Diamond Technology Reviews 2023

The 19th Diamond Technology Reviews, in which Broadband Technology Report again recognizes innovation in broadband communications, video transmission, and related technologies, sees a new wave of technology to enable 10G and fiber broadband networks.

This special issue is being featured at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo, held in 2023 in Denver, Colorado. As always, the BTR staff and our program judges were impressed with the ingenuity exemplified in this year’s high-scoring entries.

Our program this year followed the usual procedures: We invited vendors serving the standard broadband cable industry to submit information about products that had been released or upgraded since last year’s SCTE Cable-Tec Expo (October 2022). Each entry was assigned to at least three of our expert volunteer judges. To help ensure fairness, similar products from different vendors were reviewed by the same group of panelists.

Judges based scores/ comments on written material provided by vendors and their experience with or knowledge of the specific technologies. Review panelists were informed that scores/ comments would remain anonymous.

Specifically, judges used the following scale to determine Diamond scores:

1.0-2.5: Not a valid product

3.0: Useful product, yet commodity

3.5: Solid product with viable attributes that set it apart

4.0-4.5: Excellent product with technical features and performance that provide clear and substantial benefits

5.0: Superb product that sets new standards for performance and/or breaks new ground

Each entry’s scores were averaged and rounded to the nearest full or half Diamond. Note that products are grouped by score (with the highest Diamonds ranking first) and then in alphabetical order. Scores of 3.5 or above are considered excellent and reflect a favorable opinion from the panel. Only products receiving a 3.5 or above are included in this publication.

This year’s entries represented a wide range of technology solutions enabling cable networks to fulfill the 10G promise via HFC, fiber and SDN-based systems to deliver services and simplify maintenance. There was also an emphasis on solutions for back-office systems and network planning tools to offer Metro Ethernet, extend IPv4 address life, and reduce network design and construction costs.

Once again, 1.8-GHz capabilities and Remote PHY for fiber-deep deployments and MDU environments were displayed. Similarly, there were new advancements in PON networking, DWDM and Ethernet. Also, various testing platforms can help cable operators test the new demands on the fiber and HFC plant.

“Our 2023 Diamond Technology Reviews honorees reflect the cable industry’s can-do technical spirit to support the bandwidth and applications consumers and businesses demand,” commented Broadband Technology Report Editor in Chief Sean Buckley, who is for the first time serving as program director this year. “It will be great to see the fruits of our honoree’s innovations firsthand in Denver.”

The backbone of the program is the Diamond Technology Review judging panel. “Once again, we asked our judges to review many entries quickly, and we are indebted to them for continuing to support our program.”

2023 DIAMOND TECHNOLOGY REVIEWS JUDGES PANEL

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Sean Buckley, Editor in Chief, Broadband Technology Report

Fuad, Alnajjar, Vice President, Business Engineering, Wireless for Mediacom
Jack Burton, Principal, Broadband Success Partners
Zac Cronauer, Technical Project Manager, Tillman FiberCo
Tee Harton, Sr. Director, RF Engineering at Cox Communications
Robert Kuse, Director of Cox Business Network Engineering at Cox Communications
Tom Williams, CEO, Schurz Communications
Mark Woodworth, managing director, Magnolia Road Internet Cooperative

Active Network Hardware

Precision Optical Transceivers, Inc.: 40km 25G DWDM Tunable Optical Transceiver

TELESTE: DAN3 Remote PHY node

VECIMA NETWORKS: Entra ERM3 Series of Remote PHY Devices (RPDs)

Back Office

Incognito Software Systems Inc.: Network automation of DHCPv6 MAP-T with Broadband Command Center platform

IQGeo: Comsof Fiber

Cabling and Accessories

Amphenol Broadband Solutions: LiNC™ -Lightguide Interconnect Network Chassis

CommScope: HeliARC Fiber Cable

Technetix: XFO | 10G Faceplate-only multitap

Technetix: ASP-72