October 2005, Issue #42

SCTE Members Delivering the Future of Cable Telecommunication

We live in such interesting times. The technology and engineering community that spans a broad range of industries and disciplines worldwide continues to produce amazing new achievements that make our lives easier and make our world a better place to live.

One realm of the world of engineering and technology that certainly has captured the consumer's attention and imagination in recent years and apparently will continue to do so in the years ahead is that of telecommunications. Within that vast realm is a specific force known as cable telecommunications. And that's where SCTE comes in—we're the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE).

Our Mission
The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers is a non-profit professional organization committed to advancing the careers of cable telecommunications professionals and serving their industry through excellence in professional development, information, and standards. SCTE currently has more than 14,000 members from the United States and 70 countries worldwide and offers a variety of programs and services for the industry's educational benefit. SCTE has more than 70 chapters and meeting groups and has technically certified more than 3,000 employees of the cable telecommunications industry. SCTE is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited standards development organization. Founded in 1969, SCTE is headquartered in Exton (suburban Philadelphia), Pa.

What Our Members Are Up To
SCTE's members are the astute men and women, both veterans in the industry and newcomers to the industry, who are driving the future of cable telecommunications, specifically the so-called Quad Play—video, voice, data, and wireless. These brilliant pioneers are bringing to reality the ideal of seamless mobility in the dissemination and consumption of information and entertainment. Consider the words of Thomas Staniec, vice president, network engineering, with Time Warner Cable and an SCTE member since 1975. He insightfully summed up the industry's future network architecture goal this way in a tutorial he delivered last year titled "The All-Digital Network: Imagine the Possibilities." Staniec said, "A network should be able to provide everything on demand, from anywhere to anywhere, from anyone to anyone, at any time and in any format."

Some Primary Attractions of SCTE Life
SCTE has become much more than its two main annual shows, but they are, indeed, the backbone of the Society and events that our members look forward to with much anticipation—SCTE Cable-Tec Expo^®

and the SCTE Conference on Emerging Technologies^® (ET).

Each June, the Society holds SCTE Cable-Tec Expo^®, the industry's premier engineering show, hosting nearly 400 exhibitors and 10,000 attendees and featuring the latest in cable telecommunications technology. This year the event took place in San Antonio, Texas, and the 2006 edition is set for Tuesday through Friday, June 20-23, in Denver, Colo. Chris Bowick of Cox Communications will serve as the Expo 2006 Program Subcommittee chair, responsible for putting together the cutting-edge slate of technical workshops.

Each January, the Society holds the SCTE Conference on Emerging Technologies^® (ET). Industry leaders provide a strategic view of the technical issues and technologies that may transform the industry in the next three-to-five years. ET 2006 is set for Tuesday through Thursday, Jan. 10-12, in Tampa, Fla. Kenneth Wright, CTO of C-COR, is serving as the 2006 ET Program Subcommittee chair, and a challenging and exciting program awaits attendees.

SCTE also provides a monthly event that delivers fresh insights and instruction on current cable telecommunications technologies right to your computer workstation. It's called SCTE Live Learning™—a series of live, interactive, web-based seminars offered the third Wednesday of every month (except June). They are free for SCTE members; $29 each for nonmembers. SCTE Live Learning™ is sponsored by Cisco Systems, Fujitsu, Motorola, and Scientific-Atlanta.

No Need to Wait
As far as SCTE is concerned, your future can be now. SCTE encourages students pursuing an engineering or technical career to join the Society to network, enhance their knowledge, utilize SCTE's Career Center, and gain eligibility for SCTE scholarships. Student membership is available to any individual who is attending college, a university, or technical trade school and is not holding full-time employment. Student membership status is limited to four years. The annual dues are $29.

Membership entitles you to discounts on SCTE events like Expo and ET and access to exclusive areas of our website, such as SCTE InfoScope^®, a qualified broadband search engine featuring broadband engineering and cable technology information. SCTE InfoScope^® covers such pertinent subjects as VOD, VoIP, DOCSIS^®, HDTV, and WiFi.

Check Us Out Online
We invite you learn more about us by visiting our newly revised website, www.scte.org.