Hello everyone, I'm Xiao Zao-kun.
A few days ago, I saw that many public accounts reprinted an article of mine last year - "Do you want to apply for "communication engineering"? 》。
June is the month of the college entrance examination, and many candidates have to fill in the volunteers. Originally, I wanted to stir-fry the fresh rice, repost this article, and rub a hot spot. Unexpectedly, these guys were faster than me and actually sent first.
This embarrassed me – am I stir-frying or not?
After thinking about it, I decided to write a new article and order something new.
█ Changes in the situation in the communications industry
To apply for the communication engineering exam, you must first understand the communication industry.
At present, the overall development situation of the communication industry is relatively delicate.
There are two major sectors in the industry, wireless communication and wired communication (optical communication). Wireless this side. It has been four years since 5G was commercialized, and the large-scale construction of base stations has ended. The network is built, the application landing is not too ideal, and it is still being explored.
Wireless communication is limited by theoretical bottlenecks (spectral efficiency has been squeezed to the limit), user demand (too few demand scenarios), and cost (chips are still too expensive), etc., has entered a stagflation state.
IoT has demand, but standards are confusing, cost-sensitive, heavily involution, and low profits. There is no new explosion point in mobile phone consumer applications, and the VR/AR metaverse has been thunderous and rainy, and it has cooled down again. The growth of the wireless communication industry lacks momentum. Operators' investment in this area is certainly contraction.
There is a branch of wireless communication, and the rise is very obvious, that is, satellite communication. It is recommended that students who apply for communication engineering pay attention to it, and they can lean on it. We will not talk about foreign star links, and our domestic star network has just hit low-orbit experimental satellites, and it is estimated that there will be a wave of heat later.
In contrast, the situation on the optical communication side is more optimistic. Of course, it is still because of holding the thigh of "computing power".
Now the society is full of cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, driving the demand for general computing power, supercomputing power, and intelligent computing power. Data centers are growing rapidly, and DCI (networks between data centers) related to data centers, as well as ultra-performance networks (support networks for large-scale computing power clusters within data centers), are in great demand.
Previously, optical communication stocks soared because of the strong demand for optical modules, optical devices, and optical equipment driven by AI large models. (The big model craze, though, seems to be showing signs of fading.) According to the usual practice, after a hustle and bustle, it is all chicken feathers. ）
The "computing power network" promoted by the state and the "computing power network" promoted by the operation are all opportunities for optical communication.
Our entire society depends on the transmission backbone network, the aorta. The only thing I can predict for sure in the communication industry is that the amount of data will continue to grow exponentially, and the optical communication aorta will continue to expand.
On the access network side, in terms of fiber broadband services, operators and equipment vendors are actively promoting FTTR (fiber into the room), I am personally not too optimistic, I feel a little ahead. I am optimistic about the all-light transformation of the park.
Overall, wireless communications (except satellite communications) are weak and demand for optical communications is strong. Students who apply for communication engineering can pay more attention to optical communication.
Oh, yes, there's also a core net. If you see it, try to walk around Ha.
█ Employment direction analysis
Employment is difficult, I don't need to say more about this. This is true not only in the communications industry, but in the entire industry.
There are only a few good companies in the communications industry, the four major head equipment manufacturers, and the three major operators, with very limited absorption capacity. The talents of the first echelon, try to squeeze inside.
The second echelon can find a way to enter the head enterprises in the subdivision of the communication industry. For example, SXF, RJ, XHS, ZJXC, etc.
Shuangfei students, I still have the old saying, unless you have the patience to endure and perseverance to fight, otherwise, don't enter the communications industry. It's really not possible, first employment, then choose a job, and hurry up at the first opportunity.
Never boil frogs in warm water in the communications industry, you will soon reach the ceiling. At that time, there is no young capital, and the ability cannot be reused, and it is difficult to transform.
College students, as a last resort, try not to go to a communication outsourcer. Especially some that make you spend money on training and then recommend the job. The same is a low starting point employment, programming to do code farmers or engage in hardware, the chance of turning over is greater.
In addition to the postgraduate examination, there is also a way out for graduate communication engineering. Now that the whole industry is undergoing digital transformation, many traditional enterprises need talents who understand digitalization, can exercise their capabilities a little more comprehensively, and then go to vertical industries to find opportunities. Looking for a job is now all about connections, relationships, and resources that can be used hard without shame.
Many people asked if the design institute could do it, and I said: EMM...
█ Academic research direction of communication engineering
Communication engineering, the school is not very good, either play for graduate school, or honestly learn some practical skills, and focus on employment. What are the practical skills, I said last year, and I will not repeat them this year.
In many universities in China, communication engineering majors are blindly taught, and do not expect to learn practical things. The brain must have a clear understanding, integrate with society early, take the initiative to learn useful skills, and do not waste four years.
Students in the first echelon are qualified to do academic research. At present, there are several popular directions in communication, there are more researches, and it is better to write papers:
The first is synaesthesia integration. To put it bluntly, it is communication + radar, so that the base station is also transformed into a "radar" to perceive everything, anyway, it is based on wireless electromagnetic waves. This direction is easier to tell stories and has a lot of room for imagination.
The second is RIS metasurface, a research hotspot of 6G, with relatively large potential.
The third is quantum communication. This thing is a bit controversial and there are some risks. If you bet right, you have a bright future.
The fourth is wireless communication research in the high-frequency spectrum. As mentioned earlier, wireless and optical communication are actually electromagnetic waves, and optical communication is essentially wireless electromagnetic wave communication. Low frequency and medium frequency resources are insufficient, and now wireless communication is going to high frequency, 6GHz, millimeter wave, terahertz. How to harness higher frequency wireless electromagnetic waves, there is still some room for research.
Fifth, as I mentioned earlier, satellite communications. Low-orbit satellites, high-throughput satellites, NTN, space-space-ground integration, traditional mobile phone direct satellite communication... A whole bunch of new tricks, now very hot, can be studied and studied.
The rest is semantic communication, holographic communication and other things, interested students can pay attention to it.
Communication is all mathematics. Please keep this in mind.
█ Summary
Finally, let's converge on the question - can "communication engineering" be reported in the end?
Whether a major can be reported or not, there are many considerations. There are two main categories:
1. Objective factors
Is this major a hot development direction in the future, whether the popularity of the industry rises or falls, there are not many jobs, there is not much room for choice, the salary and bonus are not high, there are not many overtime, there are not many layoffs, whether it is good to jump jobs, whether it is good to eat when you are old, and so on.
2. Subjective factors
Whether this major is suitable for you, whether you like it or not, whether you are interested, and whether you can get it. Whether the family supports it, and whether the conditions can keep up. Whether the target city is liked, there are not many sister papers, whether the climate is good or not, not close to home, and so on.
All I can suggest is objective factors. I tell you the industry and professional situation, based on these situations, eliminate the information gap, and then combine their own subjective factors to make judgments.
Communication engineering is an entry point for digital technology and digital industry. This science of communication does not mean that you will definitely enter the communication industry. It's only natural that you apply for communications engineering, transition to computer or electronic information. So, there's no need to get so tangled.
Most young people don't know this major at all, anyway, the score is enough, report first, but the probability of stepping on the mine is definitely lower than other sinkhole majors. After learning, I have a deep understanding and see if I want to enter the industry. There are still many options in the back.
I still have the old saying, undergraduate is to lay a foundation, school and region, more important than major. Even if you choose a good major, study hard, and broaden your horizons, it will still be empty.
Well, that's all for today. Personal opinion, FYI!