When the Covid-19 pandemic pushed companies to temporarily shut down offices and employees across the country started working from home, wireless internet providers needed to significantly increase their capacity.

I.B. Abel’s Communications Services’ line of business has been working with cutting-edge technology for decades, so the division was poised to jump in and help those impacted companies keep working by rebuilding and boosting cell towers across the country.

I.B. Abel understood what it took to help those businesses go remote. About six months before the pandemic started, the company decided that anyone who could, should become remote employees. The move was the result of the company outgrowing its former office space. Most everyone in Communications Services was already working remotely on a laptop, so when the pandemic really ramped up, the company was nimble enough to weather the necessary changes.

“We were already efficient at working that way, so we didn’t skip a beat,” said James Trebilcock, Vice President for the Communications Services division. “It allowed us to help customers transition since we already knew how to do it.”

As a result of being remote, his employees have fewer distractions and are now more efficient and getting more work done, Trebilcock said.

While the bulk of I.B. Abel’s work is in Central Pennsylvania, most of the company’s wireless work stretches from Maryland to New England. However, the department recently finished jobs in New Mexico and California.

After experiencing growth on this side of the business, the Communications Services division was established in 1995. Then, about 15 years ago, they created an audio-visual and security branch, creating turnkey systems with everything from CCTV cameras in parking lots, hallways, and server rooms to building access controls and card readers. The company designs and builds the systems, along with setting up all necessary electronics and programming.

Now, a portion of Communications Services’ business involves creating wireless conference rooms where TVs connect with the touch of a button to laptops and PCs.

The company can design and outfit entire buildings with structured cabling, which serves as the backbone for complex building systems. All of I.B. Abel’s technicians are certified by (BICSI) Building Industry Consulting Service International. Those technicians tie the technology inside commercial buildings to small power plants outside and can connect one building to another.

To install fiber optic cable, the Communications division utilizes air-blown fiber. Unlike the old technology, air-blown fiber allows technicians to easily swap in new fiber with little downtime or junction points.

For utility tower work, the company utilizes a Bronto Skylift. The 200-foot-tall lift allows I.B. Abel employees to get up and over electric lines to work on utility poles, preventing the need for a full shut down of power.

Although the technology is constantly changing, I.B. Abel’s dedication to high-touch service is as strong now as when the company was founded in 1913.

Contact us today if you’re looking for the most technologically advanced and reliable electrical services provider.