Speeding Ahead Together
By Mark Dzuban
We’ve done it. We’ve collectively made it through the first half of 2021 — and 2020 for that matter — and are speeding into the back half of the year, which promises a fresh set of surprises. Personally, I think they will be positive ones, especially as I look ahead to what is happening in the cable industry. I see greater collaboration that will yield positive results for the industry and society overall, technological advances that are increasing in pace, and significant investments in 10G infrastructure.
At SCTE we kicked off the year by joining forces with CableLabs, which has already yielded exciting new opportunities for the Society and our members. The move has given us a greater global reach, bringing the global cable community closer together. We’ve also appointed a new board of directors composed of senior leadership from MSOs, large and small operators, and vendors, all of whom will provide SCTE with increased access to the senior levels of leadership at our member organizations. And, working alongside the technical committee, the board will provide invaluable insights and direction as the Society continues to grow to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead for the future of connectivity.
When I think about the future of the industry and the great strides we are making in connectivity, I don’t need to look much further than the articles and leaders in this very issue. In their article Video Interoperability with IP Video, Stuart Kurkowski of Comcast Communications and Joel Derrico of Cox Communications, join together to talk about the emerging technologies, requirements and video interoperability architecture that will propel IP video delivery forward by leaps and bounds.
The brilliant technologist Dr. Jennifer Andreoli-Fang from CableLabs explores the rapid convergence of cable and mobile — and the many opportunities it presents for cable operators — in her newest article titled, A Framework for Convergence. As we watched the rapid changes emerge related to connectivity throughout the pandemic, this topic is one that has been top of mind for many in the industry and will continue to shape conversations over the next several years as we see major moves in this space.
Brady Volpe, in his article Machine Learning and PNM, addresses advances in proactive network maintenance and how it will shape the industry, make the job of technicians easier, and improve the consumer experience as we as an industry increasingly identify and address network failures before they cause disruptions. And, finally, SCTE’s own Robin Fenton gives us a window into the future of learning and development for the cable industry. Her article The Future of Learning and Development details how new technologies like 3D simulations are being used to advance training in remote settings and improve knowledge absorption.
What I read on these pages and hear in conversation with leaders throughout the industry gives me confidence that we are continuing to drive forward at remarkable speeds. The work being done now to advance 10G and support emerging technologies across the industry gives me great hope for an increasingly connected future — one that will benefit all of us.
Join us this October at Cable-Tec Expo 2021 in Atlanta as we fast-forward to explore topics and technologies that will unleash the power of limitless technology.
Mark L. Dzuban
President/CEO, SCTE
mdzuban@scte.org
Mark Dzuban is president and CEO of SCTE, a global not-for-profit member organization driving the acceleration and deployment of technology in the cable industry. With a career spanning more than 50 years, Dzuban has been named a Cable TV Pioneer and Cable Center Innovation Laureate, and received the Vanguard Award for Cable Operations Management. Since joining SCTE, Dzuban has transformed the organization into the industry’s applied science leader and has expanded its training, standards, and energy management programs.
