The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) and its global arm, the International Society of Broadband Experts (ISBE), have created a Proactive Network Maintenance Working Group within the SCTE•ISBE Standards Programme to standardise PNM solutions.
The PNM Working Group has been created in alignment with CableLabs to provide operational practices, guidelines, and training in collaboration with industry PNM initiatives for monitoring network health to ensure high-quality customer experiences.
Part of the SCTE•ISBE Standards Programme’s Network Operations Subcommittee, the new Working Group is intended to standardize new PNM technology for operations and in the field, including: a holistic PNM solution that focuses across all types of access and in-home networks, including DOCSIS, wireless, optical, and in-home wired, such as MoCA; Consistent guidelines and tools across all networks; and a common framework and architecture that accelerates operational use of PNM metrics.
Larry Wolcott, Fellow and Distinguished Engineer for Comcast and well-known industry expert on PNM, has been appointed chair. The first meeting of the PNM Working Group will be this Tuesday, May 9 from 3 to 4 p.m. ET.
“CableLabs has been developing and testing new PNM technologies and use cases,” said Chris Bastian, SVP and CTO of SCTE•ISBE.
“Our new PNM Working Group will expedite the introduction of these new PNM solutions that improve employee and customer experiences, as well as the performance, functionality, and economics of all types of MSO access and in-home networks.”
“Preventive maintenance has been a guiding principle for a long time in cable, but consistently enacting a proactive culture requires more than tools and technology,” said Curtis Knittle, VP of wired technologies for CableLabs.
“The creation of the SCTE•ISBE Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) Working Group brings together the research and tools developed by CableLabs and the operational experience of MSOs to ensure that art and science converge in a way that can translate to useful practices.”
“We’re committed to using tools and technology to enhance the reliability of our network and improve customer experience,” said Wolcott.
The SCTE•ISBE Standards Programme is the only ANSI-accredited forum for the development of technical specifications supporting cable communications. Standards work includes: data and telephony over cable; application platform development; digital video; Internet of Things; emergency alert systems; network monitoring systems; cables, connectors, and amplifiers; construction and maintenance practices; energy management; and other areas of interest.
Corporate membership in the program is open to any organisation. Member organisations develop standards and operational practices through their technical representatives who serve on committees and subcommittees. Internet of Things and energy management, for example, are two other areas of focus for the next several years.
