WASHINGTON, DC – The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. (CableLabs®) and the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) today announced that a new industry-wide technical summit would merge annual events previously hosted individually by the organizations during Cable Connection–Spring.  The new technology conference, Cable Connection–Spring Technical Forum, will be fully integrated into The Cable Show 2010, NCTA’s 59th Annual Convention and International Exposition taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, May 11-13, 2010.

    Combining the best elements of NCTA’s Technical Papers and SCTE’s Conference on Emerging Technologies, the 2010 Spring Technical Forum will focus on innovation and the business of technology in the emerging digital marketplace.  The Forum will include peer review papers, invited plenary panels, and special networking opportunities – all in one place, at one time.  Deadline for technical paper proposals is December 9, 2009.

“We predict the sum of one combined event, designed to meet the needs of the broadband industry’s top innovators, will be greater than the separate parts,” said Mark Dzuban, SCTE President and CEO.  “The cable industry is in the forefront of broadband innovation, and attending the Spring Technical Forum will become a must for industry technologists.”

Forum participants will include a broad cross section of senior-level technologists and those with engineering management and financial responsibilities.  Admission to the Spring Technical Forum is included with a Cable Show 2010 registration, although a separate enrollment will be required.  Registration is open now at www.thecableshow.com. 

    “This kind of integration and collaboration is in line with the direction our industry’s leaders have established,” said Dr. Paul Liao, CableLabs President and CEO. “I think this collaborative approach is a very positive step.”   

The three organizations have issued a joint call for technical paper proposals.  Selected authors will be invited to present the highlights of their paper during one of several technical sessions at the Forum.  Multiple submissions are allowed, and any topic of interest to the cable broadband engineering community is eligible.  However, product pitches and previously published works will not be considered.  Potential technical paper topics could include:
·    Next generation network architectures
·    Delivering commercial/enterprise-class services
·    Delivering wireless services
·    Residential voice, video and data gateways
·    Advanced advertising and interactive applications using EBIF
·    Evolution of all-IP delivery platforms
·    Stereoscopic 3D television
·    Moving from fixed address to personalized services
·    Impact of nano technology on the telecom future

A blue ribbon panel of industry technologists, led by Dan Pike, Chief Technical Officer, GCI Cable, Inc., will jury the papers and shape the overall content of the Forum.  Judging will be based on the premise, reference value, content and intended audience of each paper.

“There is no doubt that perpetuating the industry’s scientific body of technical literature while reporting on new breakthrough concepts and ideas that advance the technology foundation of the industry is of great value to us all,” said Pike.

Prospective authors interested in preparing and presenting a paper at the Spring Technical Forum should submit a proposal using the online submission tool available at www.springtechforum.com no later than December 9, 2009.  The technical papers proceedings will be available for purchase during The Cable Show 2010, and thereafter online.

“We are so pleased to host this premiere technology event as part of the Cable Show program,” said Dr. William Check, Senior Vice President, Science & Technology, NCTA.  “We look forward once again to facilitating a future-focused dialogue among the industry’s technical leadership.”
For further information on The Cable Show 2010, and to register for periodic Cable Show updates, visit www.thecableshow.com.