BTR Tech Breakfast: DOCSIS What Have We Learned

Oct. 5, 2016
At SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, BTR and a panel of industry experts, including special guest speaker Jorge Salinger, VP of Access Architecture at Comcast, examined the lessons learned from the first deployments of DOCSIS 3.1 and also looked ahead to future plans, including wider deployment and the development of the symmetrical Full Duplex version of the spec.

DOCSIS 3.1: What Have We Learned So Far?

Part of the SCTE Media Breakfast Program

DOCSIS 3.1 remains a topic of keen interest in the cable industry. The technology offers a route to multi-gigabit services without having to resort to expensive fiber-to-the-home buildouts. Early D3.1 deployments have begun, and they can be expected to expand as compliant equipment - particularly customer premises gear - becomes more readily available.

At SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, BTR and a panel of industry experts, including special guest speaker Jorge Salinger, VP of Access Architecture at Comcast, will examine the lessons learned from the first deployments and also look ahead to future plans, including wider deployment and the development of the symmetrical Full Duplex version of the spec.

Who Should Watch?

  • Cable Operators
  • Service Provider C-Level Executives
  • Network Planners
  • Network Operations Management
  • Head End and Central Office Engineers
  • Others at operators evaluating DOCSIS 3.1

Viewers Will Learn:

  • The current state of play with DOCSIS 3.1
  • Lessons learned from early and ongoing DOCSIS 3.1 deployments
  • What to expect in the coming year
  • Future developments with DOCSIS 3.1, including symmetrical Full Duplex
  • How to prep both plant and technical staff for the transition
  • And More!

Moderated By:

Stephen Hardy, Editorial Director and Associate Publisher

Stephen has covered communications and technology for more than 25 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing the Broadband Technology Report editorial strategy across its website, newsletters, videos, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing. Stephen also serves as the Editorial Director and Associate Publisher of BTR's sister publication Lightwave.

Speakers Include:

Chris Bastian, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, SCTE

Chris Bastian joined SCTE/ISBE in 2015 following three decades of leadership in advanced cable and network security technologies. Chris is responsible for all areas of technology and engineering to ensure that SCTE and ISBE maintain a leadership role in standardizing and operationalizing advanced technology, including the SCTE Standards Program and the SCTE Engineering Committee – as well as groundbreaking efforts such as SCTE’s Energy 2020 program.

Prior to joining SCTE/ISBE, Chris spent 10 years with Comcast, where he served as senior director of converged regional area network engineering for the Comcast Network Engineering Group, executive director of network architecture for the Comcast Technology and Product Group and ultimately as executive director of Comcast’s Xfinity WiFi network. Previously, he had held network operations and engineering positions with RCN and Comcast Cellular Communications, and had spent 10 years in engineering and leadership capacities with the National Security Agency.

Chris holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University and an M.S. in Technical Management from Johns Hopkins University.

Belal Hamzeh, Director of Network Technologies, CableLabs

Mr. Hamzeh is leading the wireless and wired technologies R&D efforts for Wi-Fi, LTE technologies, 5G and DOCSIS. Belal has extensive experience in the technology development lifecycle for wired and wireless technologies spanning specification and standards development to technology deployment.

Jorge Salinger, Vice President of Access Architecture, Comcast

Jorge Salinger is Comcast's Vice President of Access Architecture. Among other accomplishments, he played a key role in the development and adoption of the Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP), which incorporates both video and data infrastructure in one platform. Recently, he has headed the MSO's experiments with DOCSIS 3.1 in live field trials in the homes of Comcast employees and other "friendlies."

Brady Volpe, Founder of The Volpe Firm, Inc and Nimble This LLC.

Mr. Volpe has nearly 25 years of broadband cable and telecommunications industry experience. After graduating from The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering he started as an RF Engineer at C-COR Electronics (now Arris). Moving into the DOCSIS arena while working at Filtronic Sigtek he graduated with a Masters in Electrical Engineering with highest honors (4.0) from Johns Hopkins Applied Research Lab. At Sigtek he co-invented the first portable DOCSIS Protocol Analyzer for the broadband cable market. Later, he worked for Sunrise Telecom and JDSU in VP and Director roles where he was integrally involved in the design and successful development of new products.

Mr. Volpe is a patent holder, published and an avid technology geek. He has a large domestic and international following on his blog which is also followed by major MSO’s. and cable operators. He is currently with "The Volpe Firm, Inc." specializing in DOCSIS, PNM, EPON, SIP trunking, troubleshooting, VoIP, video, MATLAB simulations for product development, Technology Roadmaps and all things broadband.

He also founded Nimble This in 2013 which is the first company to bring Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) to the commercial market.