Who cables the cable company? Who puts a dial tone into the phone company? Who provides the Web companies with a connection to the "back bone?"

Telecommunication companies demand the utmost in service and reliability from their infrastructure providers. While not often in the limelight, these providers are the unsung heroes of the industry, and many homegrown players have a big part in the success of San Diego’s high-tech industry.

These behind-the-scenes companies share some interesting characteristics. The image they project is one of stability and integrity, with an utter and total focus on service and customer satisfaction. In a time of lightning strike successes and blazingly fast exit strategies, these companies are growing and prospering through hard work and dedication. Beyond the miles of copper and fiber optic cable, theirs is an industry that depends largely on human capital.

When Cox Communications chose San Diego as the site for its nationwide call center facility, Rancho Santa Fe Technology provided the voice and data communications infrastructure. RSFT built a structured cabling system for a 90,000-square-foot building with 700 work stations in six weeks. RSFT had the added challenge of working in a warehouse-type space with a ceiling suspended 27 feet above the floor (remember the Costco/Price Club right off State Route 52?).

"We know there is no second chance with mission-critical systems such as those installed for Cox Communications," says Trestand Conrique, president of RSFT. Conrique's understanding of such realities comes largely from his days working with banks during the merger-acquisition frenzy of the 1980s. "When you have a weekend to change over 400 to 600 branches from one technology to another, and those sites have to open Monday morning under a new banner, you learn very quickly how to operate at maximum efficiency."

Conrique's company’s successes earned it in 1999 an Arthur Andersen Best Practices Award for Exceeding Customer Expectations. Founded in 1991, RSFT will have $15 million in sales this year and employs almost 100 people in San Diego, Alameda, and Tempe, Ariz.. The privately-held firm is working on telecommunications projects for Novartis and a five-building campus for Peregrine Systems. Ironically, Peregrine has trademarked "The Infrastructure Management Company" as its tag line. What does that make RSFT, the Infrastructure Management Company's infrastructure management company?

Leap Wireless International is launching wireless phone service in Mexico and Chile. Cricket Communications, its subsidiary, has introduced a flat rate wireless phone service domestically. But when they needed a voice and data communication network for their corporate headquarters, they called on Network Insight, a company whose motto is "Digital plumbing for a wired world."

"Essentially, we provided them with their non-wireless communications infrastructure," says Chris Pond, a cofounder and partner at Network Insight.

The company also is working with Titan, NeoPoint, Sony and Sony Networks. Pond sees the booming San Diego telecom industry as a boon to his business. "Small start-ups are being created through spin-offs and other larger companies are moving to San Diego with the intention to create central organizations," says Pond. "We build the highway — and you can drive a truck on it, a car, or a motorcycle."

Founded in 1998, the privately-held company has 25 employees and projects $6 million in sales this year.

Another local telecommunications company, INET, went through a tough transition six years ago when company executives realized the telecom market was changing direction and voice and data had to be integrated. Today, its "one company, one call, one bill" service offers businesses a single source for all of their telecommunication needs including local dial tone, Internet products and voice and data communications services.

"INET provides the backbone to 85 major Internet Service Providers (ISPs)," says Dale Stein, general manager. The firm delivers services to more than 2,500 businesses in Southern California from offices in San Diego, Orange County and Burbank.

"We are unusual in that we are a full service company offering bleeding edge, leading edge solutions," says Stein. His customers range from PETCO to NASSCO. The company, which was founded in 1984, employs 112 people and anticipates $25 million in sales this year. INET was recently acquired by Pac-West Telecomm of Stockton for $14 million.

The rise of San Diego’s "Wireless Valley" also has been good for San Diego-based RF Industries. The company’s connectors division manufactures, distributes and designs radio frequency coaxial connectors for personal communications systems. Its Neulink division designs and manufactures wireless digital transmission products for industrial monitoring, linking remote data devices and GPS tracking and locations systems. This is cool Qualcomm kind of stuff and RF Industries counts the Q as a client, as well as Motorola and Breezecom.

Business at RFI is booming. In the first quarter of 2000 the company reports a profit of $222,000 on sales of $1.76 million, compared to a profit of $134,000 on $1.33 million in the same quarter last year. The 40-employee business moved to San Diego from Las Vegas in 1984. "It was difficult to attract talented help in Las Vegas," says Howard Hill, president and CEO.

"Talent is the most challenging aspect of the business today," agrees Gary Fiocco, CEO of FICOM Inc. "The bar has been raised. It used to be 'Two Guys Will Cable You' could be a viable company but now there are numerous certifications needed to perform the work." FICOM designs and installs voice and data cable infrastructure. Its clients include local firms such as Stac Electronics, Maxwell Laboratories, ISIS Pharmaceuticals and Scripps Healthcare. The company is testing a Web-based service that would allow customers to view real-time three-dimensional drawings of their buildings that display up-to-date cable management information and accurate tracking of moves, adds or changes.

Fiocco says the emerging telecommunications industry became noticeable to him about four years ago. Recent growth has made it necessary for FICOM to expand both its space and payroll by 50 percent. The company, founded in 1986, has 85 employees in offices in San Diego and Orange County and expects to exceed $10 million in sales this fiscal year.

So what does the telecommunications infrastructure of the future look like?

It could be as small as a credit card and weigh less than an ounce. San Diego-based Novatel Wireless Inc. develops and manufactures wireless Internet modems that allow mobile workers to send and receive e-mail, connect to the Internet and access corporate files and databases wirelessly. Using Cellular Digital Packet Data technology, its products include the Merlin Wireless PC Card, the Minstrel family of Wireless Palmtop Modems, the Sage Wireless Serial Modem and the Expedite family of Wireless Modems. The Expedite offers original equipment manufacturers a tiny module with minimal power requirements. It can be integrated into numerous wireless data applications ranging from point-of-sale, automatic vehicle location, utility meter reading, inventory monitoring and computer integration.

Originally part of a Canadian telecommunications company, Novatel Wireless became an independent company in 1996 and relocated to San Diego. "San Diego has a wealth of talented professionals for recruitment purposes and a strong core of wireless/high tech companies to partner with," says Mona Klausing of Novatel. "We wanted to establish a U.S. headquarters and chose the Golden Triangle in San Diego." The company employs about 200 people and has opened a distribution facility in Carlsbad.

For all the technical sophistication, it always comes back to the people, the human capital. Companies like RF Industries and Novatel Wireless come to San Diego because of the resident talent pool. Yet, with a booming economy making that talent increasingly harder to come by, companies are providing more and more training in-house.

"At any one time," says Stein of INET, "20 percent of our people are in class." Rancho Santa Fe Technology also aggressively trains. "We hire for character first," says president Conrique, "and look for the ability to develop technical knowledge and the skill sets needed to succeed in our business."

FICOM's Fiocco faced a huge challenge recently when he had to hire 30 people in a 90-day period. "What it comes down to is treating people right," says Fiocco. "They are the key to our success." And they are also the ultimate infrastructure for these telecom infrastructure heroes.