March/April 1996 -- Volume 8 Number 2
CableLabs has established a series of strategic initiatives for itself in 1996. One of these initiatives is to foster a higher profile presence on the World Wide Web for the cable television industry and for CableLabs.
The Labs has two Web sites -- CableNET (http://www.cablenet.org) and CableLabs (http://www.cablelabs.com). The CableNET site, which was created as a presence for the CableNET demonstration, will be designed to serve as a "one-stop clearinghouse" for the cable industry.
It will help those seeking cable-related information to avoid the confusion that is sometimes the result of the thousands of addresses produced by search-engine directories such as Yahoo and Alta Vista.
It is important to both CableLabs and the cable industry that the research consortium provide high-quality Web sites as a showcase for what Internet capabilities the cable industry can offer its customers. In addition, the cablenet.org Web site will provide CableLabs with a source of test data for the high-speed data modeling being undertaken by its High-Speed Data Tiger Team and its High-Speed Data Working Group.
The goal for the Web initiative is to foster a definitive source on the World Wide Web for information about Internet and other high-speed data services over cable. "It will also provide the cable industry with an incubator and showcase of new Internet technologies, and provide the industry with the tools and knowledge to use these new technologies," said CableLabs Vice President of Communications Mike Schwartz.
When CableNET '96 rolls around, the demonstration will begin to take shape on the Web before it is presented at the Western Cable Show, which is sponsored by CableLabs' partner in CableNET, the California Cable Television Association.
CableLabs intends to use the cablelabs.com site as its traditional location with an emphasis on Labs publications, members-only chat area and bulletin boards and technical reference areas.
CableLabs has developed a four-step strategy to fulfill its Web initiative.
White adds that CableNET currently features a link to an NCTA site (http://www.cablenet.org/ NCTA/national_show) launched specifically for the National Cable Show. Those planning to attend the show (April 29-May 1 in Los Angeles) can download registration forms and return them via fax to organizers.
CableLabs' senior analyst and Web project manager Don Dulchinos says that the expanded Web sites already feature links to various industry-related companies and organizations, including regulators, programmers, vendors and consortium members.
For more information about the project, contact d.dulchinos@cablelabs.com. For information about construction of Web sites or creating hypertext links to CableLabs' sites, contact l.yohe@cablelabs.com.
1996 Winter Conference Focuses on High-Speed Cable Data Services (Back to Top of Page)
About 170 people attended the CableLabs winter conference on cable data services issues. The conference was held February 28-29 in Atlanta. Assisting cable operators in evaluating the general area of cable data service delivery is among CableLabs' top priorities in 1996.
The morning of the first day was devoted to a briefing for CEOs of CableLabs member companies on cable return path issues. About 60 people attended this special session. James Chiddix, senior vice president of engineering and technology for Time Warner Cable and Dr. Rich Prodan, vice president of engineering with CableLabs, co-hosted the session.
Chiddix reported on field experience and field testing in the various technology trials that Time Warner Cable has underway in Rochester, New York, and in Elmira, New York. Chiddix said the cable return path does work and has been performing well in Time Warner Cable field trials. Tony Werner, TCI vice president, engineering, reported on plant issues such as reliability and said that cable's hybrid fiber coax networks can provide competitive reliability and availability.
Nick Hamilton-Piercy, senior vice president engineering and technology with Rogers Cablesystems Limited, discussed how Rogers is making the return path work on its systems. These reports were supported by Prodan who discussed what role CableLabs may play in helping to fill knowldege gaps on return path for its members.
The final speaker was Rich Bilotti of Morgan Stanley. Bilotti said that investors and others are looking at cable as a great opportunity but cautioned the CEO audience that high debt could pose a red flag.
Cox Communications Inc. President and CEO James Robbins delivered the keynote for the main conference urging attendees to pursue with vigor the technological advantage that cable has in the area of on-line data.
Robbins said that there is a great opportunity for the cable television industry. "For data services, the right time is right now," Robbins said. He noted the marketplace demand is high and that cable and cable alone has the technology to provide high-speed access at the right price. "All together, our broadband pipe provides an unassailable competitive advantage when it comes to high-speed data," he said.
Cox continues to rebuild and upgrade its system so that by the end of 1998, Robbins said, it is expected that 92% of the company's 48,000 miles of plant will be 550 MHz capacity or greater, and by the year 2000 75% of networks will be two-way capable.
The first session featured Dr. Jerry Bennington, visiting executive at CableLabs, reporting on the implications of CableLabs' high-speed data project. Hamilton-Piercy then briefed on the technology impact on the business, based on Rogers' experience in its on-line business in Newmarket, Ontario. Mark Coblitz, vice president of strategic planning with Comcast Corp. reviewed the interface specification process that involves CableLabs and a half dozen or so of the leading cable companies in North America.
Bill Rierdon, director of integrated operations for TCI, gave a presentation on the impact data services will have on operational issues. The afternoon concluded with David Reed, senior advisor on strategic planning at CableLabs, moderating speakers on the area of strategic assessment of the data business.
Daniel Minoli with Teleport Communications Group, discussed the potential use of asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology for high-speed data delivery, and Bennington talked about trends in home computing and what the impact of these trends might be on high-speed data services.
The second day of the conference was more technical in nature and began with Milo Medin, a vice president with @Home, discussing internetworking. CableLabs project manager of telecommunications projects, Bob Cruickshank, provided a detailed review of some findings of CableLabs' tests of cable modems.
He was followed by briefings from three different CableLabs members on actual field experience with cable modems. Mark Pezarro, vice president of research and development and business development with Cogeco, discussed the company's modem trials in three cities located in central Quebec.
Will Biedron, a senior network design engineer with Continental Cablevision, discussed the company's field trials in the northeast portion of the United States. Jay Rolls, director of multimedia technology Cox Communications, presented on some of Cox's plans. Michelle Kuska, director of network technology with TCI Technology Ventures, gave a detailed briefing on the cable data interface specification process.
Prodan then reported on CableLabs' RF (radio frequency) data modem transmission testing program.
Marty Weiss, director of multimedia networks for Cox Communications in Phoenix, reported on some of the network management issues in the Electronic Commerce Net project that is connecting businesses together via cable networks. Stephen Pearse, senior vice president with Time Warner Communications, gave a presentation on Enterprise Systems Management.
Tom Williams, a senior member of technical staff at CableLabs, provided a brief report on a software copy protection idea he has coinvented with Claude Baggett, also of CableLabs.
Thomas Miller, a founding vice president of the Emerging Technologies Group of FIND/SVP Inc. research firm, talked about some recent research the firm has done on Internet usage.
The final speaker of the conference was Jay Vaughan, director of engineering with Time Warner Cable, who addressed security issues.
CableLabs' summer conference will be held the week of July 22 in Keystone, Colorado.
CableLabs Adds Telecom and Data Modem Project Staff (Back to Top of Page)
CableLabs has added, over the last several months, staff to its cable data modem expertise in the Operations Technologies Projects (OTP) department, and to its overall wireless telecommunications capabilities in OTP and Engineering.
David S. Harrison, formerly of BDM International, was named project manager, network systems development. He is responsible for the development of network architectures and financial models associated with providing telecommunication services over the evolving cable systems.
Prior to joining CableLabs, Harrison was manager of information systems at BDM International. He also was an architect of the Defense Department's telecommunications network upgrade. Harrison holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Ohio State University and a master's degree in telecommunications from The University of Colorado.
Brian Reilly, staff project engineer, is focused on cable data modem projects. Prior to joining CableLabs from the University of Colorado, Reilly spent 10 years with GTE Government Systems Corporation where he was a member of technical staff. His work there included network design of ATM/Sonet systems, circuit and system design of computing hardware, and ASIC design. He received his bachelor's of science degree in electrical engineering from The Johns Hopkins University and a master's degree in computer science from the University of Colorado.
Thomas E. Moore is project manager, advanced network development. Moore provides technical and project management support for the design and implementation of laboratory-based cable data modem performance testing and network performance modeling. Moore holds a master of engineering degree in telecommunications (with Honors) from the University of Colorado and a master of business administration degree (with Honors) from the Harvard Business School. Prior to joining CableLabs, Moore spent five years as President and General Manager of a subsidiary of Public Service Company of Colorado.
Pamela D. Anderson was named a project manager, enterprise management technologies. She is responsible for the analysis of operations and business support systems required to support the new cable telecommunications environment.
Anderson has 11 years of experience in information systems and architecture development, including stints with NASA, Shell Oil Company, and BDM International where she designed local and wide area data communications architectures and Integrated Network Management System (INMS) architectures, migration strategies, and deployment plans.
She holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Louisiana State University and a master's in telecommunications from the University of Colorado.
Michael G. Laflin is lead member of technical staff (MTS) on wireless technologies in Engineering. In this position, Laflin evaluates the technical aspects for leveraging cable plant for wireless telephony applications.From 1988 to 1995 Laflin was with the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, U.S. Department of Commerce, heading the ELF/VLF research between 1988 and 1991. From 1993 to 1995 he headed the Institute's PCS research program.
Laflin has chaired several PCS ad hoc groups under the T1/TIA Joint Technical Committee (JTC) on Wireless Access. These include: the ad hoc group on PCS Technology Field Trials, the ad hoc group on PCS System Performance and Cross System Issues, and the ad hoc group on Wireless Access to Enhanced 9-1-1 Emergency Calling Systems. From October 1994 to November 1995 Laflin oversaw the JTC Technology Field Trials conducted on CDMA, W-CDMA, IS-54/136 TDMA, PACS, and IS-661 PCS technologies.
Laflin has a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and is currently working on a master's degree in electrical engineering at the University of Colorado.
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