Michael Koch
Minneapolis,MN
Summary
PRINCIPAL-LEVEL WIRELESS ENGINEER / RF CONSULTANT
- Principal-level RF and Private Wireless Engineer with 13+ years of experience designing, delivering, and optimizing large-scale LTE and 5G networks at Verizon.
- Deep hands-on expertise in Atoll-based RF planning, indoor and outdoor network design, private wireless architectures, spectrum strategy, and end-to-end deployment lifecycle.
- Proven ability to translate complex RF and 5G concepts into business outcomes, support executive-level briefings, and advise enterprise customers on private 5G and neutral host solutions.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
RF / Wireless Engineer
Verizon Wireless
01.2013 - 12.2025
- RF Engineer I (2013–2015)
- RF Engineer II (2015–2018)
- RF Engineer III (2018–2025)
- Progressively promoted through three RF engineering levels while supporting Verizon's most visible 4G and 5G initiatives
- Led end-to-end RF design and optimization for LTE and 5G NR macro, MDU, and fixed wireless access deployments across multiple markets.
- Designed and validated private and semi-private wireless solutions supporting enterprise use cases including MDUs, campuses, and dense urban environments.
- Performed feasibility assessments, RF trade studies, and propagation analysis using Atoll to support go/no-go decisions and investment prioritization.
- Engineered and reviewed 150+ multi-market RF design packages annually, ensuring compliance with spectrum, performance, and constructability requirements.
- Improved Atoll clutter modeling accuracy in the Minneapolis market, reducing line-of-sight fallout from ~80% to ~10% and materially lowering deployment costs.
- Served as a trusted RF advisor to cross-functional teams including sales engineering, construction, regulatory, and operations.
- Supported customer-facing technical discussions, site walks, and design reviews, translating RF performance into clear business value.
- Collaborated with internal tool development teams to enhance RF analysis workflows and regulatory validation processes.
- Provided cross-market RF leadership and mentoring, supporting teams in Texas, California, Florida, Illinois, Utah, and the Midwest during high-demand periods.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Electrical Engineering
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN12.2012
B.S. Electrical Engineering Coursework - undefined
University of St Thomas
St Paul, MN05.2008
Skills
- Private 5G / LTE Network Architecture (RAN, Core, Transport)
- RF Design for Indoor and Outdoor Systems (Atoll, iBwave familiarity)
- CBRS, C-band, Licensed and Unlicensed Spectrum Strategy
- Enterprise Integration (LAN/WAN, neutral host, edge connectivity)
- Feasibility Studies, ROI Analysis, and Technical Advisory
- Network Optimization, Interference Mitigation, RF Propagation
- Executive Briefings, EBCs, White Papers, Technical Storytelling
- Vendor and OEM Collaboration (Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung ecosystem)
Timeline
RF / Wireless Engineer
Verizon Wireless
01.2013 - 12.2025
B.S. Electrical Engineering Coursework - undefined
University of St Thomas
Bachelor of Science - Electrical Engineering
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Awards & Recognition
- RECOGNIZING YOU! AWARD – Texas VZW RF Team, July 2025
- RECOGNIZING YOU! AWARD – California VZW RF Team, July 2025
- RECOGNIZING YOU! AWARD – Illinois VZW RF Team, Nov 2024
TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES
- RF Planning & Design: Atoll, TEMS and iBwave exposure, RF planning databases, FUZE
- Analysis & Modeling: MATLAB, Simulink, link budgets, propagation modeling
- Private Wireless Concepts: CBRS, neutral host, indoor DAS, FWA
- Hardware & Test: Spectrum analyzers, RF monitors, oscilloscopes, VNAs