speed and stability.
But here’s the catch: while this is often what internet service providers call ‘business broadband’, you still share your connection with up to 30 others. And while the average speed range is typically quoted as 150 to 900Mbps, the reality is, you often won't always experience those speeds, particularly during peak times because you share your bandwidth with others.
For micro businesses or early-stage start-ups, FTTP may provide a half workable solution, especially as a stepping stone. But be prepared for pixelated, laggy video calls or a long wait to download a pitch deck during busy times and sometimes, for no apparent reason at all.
As we put it in our earlier blog comparing broadband to leased lines: ‘If it’s broadband, it’s shared’. FTTP is still broadband and not something that provides a genuine solution for reliable connectivity.
What to be aware of if you are considering buying FTTP
FTTP can sound a lot like a high-end business service. It’s full fibre. It promises impressive speeds. And it often comes with confident-sounding terms like ‘uptime guarantee’ or ‘symmetrical speeds’. But these features deserve a closer look, because what they offer in theory isn’t always what they deliver in practice.
Take ‘symmetrical speeds’. FTTP can technically offer equal upload and download speeds, but only if the network isn’t busy and your plan allows it. Most of the time, upload speeds drop off when everyone’s online.
Then there’s the ‘uptime guarantee’. Sounds great. But without automatic compensation for downtime or real SLAs, they're often just marketing phrases – not a sign of real accountability. Many providers only commit to a response or investigation window, rather than to actual fix times.
Other elements that sound impressive but don’t necessarily reflect business grade standards. Static IP addresses are promoted as a ‘business’ feature, but these are widely available as standard on home broadband. ‘Priority fault handling’ usually just means you’re ahead of domestic users - not first in line for a fix.
So, while FTTP is better than FTTC, it is still very much part of that ‘broadband’ family. It’s a strong consumer-grade product, but not a substitute for a business-grade connection.
3) Direct internet access (DIA): fibre built for business
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DIA, sometimes known as a ‘leased line’ or ‘dedicated internet’, is a full fibre connection exclusively allocated to a single business. Unlike FTTC or FTTP, it isn’t shared with neighbouring offices or homes, and it isn’t affected by the demands of other users on the network.
It’s your own, dedicated connection, built for performance, reliability, and security.
With DIA, you always get ‘actual’ symmetrical speeds, meaning your uploads are just as fast as your downloads. This makes a big difference for real-time communication, file transfers, and cloud tools. You also benefit from 1:1 contention, meaning your bandwidth is always your own and performance doesn’t drop at peak times - because there’s no one else on your line.
Most importantly, DIA comes with robust service-level agreements (SLAs). These go beyond vague promises, offering clear commitments on uptime guarantees, target fix times, and - with a good provider - automatic compensation if things go wrong.
It’s not just about speed; it’s about having trust in the service that underpins your operations.
DIA is especially valuable in scenarios where reliability directly impacts productivity:
- Cloud-heavy workflows: platforms like Salesforce, Azure, AWS, or cloud CRMs need reliable 24/7 access. Outages or slow speeds mean lost hours and lost business.
- Creative and media teams: agencies and production houses transferring large design files or uploading media to the cloud need fast, stable upload speeds. DIA’s symmetrical performance makes that possible.
- Security-focused organisations: if your business runs VPNs, firewalls, or handles sensitive data, you need a connection that supports uptime and compliance without compromise.
- Hybrid/remote teams: distributed workforces need reliable video calls, collaboration tools, and seamless file sharing. DIA keeps everyone connected – consistently.
At a glance: FTTC, FTTP, and direct internet (DIA)
The right fibre for the right job
FTTC, FTTP and DIA each have their place, but they’re not interchangeable. Unfortunately for many businesses, the differences become visible the moment the connection is put under pressure.
For businesses in this day and age, FTTP and FTTC are not fit for purpose. And being overly reliant on outdated infrastructure costs London businesses billions a year in outages.
DIA (whether you call it a leased line or dedicated internet) is designed with business in mind. For teams working in the cloud, relying on uptime or collaborating in real time, it offers a level of confidence that shared broadband simply can’t match.
Choose with care. The best internet solution is the one that will support the way your business works not only now, but also as it grows.
If you want to find out if DIA is right for your business, get in touch with our team. We're always happy to chat through your options.
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