[ HAWAII AT WORK ]
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Can you hear
me now?Kevin Rodrigues tests and
monitors Verizon’s wireless
network service"Can you hear me now?" This question is familiar to TV viewers in Hawaii and across the country thanks to our Verizon Wireless "Test Man" advertising campaign. To me, however, the test man is much more than an ad campaign -- it represents what I do here in the islands and the work ethic of more than 50 Verizon Wireless test men and women. I am a system performance engineer with Verizon Wireless, and it's my job to support the company's commitment to making sure we deliver the largest, most reliable network to our customers.
Test men are dedicated to monitoring and testing the wireless network to ensure the efficient operation of our network and to compare its performance with that of competitors. Together we travel close to 100,000 miles of the most frequently traveled roads, boulevards and highways throughout the nation each month to make sure calls go through more often and don't drop.
In Hawaii, I drive about 2,000 miles a month analyzing and recording vital network data. I travel the islands in a Verizon Wireless-owned sport utility vehicle, specially equipped with a laptop and test cell phones. The cell phones make calls constantly as the laptop records their performance. This data, along with monitoring network statistics we gather from independent sources, assists me in advising on network enhancements. During the last 20 months, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $20 million in our Hawaii network to expand capacity and enhance service. Hawaii is right in step with the rest of the nation when it comes to wireless products and technology.
It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful our home is and how lucky we are to live here. Our expansive terrain makes the islands truly unique -- and all the more challenging to provide network coverage.
My family moved to Hawaii from India 30 years ago, when I was 11. My father is a veterinarian and still practices on Molokai. My brother followed in his footsteps, but although I love animals, I chose differently.
In 1982, I joined the Hawaii Air National Guard and found lifelong friends and a career in communications. I attended the Electronics Institute of Hawaii and earned an electronics engineering technician degree. In 1987, I moved to Los Angeles to work for Hughes Aircraft. While I enjoyed watching basketball greats Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabar win the championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, I was drawn to come home to Hawaii. In 1994, I took a job with GTE Wireless, which became part of Verizon Wireless when the company was formed in 2000. I am raising my family and continuing my work for the future of technology in our state.
