SCTE•ISBE, Cable Operators Challenge Tech Industry to Create Breakthrough Energy Innovations

SCTE•ISBE has teamed with Comcast and Liberty Global to launch the Adaptive Power Challenge, which is intended to spur development of new solutions to manage energy across broadband networks. Entries will be judged by a panel of industry leaders including representatives from Comcast, Liberty Global, Cox, Canada’s Rogers and Shaw, and CableLabs®.

The collaborative industry challenge offers winners in two categories—Established Enterprises and Breakthrough Organizations such as labs, universities and startups—the opportunity to test their solutions with the biggest cable system operators in the world.

Open to commercial and academic developers, innovators, scientists and technology solution providers, the contest also offers the two winners prizes of $10,000 each for solutions that can lead to breakthrough change in cable network energy management. SCTE•ISBE and the industry are particularly interested in solutions that address access networks and edge facilities, in which 73-83% of cable operators’ energy consumption occurs.

Produced under the auspices of the SCTE•ISBE Energy 2020® program, the Adaptive Power Challenge focuses on finding solutions in three areas that are integral to the delivery of cable communications services:

• Monitoring & Measurement—Monitoring and measuring energy consumption and ambient conditions correlating quality and health of services with energy;
• Demand Response—The ability to implement “peak shaving” and functionality that results in load shedding; and
• Supply & Control—Using the functionality of adaptive power DOCSIS®-enabled devices to control consumption profiles and service quality dependent on energy supply.

Applications may be submitted until Friday, June 29, 2018. Entries will be evaluated in Q3 2018 by the judges, as well as representatives of SCTE•ISBE and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

Finalists in each category will be announced on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, at the SCTE•ISBE Standards Energy Management Systems Plenary in Louisville, CO. A total of six finalists will compete by presenting their solutions on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo® 2018, in Atlanta, with the two winners to be announced onsite. More information on the challenge including how to apply is available at https://www.adaptivepowerchallenge.com.

The Adaptive Power System Interface Specification (APSIS™) (ANSI/SCTE 216 2015) and related material have been created by SCTE•ISBE as part of the Energy 2020 program. APSIS, in turn, adopts international specifications in this area from the ETSI Energy Management (eman) platform, including RFC 7326 and related material.

“Consumption of services varies according to a number of factors such as time of day, seasonality, and situational demands, but power requirements for today’s equipment are constant,” said Chris Bastian, senior vice president, engineering, and CTO of SCTE•ISBE. “The goal of APSIS™ and the Adaptive Power Challenge is to treat energy as a network resource, driving creation of a new generation of systems and equipment that can increase or reduce the power required to align with consumer use.”

“The Adaptive Power System Interface Specification and other APSIS-related standards were created to give cable communications providers a universal framework for reduction of unnecessary energy usage,” said Frank Sandoval, Chair of the SCTE•ISBE Standards Program’s APSIS Working Group. “The Adaptive Power Challenge’s incentives are intended to encourage anyone with a creative energy idea to help us expedite innovative applications that can deliver real results for the broadband industry and the communities it serves.”

Energy 2020 brings together cable operator and vendor expertise to create alignment on standards and operational practices, to drive design and implementation of equipment, and to create SCTE•ISBE training resources that will enable workforce teams to optimize technology for maximum efficiency.

More information on Energy 2020 and the SCTE•ISBE Energy Management Program is available at http://www.scte.org/energy/ or by e-mailing energy@scte.org.

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) is part of a unique ecosystem that has the power to prepare the workforce to meet the ever-changing demands of the Telecommunications Industry. Our members can realize streamlined delivery of products and services, improved customer satisfaction, and increased employee retention rates directly impacting business results. In cooperation with our partners, CableLabs® and NCTA, SCTE prepares tomorrow’s telecommunications leaders by communicating new Industry trends and technology, developing standards, and delivering relevant training and certification programs to enhance members’ expertise and professional development. SCTE and its global brand, the International Society of Broadband Experts (ISBE), build value for corporate, vendor, and individual members by creating peer networking opportunities, professional mentoring, and communication of Industry information. Visit www.scte.org. Connect with SCTE at www.scte.org/socialmedia.

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