Two important organizations in the cable MSO space, CableLabs and SCTE·ISBE, say they have agreed to merge. If SCTE·ISBE members approve the agreement in a vote scheduled to conclude December 10, 2020, SCTE·ISBE will become a subsidiary of CableLabs on January 1, 2021.
CableLabs, whose membership includes 65 cable network operators worldwide, primarily develops standards to meet its membership’s requirements; it is the source of the DOCSIS standards, for example (see "CableLabs publishes DOCSIS 4.0 specification for 10 Gbps downstream, 6 Gbps upstream"). Its work has led to the receipt of more than 300 patents over the last 30 years. SCTE·ISBE serves a membership of approximately 19,000 people from both operator and vendor companies, principally in the Americas and Europe, via professional development, standards creation, skills certification, and information provision. Its Corporate Alliance Program, which targets cable operators, vendors, and contractors, currently includes 50 member companies.
The two groups have worked closely together for some time, said CableLabs President and CEO Phil McKinney and SCTE·ISBE President and CEO Mark Dzuban told members of the media on a call yesterday afternoon. The merger will accelerate the pace at which new standards and technology achieve commercialization and widespread deployment, predicted McKinney. Dzuban noted a near-term emphasis on advancing 10G, the industry’s efforts to support symmetrical 10-Gbps broadband services, particularly via hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) infrastructure. A combined organization will give CableLabs more direct access to the vendor community while supporting SCTE·ISBE’s efforts to expand its reach internationally, McKinney added.
The activities, senior leaderships, and branding of the respective organizations aren’t expected to change. CableLabs members will gain SCTE·ISBE membership as part of the CableLabs dues payment, although SCTE·ISBE will continue to offer membership to those unaffiliated with its potential new parent. CableLabs will take a more active hand in the programming for SCTE·ISBE’s flagship Cable-Tec Expo event, continuing a trend that has seen that group focusing less on its own events in favor of supporting SCTE’s annual conference and exposition. However, CableLabs appears to want to continue its 4Front event, which was cancelled this year due to the pandemic.
The boards of the two organizations have approved the agreement. A page on the SCTE·ISBE website will be created to offer members information on the proposed merger as well as the opportunity to vote for or against it.
For related articles, visit the FTTx Topic Center.
For more information on FTTx technology and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of fiber network deployments, subscribe to Lightwave’s Service Providers and Datacom/Data Center newsletters.