October 7, 2009

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) is undertaking work to provide symbol and related standards to help the industry “more effectively leverage efficiencies inherent in the network maps used in geographic information systems (GISs)”.

This project is expected to address elements integral to today’s
network mapping: features relating to network and structure; data
attributes for each type of network element; and relationships between
modelled elements. A defined set of web services for data exchange
capabilities also will be considered.

“In the past, network maps were static maps that just told you what was
where,” said Steve Oksala, SCTE’s vice-president, standards. “But
today’s cable operators are using this data in far more creative ways
to provide better customer service at lower cost. The map—as part of an
overall GIS—has become a key component in the overall service process.”

The initial meeting for the new standards for symbols and data project
will be open, held in conjunction with SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2009. SCTE
has assigned this new project to its Interface Practices and In-Home
Cabling Subcommittee (IPS). IPS is one of six standards-developing
subcommittees under the SCTE Engineering Committee, which oversees the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited SCTE Standards
Program.

SOCIETY OF CABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERS