October 7, 2024

Sparking Innovation: Highlights from SCTE TechExpo24 

SCTE TechExpo24

Hosted by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers(SCTE), TechExpo is the largest broadband event in the AmericasBroadband leaders, decision makers and influencers came together to discuss the best ways to provide seamless, connected experiences for their customers in an industry where the only constant is change. 

Collaboration and Interoperability Help Maximize HFC Networks  

At a Light Reading Breakfast titled “Making the Most of Cable and Fiber”, panelists discussed how cable operators are adopting a dual strategy in response to rising competition from FTTH and FWA providers: upgrading existing HFC networks in certain areas, while constructing new fiber networks in others.   

When asked what strategies are effective in helping with operational challenges as cable operators move toward adopting more fiber into their footprints,  Precision OT’s Keith Habberfield responded “We’ve seen an uptick of clients using tunable optics for field upgrades.  It’s a benefit for the operators because instead of rolling out a warehouse on wheels that has a channelized optic for all 40 DWDM channels multiplied by the number of node vendors they have fielded; operators can just condense that into a single SKU and modify it via a mobile unit right from a bucket truck. It’s not often you have a solution that reduces inventory, which helps CAPEX, and reduces OPEX by providing such extensive flexibility in the field. We’ve got 4 variants on this today, 1G, 10G, 25G, and as of this week–100G ZR that are all tunable. We don’t see an end to this trend as it addresses a host of challenges.” 

Next-Gen technologies and solutions in the context of multi-vendor interoperability were also discussed.  Panelists commented on how they see this evolving with more cable operators in fiber broadband.    Many providers are launching XGS-PON currently, a few have launched 25GS-PON, and others are waiting for ITU-T 50G PON due to its capacity, economic flexibility and support of ITU-T PON slicing.  Precision OT’s extensible PON solution, OpenPath™ includes extenders for optical amplification & dispersion management.  The PON extender is vendor & protocol agnostic, reducing the number of OLTs required helping PON reach into rural areas.      

The overarching sentiment of the panelists was that clearly, there is a lot more that can be done to maximize HFC networks.  This goal is driving interoperability and collaboration in many ways, including the effort underway between Comcast, Charter Communications and Broadcom to co-develop a way to deliver downstream speeds of 25 Gbit/s on the hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) plant by extending spectrum to the 3GHz. 

How Leadership and Training Elevate Customer Experiences 

SCTE’s vision is to benefit all professionals in the Broadband Industry by preparing them for what’s next in technology, helping them to create an exceptional customer experience.  At Cable TechExpo, SCTE hosted a breakfast with Chapter Leaders from across North America, sparking discussions on leadership and innovation.  Here they discussed new programs being launched and piloted for local chapters and regions within the society. A new interactive “Digital Hub” was presented, which is sure to give chapter leaders an advantage when reaching out to all members for training, news, announcements, technical papers, networking events, ideas, innovation and much more.  

Royd Miller, Precision OT Solutions Engineer and President of the Penn-Ohio Chapter commented, “All things lead to Expo. It is where best practices are reviewed by industry peers, new products are released, and ideas come to life. Our industry is constantly evolving, not just in terms of technology, but in mergers, acquisitions and partnerships which challenge leaders to stay on top of their game. Training chapter members is our main mission and to do this we have to engage our members and vendor community alike in a way that is beneficial for all. The organization of events like vendor days, where all Vendors and Partners can take advantage of the benefits and business opportunities SCTE creates, is crucial to the sustainability of SCTE. This is just one example of how we must evolve as leaders to meet those needs. The possibilities are endless, but as the industry changes, we must adapt and change to meet each challenge as it presents itself. These Digital Hubs are another tool to create value for all and ensure success in the local chapters and regions that we serve.” 

Another training-focused event that’s always a big hit is the Annual Cable-Tec Games, where the best of the best Technicians from Regional competitions compete for top honors in RF, Fiber and industry knowledge events. Seven teams of four technicians per team answered the call this year and competition was fierce. Royd Miller co-emcee’d the event with Mike O’Dell, Distinguished Engineer at Comcast.   In the end, Dosty Hedges from Cox was crowned as the top Technician over all in 2024. This is the second year in a row Dosty has achieved this honor, and by the looks of his enthusiasm will surely not be the last! Congratulations to all contestants and event winners and a big thanks to the many sponsors who made it happen. 

Supportive Work Culture/Environment Enables Technology Advancements 

In a keynote session titled “Julie & Ken’s Excellent Adventure”  Julie Laulis and Ken Johnson of Cable One discussed challenges in adapting the current workforce to future needs, particularly in terms of traditional network engineering roles. Johnson expressed how the industry is moving away from the need for associates to interface directly with the network through command prompts and scripted automation tools toward a future where associates will instead manage the tools that manage the network.   Different skillsets must be developed and the concept of a “creative generalist” appears to be essential for adapting the workforce to future needs, particularly in network engineering.  Johnson emphasized that “These individuals should have a broad understanding of various network components rather than focusing solely on one area.”  Cable One tried a six-month residency program to expose senior network engineers to Agile development, aiming to broaden their skill set for enterprise-level applications. “However, only one engineer, Kevin, graduated from the program,” Ken said, highlighting challenges in encouraging employees to step way outside their comfort zones.  To improve this, Cable One now pairs junior engineers with senior engineers, focusing on programmatic network changes rather than direct work, fostering innovation and efficiency. 

“Creating a supportive environment is crucial for embracing these changes,” said Laulis.  The company aims to make tools more accessible while prioritizing culture, communication, and trust among employees.  “In the end, it isn’t the technology,” said Laulis.  “It isn’t the tools.  It isn’t the platforms.  But it is the environment and the culture that enables those things that will make the adventure just a little more excellent.” 

Precision OT enjoyed seeing everyone in our booth and throughout the conference.  Looking forward to another excellent SCTE TechExpo adventure next year in Washington, DC!