Mobile Services, Smart Cities And More On Tap for Theater’s Three-Day Run

SEPT. 5, 2019 (Exton, PA)—The manifold impact of cable innovation– on mobile services, Smart Cities and beyond – will be explored when Innovation Theater returns to the SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo show floor next month, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) and its global arm, the International Society of Broadband Experts (ISBE) announced today.

More than a dozen panels and presentations by operators, vendors and a cross-section of industry associations will tackle key technical and business issues on Tuesday, Oct. 1 and Wednesday, Oct. 2. On Thursday, Oct. 3, the industry and Smart Cities organizations will team up for a dedicated “Smart Cities Day.” The schedule includes:

Tuesday, Oct. 1

· 10G After the Launch: So Here’s What You Might Have Missed –Rachel Beisel of CableLabs and Brian Dietz of NCTA in a discussion with moderator Leslie Ellis (translation-please.com) of the why, what and when of cable’s leap into the future. More information on 10G is at https://www.10gplatform.com/.

· Comcast: Building a 10G Network – A technology discussion of how 10G’s reduced latency, enhanced reliability and better security can unlock life-changing technologies such as connected health, AR and VR with Comcast senior executives Jan Hofmeyr and Elad Nafshi.

· CableLabs: 10G and Low Latency: Improving the Mobile Experience – Shaw Communications’ Damian Poltz, CableLabs’ Jennifer Andreoli-Fang, Sercomm’s Ben Lin and Cisco’s John Chapman, moderated by CableLabs’ Shahed Mazumder.

· NETSCOUT: Visibility for the Borderless Network – Insights on how new tools are enabling operators to attain seamless service assurance across any network, any service and any subscriber in an era of virtualization, cloudification and digitization. Speakers include NETSCOUT’s Dr. Vikram Saksena and Ryan Eccles.

· Intel: Closing the GAP to HFC Network Densification – Discussion of the standardized Generic Access Platform that can allow MSOs to deliver faster, richer broadband and multi-edge services while saving on CAPEX. Speakers include Intel’s Ed Dylag, Silicom’s Elad Blatt, Charter’s Matt Peterson, ATX Networks’ Jay Lee, Cisco’s Sean Welch, and AOI’s George Concalves.

· Report from the Front Lines: The Real Real About Virtualization – While virtualization is a vital upgrade option for MSOs, they only have one shot to do it right. Commscope’s Tom Cloonan and Chris Busch and moderator Leslie Ellis (translation-please.com) discuss how to do it correctly.

· A New Customer Interaction Model – Comcast’s Charlie Herrin discusses how the company is using new interactions and artificial intelligence to transform the customer experience.

· The Cable Center: Women’s Up and Coming CEO Panel – Discussing the challenges and successes of rising women leaders, how they’re helping the industry grow, and what must be done to recruit/retain young women in media/tech. Comcast’s Kukis Moran, Charter’s Holly Hinze, and other speakers with moderator Jana Henthorn (The Cable Center).

Wednesday, Oct. 2

· ACA Connects: Network Management and Growth for Mid-Size and Small Operators –With Sparklight’s Ken Johnson, Schurz Communications’ Tom Williams, OpenVault’s Josh Barstow, Evolution Digital’s Cash Hagen and moderator Matt Polka (ACA Connects).

· TVC and Corning: Emergency Restoration – Addressing how MSOs can prepare for and cope with emergencies that interrupt service and steps that can be taken to restore networks quickly, with Corning’s Michael LaPierre, TVC Communications’ Frank McCullough and SCTE•ISBE’s Mark Dzuban.

· Canoe Ventures: This Ad’s for You – Exploration of the ecosystem contemplated to enable linear addressable advertising and critical elements of the roadmap, with Canoe’s Ed Knudson (moderator) and Sid Gregory, NCC’s Gerritt Niemeijer, Imagine Communications’ Steve Reynolds, Experian’s Brad Danaher and Blockgraph’s Jason Manningham.

· CSG: Preparing Field Service for the Future – Discussion of how field teams can support creation of ecosystems that stay ahead of the pace of change with emerging technologies such as 5G and IoT, with CSG’s Jason Kuhn.

· Plume: Winning Through Consumer Experience in the Highly Competitive Smart Home – Gain insight into how ISPs can leverage direct relationships with subscribers and embrace sustainable growth models based on Wi-Fi connected experiences. Plume’s CCO Tyson Marian, Armstrong’s Michael T. Scardina, Point Broadband’s Mark Davis, and moderator Leslie Ellis (Ellis Edits).

Thursday, Oct. 3 – “Smart Cities Day”

· Opening Keynote – Tom Adams, Executive Vice President, Field Operations for Charter Communications, and Bill Warga, Vice President, Technology, Liberty Global, with moderator Jeff Baumgartner of Light Reading.

· US Ignite: Cable and the Smart City: Partnerships Happening Now – Pairing cable executives with community leaders to discuss where smart city needs overlap with innovative cable solutions, and how municipalities and cable companies are successfully working together to spur growth and improve quality of life. Panelist to include Arizona Institute for Digital Progress’ Dominic Papa, Cox Communications’ Susan Anable, St. Petersburg (FL) Innovation District’s Alison Barlow and others with moderator Mari Silbey of US Ignite.

· US Ignite: CIO & CTO Chat: New Orleans Speaks Out on Smart Cities – A discussion ofconnectivity, infrastructure and how technology can improve civic services featuring New Orleans CIO Kimberly Walker LaGrue and CTO Jonathan Wisbey with moderator Mari Silbey of US Ignite.

· CABA: Improving Organizational Productivity with Building Automation Systems – Presenting findings of a $150,000 research project by the National Research Council. Presented by the Continental Automated Buildings Association’s Greg Walker.

The premier and largest cable industry event in the Americas, SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo will take place from Monday, Sept. 30 through Thursday, Oct. 3. Expo is renowned as the pre-eminent venue that combines the thought leadership, engineering innovation, and deal-making that power the technological future of broadband telecommunications. As a nexus for content and service providers, technology partners, and industry experts, Cable-Tec Expo provides rich insights into technologies, products, and services that can generate revenue, streamline operations, and increase customer satisfaction.

Direct links are available for Cable-Tec Expo attendee registration (https://expo.scte.org/attendee-registration/), exhibitors ( and sponsorships (https://expo.scte.org/sponsorship-advertising/).