ATLANTA—SCTE has issued a call for content for the TechExpo26 taking place September 29–October 1 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

SCTE is inviting operators, programmers, vendors and innovators to submit technical papers, innovative solutions and discussion topics from now through April 3, 2026. The committee seeks fresh ideas and real-world success stories that challenge the status quo.

Information on applying and a full list of topics is available here.

The organization also announced that for the first time, a programmer will co-host the event. AMC Networks will join Charter Communications to help shape one of North America’s largest broadband conferences.

The news reflects the industry's ongoing convergence, as operators and media providers increasingly align network innovation with viewer experiences. Under the theme “Network (R)evolution: Convergence Powered. Experience Perfected.,” the event will convene global leaders across broadband, mobile, streaming, policy and technology to explore how intelligent networks are reshaping service delivery and customer experience.

“As broadband, mobile, Wi-Fi and edge networks continue to converge, streaming is no longer just an application. It’s influencing how networks are built and how experiences reach consumers,” said Maria Popo, President and CEO, SCTE. “With AMC Networks making history as our first-ever programmer co-host, SCTE TechExpo is bringing the full ecosystem together in Atlanta to define what comes next for our industry.”

SCTE TechExpo will examine how converged architecture enables new service models while supporting high-performance streaming, low-latency applications and AI-driven optimization. This focus aligns with SCTE’s recent SCTE 301 video streaming standard and its deepening collaboration with the Streaming Video Technology Alliance (SVTA).

The 2026 program is organized into dynamic tracks, including:

• Multi-Access Convergence: Integrating DOCSIS® Technology, Fiber, 5G and Wi-Fi into unified architectures
• The Experience Era for Consumers: Shifting from speed-based Service Level Agreements to experience-based key performance indicators
• AI Infrastructure & Autonomous Networks: Building AI-ready hardware and self-healing systems
• New Growth Opportunities: Exploring monetization of NaaS, AI-driven services and fixed-mobile bundles
• Operations, Planning & Construction: Accelerating builds with digital twins and geospatial AI
• Streaming: Addressing AI-driven personalization and edge delivery models

The event will also feature new interactive experiences, including:

• Meetups: 45-minute, slide-free conversations for peer learning
• Focus Forums: Deep dive sessions centered on specific industry topics
• Connectivity Café: A dedicated networking space, offering complimentary barista coffee
• Bootcamps: A half-day, hands-on training will deliver learning in high-demand areas such as DOCSIS 4.0 technology and fiber splicing

Learn more at techexpo.scte.org.

STAMFORD, Conn.—Spectrum, the broadband arm of Charter Communications, today announced a successful joint demonstration of next-generation Wi-Fi technology with Broadcom, achieving peak throughput of nearly 10 Gbps to a single Wi-Fi device.

This was achieved by combining the full 6-GHz band with 125 MHz of spectrum in the 7.125–7.25 GHz band. Presented at SCTE TechExpo25 in Washington, D.C., the demonstration took place in the NCTA booth on the show floor and will be available for viewing throughout the event.

The live demonstration showcased how an additional 125 MHz of unlicensed spectrum could be combined with the full 6-GHz band to enable four 320-MHz channels or two 640 MHz channels, unlocking the speed, capacity and reliability needed to meet Americans’ record-shattering wireless data consumption and the growing number of connected devices in homes across the country, Spectrum said.

Using this technology across this band of spectrum will enable speeds approaching 20 Gbps to Wi-Fi devices like mobile phones, AR/VR devices, gaming systems, and computers, Spectrum said, ensuring that Wi-Fi in U.S. homes and businesses does not become a bottleneck for the high-speed broadband infrastructure being deployed across the country. This demonstration was showcased alongside Spectrum’s award-winning Advanced Wi-Fi 7 routers, which support 320 MHz-wide channels.

“This milestone highlights the power of combining Wi-Fi 7 technology with forward-looking spectrum policy,” Spectrum Executive Vice President, Technology Strategy and Innovation Justin Colwell said. “Proactive spectrum decisions need to be made to both maintain America’s technological leadership and allow providers and manufacturers to keep pace with evolving and intensifying consumer demands. Together with Broadcom, we are showing what is possible when we combine the unparalleled success of 6-GHz Wi-Fi with adjacent 7 GHz unlicensed spectrum.”

The results highlight how spectrum policy directly drives innovation and demonstrate a critical opportunity for the U.S. government to propel its American-grown technology and industry to achieve global connectivity leadership, Spectrum said. By enabling new unlicensed allocations above 7.125 GHz, regulators can ensure that U.S. consumers and businesses are the first to benefit from the next era of wireless performance.

“Broadcom is proud to partner with Spectrum to showcase next-gen WiFi performance that matches the fastest wired broadband speeds,” said Manny Patel, vice president of marketing for Broadcom’s Wireless Communications and Connectivity Division. “This demonstration underscores how additional unlicensed spectrum in the 7 GHz band is critical to enabling 10 Gigabit and beyond whole-home coverage.”

The demo is being held in the NCTA booth on the show floor (Booth F600) during the show, Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

LOUISVILLE, Colo.—The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) will enter into a license agreement with a third-party organization to establish SCTE’s first international licensee in Chennai, India.

Under SCTE’s oversight and governing policies, the licensee will establish and operate the SCTE India Chapter to deliver training, certification and professional development across the region. The agreement marks an important step in SCTE’s global growth and advances its mission to strengthen broadband technology, workforce training and industry standards worldwide, SCTE said.

India is a dynamic broadband market. There are nearly 1 billion subscribers and it has a rapidly expanding fixed-fiber network. While mobile connections dominate, fiber and fixed broadband deployments are surging, fueling one of the globe’s fastest-growing digital economies. SCTE’s India Chapter will deliver training, certifications and professional development to engineers and technologists to support this transformation.

The SCTE Foundation will provide funding for the formation of the India licensee and its affiliated chapter, covering legal and organizational startup costs. The initiative aligns with the foundation’s commitment to broaden access to education and skills in emerging and underserved regions, it said. 

“Launching SCTE’s first international chapter in India will be a significant milestone for our organization and for the broadband industry,” SCTE president and CEO Maria Popo said. “India’s broadband market is accelerating at an extraordinary pace. This chapter will give professionals access to world-class training, certification and a global peer community to help them succeed.”

Upon its launch, the SCTE India Chapter will provide opportunities for local membership, training and industry engagement.

More information is available on the SCTE and SCTE Foundation websites.

DENVER—Colorado State University Global (CSU Global) and SCTE, a subsidiary of CableLabs, have announced a new partnership that aims to train the next generation of broadband professionals and help expand high-speed internet access.

As part of the effort, CSU Global is offering a new Broadband Operations Management Certificate, the first fully online and asynchronous program of its kind in the state with a hands-on work-based experience course.

The program is designed to provide flexible, affordable training for SCTE’s members worldwide at special tuition rates, directly addressing a critical industry challenge: replacing an aging workforce with skilled professionals prepared to expand broadband infrastructure, particularly in underserved rural communities.

“Our partnership with CSU Global creates a clear pathway for SCTE members to advance their careers,” said Maria Popo, president and CEO of SCTE. “By turning SCTE certifications into college credit and lowering tuition costs, members gain more value from their SCTE learning. Together, we are strengthening the workforce pipeline by expanding opportunities that attract, develop and retain skilled broadband professionals.”

CSU and SCTE described the program highlights as follows:

• First-of-its kind online and asynchronous program in the state combining work-based learning for real-world, hands-on experience.
• Comprehensive training in broadband infrastructure, focusing on fiber optics, directional drilling, utility safety, and leadership skills.
• Special tuition rates for SCTE members, along with academic credit for select SCTE certifications and courses, reducing both time and cost to complete a program.
• Accessibility for learners who may not have access to face-to-face training opportunities.

"We are honored to partner with SCTE to address a critical need in our state and across the nation," said Dr. Becky Takeda-Tinker, CSU Global president. "This partnership not only provides educational training opportunities but also directly contributes to the economic vitality and connectivity of our communities. Partnering with leading organizations like SCTE allows us to stay at the forefront of industry needs, ensuring our programs are continuously aligned with the current technical skills and knowledge employers are seeking for learner workplace and professional success."

For more information visit CSUGlobal.edu.

LOUISVILLE, Colo.—Faced with an increased number of attacks and a growing problem with vandalism of key telecommunications infrastructure in the U.S., the broadband industry has launched STRIKE (Strategic Threat Response & Infrastructure Knowledge Exchange), an urgent initiative that will confront what the industry calls an increasingly serious national security crisis.

In launching the effort, the industry cited data showing that there were 5,770 criminal acts of theft and vandalism were reported from June to December 2024—approximately 824 per month affecting over 1.5 million customers.

Co-led by industry leaders SCTE, a subsidiary of CableLabs, and NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, STRIKE represents a executive-level coalition that aims to address the alarming spike in criminal attacks on essential broadband infrastructure.

The group stressed that many of these incidents go beyond mere acts of vandalism, as they're deliberate assaults that disrupt key facilities including U.S. military bases, 911 services, fire and police departments, healthcare facilities, law enforcement, government services and agencies, and educational and financial institutions endangering public safety and interrupting economic activity.

"A threat to broadband infrastructure is a threat to our national security," emphasized Maria Popo, president and CEO of SCTE. "STRIKE ensures that executive-level visibility is directly connected to frontline realities. This coordinated approach is precisely what's needed to tackle this emerging threat decisively."

Rikin Thakker, chief technology officer and senior vice president of NCTA added that “This isn’t simply an industry issue; it’s a nationwide emergency. STRIKE will mobilize our collective strength, aligning policy advocacy with strategic operations to strengthen our efforts to protect America’s critical communications infrastructure."

The NCTA said it is is leading important efforts in addressing these criminal threats to broadband infrastructure through its expertise in public policy and advocating for federal legislation such as H.R. 2784-- Stopping the Theft and Destruction of Broadband Act of 2025-- that would amend Title 18 of the U.S. Code to ensure that attacks on public and private networks are treated equally and carry appropriate penalties.

NCTA has also taken the lead in encouraging agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to increase intelligence sharing, treat these infrastructure attacks as domestic terrorism when the facts warrant and allocate more resources to high incident regions.

The STRIKE Executive Forum draws senior executives from leading broadband operators including, but not limited to, Comcast, Charter, Altice USA, CableOne, Cox, GCI, Mediacom and Rogers. Comcast’s Elad Nafshi, serving as chair, and Charter Communications’ Tom Monaghan, as vice chair, highlight the industry's unified commitment to strategic coordination and rapid response.

The participants described STRIKE’s core mission as follows:

• Spotlight broadband damage and destruction as a top-tier national security threat.
• Facilitate intelligence sharing to quickly identify and mitigate emerging threats.
• Integrate policy advocacy, technical standards and operational protocols into a cohesive national defense strategy.
• Establish clear, unified communication with government stakeholders.

STRIKE said that it will leverage SCTE’s operational expertise to surface cross-operator insights that strengthen broadband resilience. For decades, SCTE has set essential industry standards that help providers assess business impacts, gain secure access to incident areas, coordinate effectively with federal agencies, evaluate location-specific risks and maintain continuity and rapid recovery during crises.

STRIKE reported that it will hold its first strategic meeting at TechExpo25, SCTE's industry event, providing a critical platform for participants to set the strategic vision and drive immediate impact.

Senior broadband executives are urged to join this pivotal effort. For more details or to participate, contact strike@scte.org.

EXTON, Pa.—Cable broadband industry employees affected by Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton may seek financial assistance from the SCTE Foundation Disaster Support Fund, the foundation said today.

The funds, available immediately, support grants of up to $2,500 for industry employees affected by the hurricane. Monies are meant to assist those affected while they seek assistance from other sources, such as insurance policies claims and the government.

Given the amount of hardship stemming from the storms, the foundation said, it will prioritize fund allocation to assist those with the greatest need first.

The SCTE Foundation also has launched a webpage where those wishing to donate can help fund the effort. Visitors to the foundation’s website should select Disaster Support Fund from the drop-down menu on the donation form, it said.

EXTON, Pa.—The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), a CableLabs subsidiary, has announced the competitors for this International SCTE Cable-Tec Games 2024. 

The games are designed to showcase the talents and tech skills of local field employees. The best cable technicians from around the world who will be participating in the games were selected during months of competition among SCTE chapters across the United States and Canada. 

This year 28 of the industry's most skilled field workers who will compete on the show floor inside the Georgia World Congress Center at SCTE TechExpo 2024 at 9:00 AM EDT on Thursday, September 26.

"SCTE recognizes the profound challenge of equipping our workforce with the skills to innovate and manage complex broadband infrastructures,” says Maria Popo, president and CEO of SCTE. “We must continue to create a broad network of skilled technical professionals, and the Games are one way we pause to celebrate our workforce.” 

The Games have been an annual SCTE tradition since 1991. The medallions awarded in the Games are symbolic of the training that creates winners in the workplace. As is tradition, SCTE Chapters and Meeting Groups host Cable-Tec Games at all levels of the organization. Over 500 local, state and regional competitors participate to determine who will represent the chapter or region at the International Cable-Tec Games at TechExpo. 

Representing their SCTE chapter, the competitors slated to compete in the 32nd International Cable-Tec Games will be: Josh Viviano, SoCal chapter; Juan Carlos Arreola Velasco, Golden Gate chapter; Jason Chapman, Rocky Mountain chapter; Scott Garren, Cascade Range chapter; Noah Collins, Snake River chapter; Rick McLachlin, Mt. Rainier chapter, Trey Barnes, North Central Texas chapter; Kyle Young, Sam Houston chapter; Daron Verbais, Gateway chapter; Jared Harpstrite, Lincoln chapter; Jeffrey Haak, Greater Chicago chapter, Mike DeZotell, Dakota Territory chapter; Blake Gesch, North Country chapter; Paul Burningham, Great Lakes chapter; Brian Hendricks, Central Indiana chapter; Brent Garren, Razorback chapter; Darius Mayland, Louisiana chapter; Steve Dinkins, Chattahoochee chapter; Nick Larson, Central Florida chapter; Chris Woehrle, Central Florida chapter; Jim Egloff, Bluegrass chapter; Nicolas Wentworth, Crystal Coast chapter; Lou Constantino, Eastern Pa chapter; Troy Jeuther, Penn-Ohio chapter; Bryan Johnson, NYC chapter; Jack Groat, New England chapter; Jesse Hofland, Ontario chapter;  and, last year’s overall winner, Dosty Hedges, Cactus chapter.

Comcast has the most workers qualified for the Games this year with eleven competitors, and followed by Charter with seven. The workforces of Altice USA, Armstrong, Cable One, CFSSouth, Cogeco Cable, Conway Corp, Cox Communications, Madison Communications, Mediacom, and Midco will also be represented with a competitor in the Games.

This year’s winners from local cable games, typically held at chapter vendor shows or regional cable shows, will vie for the international gold, silver, and bronze awards in three categories: cable jeopardy, coax network event and fiber network event.  The coax network event combines all the RF local cable game events: meter reading, cable splicing, drop connection, and MTDR.  The fiber network event combines all the fiber local cable game events: fiber splicing, fiber termination and OTDR.   Following the conclusion of the competition, event and overall honors will be presented on the Loft Stage, located on the floor of SCTE TechExpo24 in Zone E.

Find more information at https://techexpo.scte.org/. 

ESTON, Pa.—Organizers of SCTE TechExpo, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Sept. 24-26, have announced Broadband Fiber Installer (BFI) Boot Camp, a day-long training session Sept. 23, before the official opening of the gathering.

The interactive, in-person course is designed to equip attendees with the expertise needed to deploy FTTP networks to enhance customer service. A hands-on training session focused on conveying the skills and expertise required, the course is open to those paying an additional registration fee, the organizers said.

Newly announced expo sessions include:

• An AI & Automation track panel moderated by Comcast Cable executive vice president and chief network officer Elad Nafshi, Sept. 25 at 12:30 p.m. Panelists include Lilac Ilan, global head of business development telco - AI powered operations at NVIDIA; Jennifer Andreoli-Fang, head of fixed networks at AWS; and Nirali Patel, group vice president of data and AI strategy at Liberty Global. The panel will examine how AI is shaping the future of broadband, including its role in self-optimizing networks, future innovation and business models.
• A panel discussion during the Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) track Sept. 24 at 12:30 p.m. moderated by Charter Communications executive vice president of product Danny Bowman. Panelists include Larry Alder, director of connectivity ecosystems at Meta; Scott Wagner, president of connected living products at Assurant; and Justin Donohoo, chief technology officer at Conservice. They will discuss how to build successful partnerships to provide a new open ecosystem of innovation.
• A panel that’s part of the Technology Policy track, Sept. 24 at 12:45 p.m. focused on spectrum policy with a panel of government and academic experts. Mark Walker, vice president of technology policy at CableLabs will moderate the discussion. Panelists include Flynn Rico-Johnson, policy advisor of wireless, space and international at Federal Communications Commission; Monisha Ghosh, professor at University of Notre Dame, department of electrical engineering; Charles Cooper, associate administrator of the Office of Spectrum Management at National Telecommunications and Information Administration; and John Chapin, special advisor for spectrum at U.S. National Science Foundation.

Other Technology Policy track highlights include a panel discussion entitled “A Year After the Artificial Intelligence Executive Order” Sept. 25 at 10:45 a.m. CableLabs director of technology policy Priya Shrinivasan will moderate as two government experts evaluate requirements relevant to the broadband industry from more than 150 directives that federal agencies must implement to ensure the United States remains at the forefront of responsible AI innovation and governance.

Shrinivasan will be joined by Olivia Zhu, assistant director for AI policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Ellen Zegura, division director for computer and network systems within the Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate of the U.S. National Science Foundation.

The full program is available online.

EXTON, Pa.—SCTE TechExpo, the largest broadband event in the Americas, has released new details about the event, which will take place in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center from September 24-26, 2024. 

The organizers noted that attendees can look forward to headliner and keynote sessions, nine specialized conference tracks, and an expansive exhibition featuring over 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations and advancements in the industry. Overall, the event will provide three days of content, collaboration and conversation to shape the future of broadband technology, the organizers said. 

One of two interactive sessions taking place on Monday, September 23 is the inaugural SCTE Broadband Fiber Installer (BFI) Boot Camp. For an additional registration fee, this interactive in-person course is designed to equip learners with the expertise needed to harness the advantages of FTTP/FTTx networks in enhancing broadband customer service. This program offers targeted, hands-on training to enhance skills and expertise to help equip our industry’s workforce for success.  

Another highlight is the AI & Automation track at 12:30 p.m. on September 25. Comcast Cable executive vice president and chief network officer, Elad Nafshi, will moderate a star-studded panel including Lilac Ilan, global head business development telco of AI powered operations at NVIDIA; Dr. Jennifer Andreoli-Fang, head of fixed networks at AWS; and Nirali Patel, vice president of data strategy and AI at Liberty Global. The panelists will explore how the “AI Revolution” is shaping the future of broadband, including the role of AI in driving self-optimizing networks, future innovations and business models.

The Technology Policy track at 12:45 pm on September 24 includes a discussion on spectrum policy with a panel of government and academic experts moderated by Mark Walker, Vice President of Technology Policy at CableLabs. Panelists Flynn Rico-Johnson, Policy Advisor of Wireless Space, and International at Federal Communications Commission; Monisha Ghosh, Professor at University of Notre Dame, Department of Electrical Engineering; Charles Cooper, Associate Administrator, Office of Spectrum Management at National Telecommunications and Information Administration; and Dr. John Chapin, Special Advisor for Spectrum at U.S. National Science Foundation will round out the session. 

Building on SCTE’s commitment to sustainability, TechExpo24 will also feature several sustainability initiatives. With the support of TechExpo sponsors, Cox Communications and Liberty Latin America, TechExpo organizers have purchased and retired enough renewable energy certificates (RECs) to power the event with 100% renewable energy. New for 2024, water restoration certificates (WRCs) will offset water use throughout the event. 

With additional support from Cox Communications, TechExpo also aims to achieve 100% zero waste-to-landfill. Attendees will notice an increased number of recycling and compost bins and exhibitor waste will be segregated for recycling. Cox Communications volunteers will be on hand to encourage all attendees to reuse, recycle, and use the right bins. 

Since 2014, the SCTE Energy 20/20 Program has been powering cable’s success through energy efficiency and sustainability. TechExpo attendees can review the latest developments at 1:00 p.m. on September 25 with Derek DiGiacomo, SCTE’s senior director of energy management program and business continuity and Ryan Capone, Comcast’s vice president of network facilities and energy. 

The full agenda is available online.

Attendees can register to attend here. 

EXTON, Pa.—The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), a subsidiary of CableLabs, announces the headliner speakers for SCTE TechExpo24, which will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, September 24-26, 2024. 

On Tuesday morning, September 24, SCTE president & CEO Maria Popo will be kicking off things on the main stage, sharing the strategy and vision for SCTE. During day one headliners, the industry will celebrate the achievements of the outstanding individuals from the year, including SCTE Member of the Year.

“TechExpo will deliver an unparalleled opportunity to engage with industry CEOs, CTOs, and decision-makers and to see emerging technologies and applications that will transform the industry,” says Popo.

Opening day headliners include CableLabs president and CEO Phil McKinney and the co-chairs of this year’s TechExpo, Cox Communications president Mark Greatrex and president and CEO of Liberty Latin America Balan Nair.  

“This gathering allows us to explore the massive potential of advances in broadband technology that will shape the future of connectivity,” says Greatrex. “Together, we are paving the way for a transformative era, creating unparalleled experience for our customers and our communities, and revolutionizing the way we connect the world.”

“Through this event, we look forward to hearing from thought leaders, exploring cutting-edge new trends, experiencing new technologies, and building relationships that will strengthen our industry,” says Nair. “I hope to see many familiar faces and make new connections in September.”

Appearing together to discuss workforce development, following Greatrex and Nair, will be Cable One chair of the Board, president and CEOr Julia Laulis as well as Cable One’s recently appointed COO Ken Johnson, who previously served as the company’s chief technology & innovation officer. Rounding out the headliners on day one of TechExpo24 will be Deloitte Global Future of Work Leader Nicole Scoble-Williams, who will share her passion for making work better for humans and making humans better at work, using technology to enable and elevate human experiences, performance, and outcomes.

Taking to the main stage on Wednesday, September 25, will be a CTO Townhall set to include Charter Communications executive vice president, connectivity technology, Justin Colwell; Cox Communications executive vice president and chief technology officer Len Barlik; and Comcast Cable president, Technology, Product and Experience, Charlie Herrin. Day two will also feature a Chief Strategy Officer panel. Additional headliners to be announced.

With more than three months remaining prior to the show, organizers have confirmed that the floor is more than 80% occupied, with 235 companies confirmed, including 27 new exhibitors. AI is prolific on the agenda and a dedicated “AI Zone” will make its debut this year, with content appearing on two stages on the show floor, the Tech Talk Stage and The Loft. 

More information and the full agenda is available online.  

EXTON, Pa.—The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) has opened its call for papers and presentation proposals for the technical sessions that will be conducted during SCTE TechExpo 2024, which will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, from September 24-26, 2024. 

All technical abstract submissions will be reviewed by the TechExpo Program Committee, chaired by Guy McCormick, senior vice president of engineering at Cox Communications, and Ronnie Dhaliwal, vice president, technology operations at Liberty Latin America. SCTE is a CableLabs subsidiary.

“I am excited to build on the solid foundation that SCTE has created over 40 years with the industry’s renewed flagship event, TechExpo,” said Maria Popo, SCTE president and CEO. “This year’s TechExpo will deliver an unparalleled opportunity to engage with industry CEOs, CTOs, and decision-makers and to see emerging technologies and applications that will transform the industry.”

The Program Committee would like to receive submissions on forward-looking technologies and solutions that will help power the industry’s 10G initiative and move its technical foundation forward. In addition to English submissions, SCTE is also seeking presentations delivered in Spanish, showcasing Latin American concepts, technology and innovation. 

SCTE will assemble subject matter experts in nine key areas: 

• Wireline Networks Evolution
• Wireless Network and Convergence with Wireline
• Construction and Network Planning
• Security and Privacy
• Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
• Cloud Services
• Commercial and Business Services
• Operational Transformation and Workforce Learning
• Energy Management and Sustainability

Abstracts on the above topics will be given priority. But other topics addressing broadband industry technical, engineering, and business issues also will be considered, the group said. 

Each abstract submission is limited to 2,000 characters and submitted papers should be either technical papers that describe new and emerging technologies, or operational practices that provide field guidance. Abstracts addressing a near-term solution (within the next three years) will be given priority. Each SCTE TechExpo abstract submission should be entered separately at expo.scte.org/callforpapers by April 5, 2024. 

“TechExpo has evolved to incorporate so much more than cable, and we have increasingly broadened the event’s audience to include pertinent communities like policy, security, sustainability and strategy as the gathering place for moving technology forward to advance connectivity around the world,” said Phil McKinney, president and CEO of CableLabs. 

Registration for TechExpo will open on March 28, 2024, at the close of CableLabs’ Winter Conference. For general questions regarding TechExpo technical workshops or the abstract submission process, please email speakers@scte.org.   

EXTON, Pa.—The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), a CableLabs subsidiary, will present its annual SCTE Awards at the 40th Anniversary Expo Celebration on October 18, 2023. The evening Expo Celebration will honor this year’s winners and celebrate the groundbreaking achievements of the organization’s members.

SCTE will recognize leaders who are making significant contributions in the cable industry including Excellence in Standards, Learning & Development and Women in Technology, as well as the Young Leader Award.

SCTE will recognize distinguished individuals for their contributions in several categories, including:

• Chairman's Award Winner—Elad Nafshi (EVP, Chief Network Officer, Comcast)
• Excellence in Standards Award Winner—Tim Cooke (Director of Product Management, Amphenol Broadband Solutions)
• Excellence in Learning & Development Award Winner—Jeramy Allen (Director, Learning Engagement, Comcast)
• Wilt J. Hildenbrand Jr. Rising Leader Award Winner—Serge Kasongo (Director, National Field Connectivity & Operations, Comcast)
• Hall of Fame Inductee—Ed Marchetti (Retired, former SVP of Engineering Operations, Comcast)

In a press statement announcing the awards and event, SCTE Board Chair Guy McCormick said, “Elad Nafshi is acknowledged as an exceptional leader among the cable and entertainment industries. He drives Comcast’s strategy for the nation’s largest gigabit internet network and is recognized as a global leader in 10G technology enabling Comcast to deliver a next-generation broadband experience to millions of homes and businesses. An innovative technology leader, Elad has a strategic perspective by which to build new platforms to advance core businesses and drive results in a rapidly evolving environment,” said.

The SCTE Member of the Year and Chapter Leader of the Year will be announced at the annual industry award ceremony. Induction into the SCTE Hall of Fame requires more than 20 years of industry service.

A ticket to the SCTE Award Reception is included with full conference registration. Exhibitors and attendees with floor passes may purchase a ticket to reception on the Expo registration page.

The 40th SCTE Cable-Tec Expo will be held October 16–19, 2023, in Denver, Colorado.

EXTON, Penn.—The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) has unveiled some of the key content themes for Cable-Tec Expo 2022, chaired this year by Comcast Cable president and CEO David Watson and Liberty Global vice-chairman and CEO Michael Fries.

Hosted by SCTE, a subsidiary of CableLabs, Expo 2022 will be held in Philadelphia, Penn., September 19-22. 

The group noted that the volume and quality of papers submitted for the annual Fall Technical Forum has been “unprecedented,” and that the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2022 Program Committee, co-chaired by Comcast senior vice president of technology, environments and strategy Sherita Ceasar and Liberty global vice president of technology Bill Warga selected a total of 130 papers for presentation at Expo.

These have been sorted into nearly 60 sessions across 13 categories, including the introduction of three new tracks: 

• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning – NEW in 2022
• Cloud & Virtualization
• Converged Networks
• DevOps & Agile – NEW in 2022
• Energy Management
• Internet of Things
• Operational Transformation
• Security & Privacy
• Software Development, Automation, and Tooling – NEW in 2022
• Video Services
• Wireless Access Network
• Wireline Access Network
• Workplace

SCTE Cable-Tec Expo organizers are planning to offer thousands of professionals in-person more than 100 hours of learning with premier thought leaders and hundreds of innovative vendors with leading-edge technology solutions.

Additional announcements and a complete content are scheduled to be announced in the coming months. 

Registration for Expo 2022 opens June 22, 2022.

More information is available at expo.scte.org.    

 EXTON, Pa.—The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers has announced that SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2021 will take place as a virtual experience this October due to the health and safety risks to attendees posed by COVID-19, the surge in the Delta variant, and travel restrictions.

The show had originally been planned to take place on October 11 to 14 in Atlanta. 

“Our industry rose to the challenge over the past year and a half to keep the world connected safely throughout the pandemic. We are continuing that pledge now by presenting Cable-Tec Expo as a virtual experience,” said Mark Dzuban, SCTE president and CEO. “As a virtual event last year, Cable-Tec Expo had the largest level of engagement we have ever seen and we look forward to that same level of  connection, innovation, and education in October.”

“It's been proven that whether in-person or online, Cable-Tec Expo truly brings the industry together,” said Phil McKinney, CEO of CableLabs. “We are looking forward to connecting safely with the individuals and organizations that genuinely care about our businesses and the industry at large. Our primary mission is to develop learning and technology that will innovate today’s broadband technology in a way that benefits all of our members and customers.”

Last year’s completely virtual event attracted more attendees and workshops than ever before, the group said. 

“A critical source of technical and business insights, Cable-Tec Expo 2021 virtual experience will serve as the platform to create new opportunities across industries, showcase cutting-edge new technologies and services, and gather invaluable business knowledge and policy expertise,” said Kevin Hart, 2021 program chair and executive vice president, chief product and technology officer, Cox Communications. “I am honored to lead the outstanding team that is creating engaging content and bringing together professionals virtually from within and beyond the industry for learning, networking and decision-making.”

The group said more information would be forthcoming.

LOUISVILLE, Colo.—Signaling another level of consolidation for the cable industry, its two biggest engineering trade groups are on the path to merging.

SCTE-ISBE and CableLabs have signed a letter of intent and appear well on the way to combining forces by Dec. 10. 

CableLabs, established in 1988, is a research and development consortium backed by the big, consolidated operator giants of the U.S. and Canadian cable industries. Its members have already voted unanimously to pursue the tie-up.

The 51-year-old Society of Cable Technology Engineers, and its European sibling, the International Society of Broadband Experts, are currently conducting a vote among the combined trade group’s membership to approve the merger. The threshold is a two-thirds vote, with at least 5% of the membership body voting. 

The SCTE-ISBE, which said no cutbacks in staff or programming was expected at either organization, has outlined its vision for the merger on this landing page. 

At the heart of the messaging is “10G,” the catch-all buzzword the cable industry has attached to its effort to develop next-generation broadband technologies capable of warding off the wireless industry’s fixed 5G threat. 

“With the commitment to 10G in mind, the transaction will represent the industry’s ongoing efforts to deliver to consumers new innovations and services which will meet changing consumer needs and support the future expansion of broadband deployment,” the trade group tells its members.

As outlined in a press conference conducted Tuesday, Nov. 10, by CableLabs, Mark Dzuban would remain president and CEO of SCTE-ISBE, which would function as a subsidiary of CableLabs, headed by president and CEO Phil McKinney.

EXTON, Penn.—Today is a big day for the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The group, which develops standards, educational resources and other programs for major cable operators around the world, held a reception for employees and guests to mark the anniversary.

SCTE President and CEO Mark Dzuban offered remarks at the reception, and the office of Pennsylvania State Rep. Danielle Friel-Otten presented the society with a proclamation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania House of Representatives to mark the anniversary.

“The small band of charter members has grown into the largest applied science organization in the industry,” Dzuban wrote in a memo to employees, chapter members, board members and other supporters.

The society dates back to 1969. It was founded to advance the science of cable television.

Some 20,000 cable technology executives and professionals make up today’s SCTE membership. Since its founding, SCTE has trained more than 21,000 people and awarded over 65,000 certifications to 40,000 cable industry professionals.

“Our engineering and educational expertise has won an Emmy Award, secured the first of what will be many patents and created an L&D breakthrough in the CORTEX Expert Development System. Together with our corporate and individual members and our partners at NCTA and CableLabs, we are driving future success in energy management, business resiliency and the industry’s new focus on 10G,” said Dzuban.

EXTON, PA.—Cox Communications President Pat Esser will keynote the Opening General Session of SCTE-ISBE Cable-Tec Expo 2018, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, in Atlanta.

In his address, Esser is expected to discuss how product innovation and excellence in service delivery can help the broadband/telecommunications industry maintain its leadership position in an increasingly competitive and evolving media and entertainment landscape.

“SCTE-ISBE and Cable-Tec Expo play important roles in ensuring that we have the standards, the workforce training, and applied science leadership that can enable our industry to stand out from the crowd of competitors,” Esser said.

A 30-year industry veteran and 2013 recipient of NCTA’s Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership, Esser has been regarded a top executive at Cox Communications since 2006. He also serves on the board of directors of C-SPAN, CableLabs, and NCTA—The Internet & Television Association, as well as adviser to the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC). Under his management, Cox earned numerous accolades for diversity and inclusion.

The Society Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers and its global arm, the International Society of Broadband Experts seek to prepare and support their members by promoting peer networking opportunities, professional mentoring, training, standards development, and technology that enable them to generate more revenue, streamline operations, and increase customer retention and satisfaction.

SCTE 35 has been relied on for two decades by broadcasters and cable TV networks (“content providers”) to signal local avail breaks—the slots that are granted by the content providers to the cable system operators (and other multichannel video programming distributors) for local advertising. In the United States, these breaks are usually exactly a minute long and occur twice an hour. The content providers usually schedule promos and other non-essential filler material in these slots for cable operators to insert their local commercials over. Local commercial insertion is a mature business (and a very big business).

More recently, the use of SCTE 35 has been expanded considerably and it is now used to signal the start and end of programming and national advertising breaks. This is to enable virtual MVPDs to blackout programming where rights are limited and also to replace scheduled broadcast adverts that cannot be distributed over the Internet (either because the advertiser doesn’t want to or because they can’t—adverts have rights too). SCTE 35 can also be useful for automating live-to-VOD (e.g. C3 VOD) and delivering enhanced nDVR capability.

However, there are a number of issues with this expanded use that are hampering the effectiveness of the SCTE 35 standard and, as a direct consequence, the ability of content providers to efficiently monetize the immense opportunities OTT streaming provides.

THE METADATA MESS

Given the importance of the SCTE 35 standard, it has been updated multiple times with good intentions. But over the years, this has been done so many times that the standard is now ambiguous in many areas, with no real clarity as to which messages should be used to signal which events—the latest version allows for the signaling of more than 28 different types of events including chapter start, chapter end, ad break start, ad break end and so on.

The main problem with this is that no two content providers use the exact same SCTE messages to trigger the same actions (such as an ad break, for example). Different programmers will signal the same point in a video signal with an entirely different SCTE 35 message. One programmer, for example, may decide to signal the start of an ad break with “Provider Advertisement Start” and another may use the exact same message to signal the start of an individual advert. There are many other areas of ambiguity too. As a result, it’s incredibly difficult for vMVPDs to properly interpret what the content provider is trying to signal. There is no agreed way of signaling events because so many parts of SCTE 35 are optional, and not wanting to be left out, each vMVPD has developed their own requirements. It is truly a mess.

For one content provider to distribute to three vMVPDs, every single one of whom will likely require a different “version” of SCTE 35, the only way to satisfy all three would be to send slightly different versions to each (exact same video and audio but different SCTE 35). Given that SCTE 35 uses bits per second and video uses megabits per second, this rapidly becomes massively wasteful in terms of bandwidth and encoder resources—it is the ultimate tail wagging the dog (or maybe even the flee on the tail wagging the dog).

NOBODY’S SAFE

Even if the content provider goes to the trouble of replicating their video and audio just to provide different SCTE 35 (most of the bigger ones don’t because they have more leverage), there is no guarantee that SCTE 35 will survive transmission and processing. This is because the transcoding and other processing often corrupts the timing of the messages by failing to take into account the decoding and encoding delay. As unbelievable as this may sound, it is absolutely occurring even with established manufacturer’s software. Granted, sometimes this is due to misconfiguration by users who don’t know what a standard SCTE 35 message looks like (because there isn’t a “standard” message…). There are also few tools to inspect the timing relationship between the video and the SCTE 35 message, so it’s often left to the next process in the workflow to deal with.

When this is added to the ambiguity described in the last section it is little wonder that vMVPDs have all but given up—some have even disabled SCTE 35 altogether on some of their networks.

A MICRO-SERVICE APPROACH

If each vMPVD were able to associate the frame boundary in an incoming video stream with the playlist for that channel, they would be able to configure their own SCTE 35 messages and normalize them for their applications on every network. One way of doing this is to send the raw metadata (i.e. the timing of the frame boundaries for the network’s playlist) out-of-band via a cloud-based micro-service to the vMVPD. At the vMVPD, the raw metadata can then be used to construct SCTE 35 messages to the vMVPDs own requirements (or whatever messaging the vMVPD desires).

[SCTE-104/35 and Beyond: A Look at Ad Insertion in an OTT World]

Crystal decided to take this cloud-based micro-service approach with its Metadata Cloud product, but in order to do so it needed a way of synchronizing the metadata to the video at the vMVPD. Crystal developed a temporal fingerprinting system that can be applied at source and then used to match the frames of video at any receive location exactly. Once the timing is recovered, it is a very straightforward matter to apply the metadata in whatever format is required. This means that a single broadcast feed can be decorated with multiple different SCTE 35 profiles downstream, at any time—even if the video is processed or delayed for any period of time. The out-of-band “raw” metadata and temporal fingerprints require less than 100 bits per second on average, making cloud processing and delivery for large numbers of networks and storage for months or even years practical at extremely low cost (AWS charges cents per Gigabyte).

OTHER BENEFITS OF SENDING METATDATA OUT-OF-BAND

Sending metadata out-of-band means that SCTE 35 is no longer a constraint on what can be sent (it is now a subset of the metadata that can be delivered). This means that it is possible to send graphics—lower thirds, logos, tickers, etc.—as pure metadata and then apply them in whatever format makes sense for the device being used. For example, a ticker on the bottom of a news channel or business network may be viewable on a flat screen TV but would be hard to see on an iPhone. If a clean video feed with no graphics was delivered to the vMVPD (this is straightforward for a content provider to do—they just pick off the video before the graphics are overlaid), it would be possible for the vMVPD to customize those graphics for their users’ devices. The graphics could even become “clickable” and user selectable–it’s HTML5 after all.

Another important benefit of sending metadata out-of-band is that the same metadata does not need to be broadcast to everyone (as is obviously the case with SCTE 35, which is specified to be in-band in the current standard). This has the obvious benefit of allowing customized/personalized metadata to be mixed in by the vMVPD. Think personalized “clickable” buttons on adverts.

The temporal fingerprinting has the added side benefit of measuring the transmission delay from source to the receive point. This enables a second screen device to have content synchronized precisely to the broadcast being received in each home—the transmission delay varies widely depending upon the network, MVPD and even TV (it can be anywhere from a second or so for over-the-air, to a minute or more if you are watching on an internet connected TV). Being able to send data about an advert to a second screen that is precisely synchronized to what a broadcast viewer is watching will be enormously beneficial when it comes to enhancing viewer engagement.

CONCLUSION

The metadata currently being sent via SCTE 35 is so important to the future of television that its problems cannot be ignored. By sending metadata regarding the video and audio in a linear television network out-of band, the issues of ambiguity and corruption during delivery can effectively be eliminated. It also enables additional metadata (such as graphics) and interactivity to be added without changing the broadcast infrastructure, thereby providing the opportunity to truly unify broadcast and OTT delivery for the first time.

Alan Young is COO for Crystal.

EXTON, PA.—The Society of Cable Television Engineers has announced that Chris Bastian will take over the role of senior vice president and chief technical officer. Bastian will be responsible for all areas of technology and engineering with the goal of ensuring SCTE and its global brand—the International Society of Broadband Experts—maintain a strong role in standardizing and operationalizing advanced technology, including the SCTE Standards Program and SCTE Engineering Committee.

Chris Bastian

Bastian joins SCTE after more than 10 years at Comcast, where he most recently served as the executive director with a focus on Comcast’s Xfinity Wi-Fi network. He also worked as the executive director of network architecture for the Comcast Technology and Product Group as well as the senior director of converged regional area network engineering for the Comcast Network Engineering Group. He also held engineering positions with RCN, Comcast Cellular Communications and the National Security Agency.

SCTE has added a number of senior-level positions in addition to Bastian recently, including Reni Gorman as vice president, learning and development; Deighton Liverpool as vice president, information technology; Terry Maloney as vice president, marketing and business development; and Lindsay Johnston as senior vice president, operations.

Bastian will officially begin in his new position on Dec. 14 at SCTE’s headquarters in Exton, Pa.

WATFORD, ENGLAND—The Society for Broadband Professionals (SCTE) has announced its new officers following elections at the SCTE Executive Meeting held on Nov. 4. Mike Thornton, who had previously served as vice president, has been appointed as the new president of the SCTE. Mike Jones, an executive committee member, has been named vice president, and Dr. Roger Blakeway, the previous president, will now serve as the chief executive.

A number of SCTE officers remained unchanged, including Chris Swires as treasurer; Beverly Walker as national secretary; Sara Waddington as managing editor; and Martin Bailey as webmaster.

Executive committee members were also elected, including Rien Baan; Chris Bailey; Laura Baskeyfield; Dr. Blakeway; John Callas; Mike Jones; Costas Kyriacou; Paul Smith; Swires; Thornton; Owen Williams and David Woollard. Paul Broadhurst and Frank Summerfield were named co-opted committee members.

SCTE sub-committee appointments were also confirmed. That list can be found here.

The SCTE is an educational society and non-profit organization who seek to raise the standard of broadband engineering in the telecommunications industry. It is based in Watford, England.