Volume 46 No. 3 SEPTEMBER 2024
Spotlight on HEVC n Long Read: ISPs, Customer Service & Human Nature n Connected Britain 2024 - get involved! n IBC 2024 - see you in Amsterdam! n Plus we hear from Netceed, Openvault, Rincon, Abloy, Community Fibre and Witbe - Only in Broadband Journal
Network Flexibility
Grounded in Stability
Amphenol is a recognized world leader in broadband communication solutions for cable, satellite and telecommunications networks. Our unique corporate structure has the advantage of bringing product development investment closer to our customers while maintaining the stability of a multi-billion-dollar corporation. Networks by Amphenol , complete broadband solutions to your copper, fibre and wireless needs.
• DOCSIS • IoT • Premises Solutions • Engineering/Installation
• Wireless Backhaul • Fibre Deep • 5G/Small Cells • HFC
• Wireless • FTTx • PON • Satellite
Connected Britain 2024 Visit us at Stand #148 SCTE TechExpo 2024 Visit us at Booth #1131
contents
VOLUME 46 NO. 3 - September 2024
editorial Editor’s Letter Welcome to the September 2024 issue of Broadband Journal.
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ISSN 1751-0791
from the scte SCTE News All the latest news and events from the SCTE. scte balkans news SCTE Balkans Update from Ambassador-at-Large
Thanks to our supporters The SCTE ® is grateful to the following supporters for their continued support of Broadband Journal: Amphenol, ANGA, DCT Delta, FTTH Council Europe, IBC, Netceed, Ogi, Technetix, Webro, Wisi and Witbe.
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scte benelux news Benelux News All the latest news and events from the SCTE’s Benelux Group.
SCTE ® - The Society for Broadband Professionals
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scte member focus Mathew Tully, Director of Fixed Infrastructure, Engineering and Delivery, Virgin Media O2 14
Officers and Members of the Executive Committee President and Chair Dr Anthony Basham FSCTE Vice President Dave Hodges FSCTE Director Dr Roger Blakeway FSCTE Secretary Beverley Walker FIAM Members Laura Baskeyfield, John Callas, Melissa Cogavin, George Dyckes, James Harwood, Costas Kyriacou, Peter Sealey, Chris Swires and Peter Veerman
scte long read ISPs, Human Nature & Customer Service: Data The Paradox of Silent Success
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from the industry Industry News The latest global news from the industry.
22 30 34 40 44 50 54 58 60 64 68
Fuelling open connectivity with Software-Defined Access Unplugged: Interview with Jason Kelly, CEO, RINCON Security is the key - Steve Wintle, Head of CNI, Abloy
SCTE ® Communications House, 41a Market Street, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 0PN, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1923 815500
Getting to know Openvault
office@theSCTE.eu www.theSCTE.eu
Empowered field teams are key to bridging the rural connectivity divide
Expert reveals top ways to protect your privacy online 2024 Quantum internet poised to revolutionise global connectivity
Managing Editor Melissa Cogavin Tel: +44 (0)7501 780342 melissa@theSCTE.eu
Close Up on Netceed
Summer of Sports: What position does Open Caching play?
Community Fibre and Me
Publisher Evolution Print & Design Ltd
technical Spotlight on HEVC: The codec of choice for the video streaming industry Streamlining QA and Deployment: Why Agile Development Requires Post-Launch Testing in the Field
143 Cavendish Road, Leicester LE2 7PJ, UK Tel: +44 (0) 116 274 7700/0330 010 0004 sales@evolutiondc.co.uk
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Broadband Journal is published on behalf of the SCTE ® (Society for Broadband Professionals) by Evolution Print and Design Ltd. Neither the editor nor the Society, as a body, is responsible for expression of opinion appearing in the journal unless otherwise stated. Papers and contributions for consideration for publication in Broadband or for reading at meetings are welcome and should be sent to Melissa Cogavin. Letters Broadband Journal is your forum for debate on issues affecting the industry. Let us have your news and views. Write to The Editor, c/o Communications House, marking your letter ‘for publication’ or email melissa@theSCTE.eu. For reasons of space, we reserve the right to edit letters published in Broadband .
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5G-EMERGE Satellite-enhanced edge delivery
Securing the Future
spotlight on... Challenges of chromatic dispersion and polarisation mode dispersion in today’s networks
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industry events Connected Britain 2024
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IBC 2024
102 114 116
FTTH Congress Balkans 2024
© 2024 Broadband Journal Information in Broadband Journal may not be reproduced, changed or used without prior written permission from the SCTE ® .
ANGA COM 2024: A record 23,000 Visitors
acronym explainer
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products VB330 StreamOverview: Bridge Technologies Limitless cooling performance: Asperitas
120 122 124
STL unveils new 864F Micro Cables
service finder
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diary dates
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SEPTEMBER 2024 Volume 46 No.3
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EDITORial
Editor’s Letter
On page 14 we talk to Matt Tully whom many of you will know about his experiences in the industry, his advice to newcomers and what he gets out of his SCTE Membership. Would you like to be featured in our Member Focus section? Drop me a line – it would be great to hear from you. Rather impulsively I changed my own ISP last month so took the opportunity of chronicling the customer journey for a change - not an area we usually cover in a B2B journal but it was fun to do. You can read all about my experience with Community Broadband on page 68. Big thanks to the team at Community Fibre for a great job and for being such good sports! There are products reviewed in this issue from Bridge Technologies and Asperitas on page 120, and some excellent thought leadership from IQGEO, Kontron, Witbe, Qwilt and QRFY covering all kinds of topics. Plenty to get your teeth into as you make your way to either Connected Britain or IBC. Finally I’ve spent a lot of time interviewing some big names for this issue and it’s been a great experience – when people ask I always tell them how very friendly this industry is, it never fails to amaze me. You make it very easy for me to navigate and it is all so enjoyable. In this issue you’ll hear from Alper Turken, CEO of Netceed, Jason Kelly, COO at Rincon, Peter Rampling, CCO of Community Fibre and Steve Wintle, Head of CNI at Abloy. Thank you all for your time.
A bumper issue for you as we go ‘back to school’ for the September issue, and I hope you all had a great summer. We are delighted to be partnering with both Connected Britain and IBC this year as Official Magazine Partners so you’ll see two different covers reflecting those partnerships as a result. Both shows are such important industry events and we want to give them both the exposure they – and you, the participants – deserve, so you’ll find dedicated sections for each in the Industry Events section. We are also involved at Connected Britain with the Start Up Zone, which you can read more about in our News Section on page 4, and you’ll see us in action at the show itself on September 11-12, amplifying the noise all this innovation is making across our sector. IBC promises to be bigger and better than ever and the 12 page section dedicated to the show details of the floorplan, the new IBC AI Tech Zone and Talent Programme as well as the IBC Innovation Awards and Accelerators to make your experience easier while walking through the halls and getting your steps up! Themes covered in this issue include HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), which you can read all about on page 76 thanks to our good friends at Interdigital and Futuresource for their cooperation here. You’ll also read about Quantum Internet, something that will be a huge game changer and has just inched closer to becoming a reality (page 58), satellite enhanced edge delivery (page 86) and chromatic dispersion and polarisation, which you can read about in our Spotlight section on page 96. Thanks to our Corporate Members EXFO for their insight. The Long Read in this issue focuses on the holy grail of customer service and its increasing importance as the industry pivots from network roll out to service provider. Thanks to everyone I spoke to for their valued contributions; it was a fascinating journey, writing this one. You can read about that on page 16.
Melissa Cogavin Managing Editor SCTE ® , Society for Broadband Professionals melissa@theSCTE.eu www.theSCTE.eu
So ‘back to school’ it is – enjoy the shows, enjoy this issue!
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Volume 46 No.3 September 2024
Real fibre broadband for Wales
If it plays video, we can test it
All-in-one testing and monitoring technology developed for video service providers, learn more at witbe.net
Visit us at IBC2024 Booth 5.F84
scte news
SCTE at ANGA COM
As part of our brand relaunch the SCTE decked out its stand with the now familiar orange, black and white brand identity and we were delighted with the warm response our facelift has received. As part of our celebrations in our 79th year we brought out many of the Executive Committee with us, including Costas Kyriacou, John Callas, Dave Hodges, Amanda Ward, Roger Blakeway as well as our President Dr Anthony Basham, Treasurer Peter Sealey, Beverley Walker and Melissa Cogavin. We were delighted to talk to the delegates about our training courses, now free of charge for all our members, as well as let them know about important dates in the diary for the rest of this year, lectures, our AGM, dinners and our awards on October 12. SCTE President Dr Anthony Basham said, “We are so proud of our new look SCTE and were keen to bring all our Executive Committee out to Cologne to meet with members, remind people why the SCTE is so important to our industry and cement our position as the go-to resource for engineers and C-suite management alike. We are such a fast moving industry, and the launch of our new brand - ahead of the launch of the SCTE app itself - reflects the constantly evolving nature of the broadband sector. It was so great to see everyone. See you at the Autumn Lecture and AGM on October 16!” Peter Sealey, SCTE Treasurer told Broadband, “It was a privilege to get out to Cologne to see how highly the SCTE is regarded at ANGA COM, and to see so many of our members gathered in one place. What a fantastic show. We made lots of new friends and the feedback we got from our members about the new look magazine and the logo was terrific.” On the Wednesday night we had our celebration drinks event on the stand where we caught up with old friends and made lots of new ones. Thank you to everyone who attended and stopped by, it was great to see so many of you. Congratulations as usual to our good friends Peter Charissé, Jenny Friedsam and Carsten Engelke, who put on another slick, well-attended show and for whose support we are always grateful. Jenny Friedsam said, “As always we were delighted to welcome the SCTE to ANGA COM; our partnership goes back many years and we value the cooperation between our two organisations. They did a great job with their new look stand this year and we look forward to many more years of fruitful collaboration in the future.”
ANGA COM next year takes place later than usual on June 3-5 in Cologne.
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scte News
SCTE Bursaries Each year the SCTE offers bursaries to help with travel and hotel costs for our members to attend important and educational trade shows and events across the industry.
Amsterdam (13-16 September) and four bursaries have been awarded. Don’t miss out on this incredible membership benefit in 2025 and beyond! What’s included? E ach bursary package for either ANGA COM or IBC in 2025 includes pre-paid flights and hotel accommodation for up to 3 nights (courtesy of the SCTE) and entrance to the full conference programme (courtesy of ANGA or IBC as appropriate). The full terms and conditions of the bursary can be found on our website.
experiences, what you gained from attending and to highlight any specific areas that you found valuable or of specific interest. How do I apply? Please write up to 300 words on why you would benefit from a bursary and email it to office@theSCTE.eu Keep a look out for our bursary e-bursts in 2025 and get those applications over to us. Winners will be notified prior to each event. Please make your application and your subsequent report (for the lucky winners) your original work! No ChatGPT please.
This is open to ALL members, even Corporate ones, so do make sure you take advantage of this incredible membership benefit. This year seven SCTE bursaries were awarded for ANGA COM in May, five from IPKO in Kosovo, one from ARDING also in Kosovo and a final winner from the UK. Below they’ve told us a little about what they gained from the experience. The next event for which SCTE Bursaries have been allocated is the IBC 2024 event in
At the end of the event you will be expected to write a report of your
We look forward to hearing from you!
SEPTEMBER 2024 Volume 46 No.3
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scte news
Dear SCTE Due to the help we received for our travel and accommodation we were able to travel to ANGA COM in Cologne and it has massively broadened our horizons. We learned a huge amount, made lots of great contacts and got a very good sense of the direction of travel that the industry is taking. It was a great experience for us to see how other territories are handling the fibre roll out and embracing AI to impove efficiencies and reduce workloads. Overall it’s been an excellent opportunity for us to learn and and it’s a great springboard for us for our future endeavours. We received such a warm welcome at your stand and it was great to get to see so many of you in Cologne this year. Thank you! You’re the best! Owen Williams Driton Sadiku, ARDING Arber Vitija, IPKO Orhan Hoxha, IPKO Ekrem Aliu, IPKO Armend Krasniqi, IPKO Xhevdet Shala, IPKO
Driton Sadiku
Looking back, attending ANGA COM wasn’t just about fulfilling a professional obligation, but it was a truly educational experience. It provided me with valuable knowledge, connections, and inspiration that I can leverage to advance my career. As I think about the insights gained and the relationships formed, I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity made possible by the SCTE Bursary Award. It’s a reminder of how continuous learning and engagement in the industry can positively impact both personal and professional growth.
Professionally, ANGA COM proved to be as beneficial as usual. As a network operator, the event provided a great overview of the latest advancements in broadband technology. Attending various panel discussions and keynote sessions offered new perspectives from industry leaders. I gained a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities shaping our industry. Additionally, the exhibition floor was filled with innovative products and services from top vendors, providing the latest technological advancements. Interacting with representatives and attending demonstrations enabled me to stay updated on industry trends, empowering me to bring innovation to my country. Every vendor was very friendly and helpful regarding all our questions.
Stepping into the halls of ANGA COM, Europe’s premier platform for broadband, television, and online industries, was nothing
short of exhilarating. Thanks to the SCTE Bursary Award, I had the privilege of being in an environment with newest innovation, expertise, and networking opportunities. One of the highlights of my 2024 ANGA COM experience was the opportunity to meet with SCTE members and the board. Connecting with fellow professionals who share a passion for advancing the field of broadband and television was both inspiring and enriching.
Thank you again SCTE, Driton
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scte News
Xhevdet Shala
I am deeply grateful to the SCTE for giving me this opportunity.
I was able to visit numerous exhibitors and attend several conference presentations which were very useful and both were well attended. Visiting the ANGA COM event was a very impressive experience to meet with network operators, vendors, and industry experts to seek out ideas and solutions relating to FTTX, 5G, Smart City, and Gigabit Networks that will help me in the future to keep up with technological trends.
I am really grateful that I had the opportunity to visit ANGA COM this year as one of the lucky winners from the SCTE.
My particular thanks go to Bev and Amanda for their warm welcome at the SCTE booth. Xhevdet
It was really great experience to see so many technology productions and innovations and to meet great people of the industry.
SCTE App The SCTE has been hard at work this summer producing an app that will be available for download on the Apple Store and on Google Play.
digital version of Broadband Journal.
Featuring news, the latest industry standards, you can catch up on webinars, lectures and podcasts that you missed, register for events, tune in for our training sessions and read a Over time we expect to phase the print version of the Journal out, as it is sustainably the right thing to do but in the meantime, do check out the app, available on your phone whenever you need it, using your own login details from the website. Connected Britain
regulators and business owners, you’ll find hardware, software, OTT and digital service providers, as well as us, the all- important press. Thanks to the team at Total Telecom for another terrific opportunity, and a special shout out to Cheryl and Kieran for their hard work. Read more about Connected Britain on page 98.
Are you a start-up company at Connected Britain this year? Do you want to reach decision makers across the UK, Europe and North America? Drop us a line at office@theSCTE.eu with your details and we will give you a call.
We are delighted to be partnering with Connected Britain again this year, which takes place on September 11-12, and we are the show’s Official Magazine Partner. We will be doing something special with the 200 start-up companies assembled in the Investor Zone. All have the opportunity to be featured in our Start Up Zone section of Broadband Journal which we launched last year in response to the staggering levels of innovation we saw at the show, and we wanted to give these companies some well-deserved, free of charge recognition. Connected Britain, Connected Germany and Connected North are now important industry events, not to be missed if you are in the business of connectivity. With a stellar programme and speakers including industry bodies, operators, altnets, local and national government representatives,
SEPTEMBER 2024 Volume 46 No.3
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scte news IBC
This year’s focus on AI, immersive media, and sustainability highlights the dynamic evolution of the sector. Whether you’re a broadcaster, content creator, or tech enthusiast, IBC 2024 is the must-attend event to stay ahead of industry trends and advancements. A big thank you to Ayse Behcet and Jo Mayer for all their help and we wish you all the best for a terrific IBC.
You’ll find the SCTE at the Owners Pavilion and Broadband Journal
distributed widely at the show. IBC 2024 promises to be the usual groundbreaking event and a high point in the broadcasting and media technology industry’s calendar. Taking place at Amsterdam’s RAI, the conference will feature cutting- edge innovations in content creation, management, and delivery. Attendees can expect insightful sessions from industry leaders, hands-on demonstrations of the latest tools and technologies, and unparalleled networking opportunities.
Immediately on the heels of Connected Britain is IBC, taking place in Amsterdam on September 13-17. We are delighted to be Official Magazine Partner at IBC as well and you’ll find all the information you need, from a floorplan to the schedule of events on pages 102.
SCTE 79th Annual Gala Dinner & Awards
Additionally, the prestigious SCTE Technological Innovation Awards have only been awarded to Corporate Members of the Society but, as a result of the general interest raised, we have decided to open the awards to the whole Broadband Industry. This year we have invited members to nominate a product, system or concept for our Technological Innovation Award or a particular Company for our new Sustainability Award .
significant exposure and demonstrate its commitment to advancing the industry.
We are very much looking forward to seeing many of you at the SCTE 2024 Annual Gala Dinner and Awards, a premier event celebrating excellence and innovation in the broadband, telecommunications, and media sectors. Join us on Saturday 12th October at the prestigious Lincoln’s Inn for an unforgettable evening of elegance, networking and recognition of outstanding achievements. Enjoy a gourmet dinner, dancing and the chance to honour industry pioneers and emerging talent through various award categories. This event is a highlight on our calendar and offers an excellent opportunity for companies to showcase their brand to an influential audience. By participating as a sponsor, your organisation can gain
Don’t miss out on this exceptional evening. Secure your tickets and explore sponsorship opportunities by emailing Beverley Walker at bev@theSCTE.eu. Nominations have now closed for the 2024 SCTE Individual Achievement Awards. The 2024 Individual Awards will be in the following categories:
n Engineer of the Year (not necessarily an SCTE Member)
n SCTE Member of the Year
n SCTE Rising Star of the Year (not necessarily an SCTE Member
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Volume 46 No.3 September 2024
scte News SCTE Autumn Lecture 2024
sponsored by
The next lecture in our series this year focuses exclusively on sustainability and features panel discussions and lively debate from key figures who are doing incredible things in data centres, training, education and recycling:
Data Centres:
Recycling & UPCYCLING:
John Booth Carbon3IT
Martin Bradburn, Peasoup
Ricky White Cable Giants
JASON KELLY Rincon
Training & Education:
Neal Romanek The Flint
Dom Robinson Greening of Streaming
Anthony Daly Climate EQ
James Dove Climate EQ
email: bev@theSCTE.eu
SEPTEMBER 2024 Volume 46 No.3
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scte balkans news
Letter from the Balkans Broadband Journal caught up with our Ambassador-at-Large, Besim Latifi based in Kosovo to find out what’s happening in the Balkans.
entrepreneurship, innovation and technology in the region.
In our ongoing efforts to advance technological education and skills development, NGN hosted the region’s first 5G training event, titled “5G Training for Media, Industry 4.0, Legislation, Education, and Mobile Operators,” in May 2024. Training was hosted by Professor Jose Costa Requena from Cumucore company. As the first event of its kind, it attracted numerous participants from various industries. NGN and has launched new programmes at the Kosovo Innovation Hub. These initiatives aim to equip individuals and communities with essential knowledge and skills in the technology sector. Supported by generous funding from the US Embassy in Kosovo, the Kosovo Innovation Hub proudly announces the establishment of state-of-the-art training classrooms, a laboratory and the centre itself in Peja City. This centre is designed to empower the youth communities in the of Balkan Region by providing access to cutting-edge technologies and hands- on training experiences. At the heart of the Kosovo Innovation Hub will be a sophisticated laboratory dedicated to 5G, fibre optics and cybersecurity. The Kosovo Innovation Hub (KIH) in PEJA CITY is a prominent organisation in Kosovo dedicated to fostering
Here are some key aspects and information about the Kosovo Innovation Hub: GROWTH KIH aims to support and accelerate the growth of startups and innovative businesses in Kosovo. It provides resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help entrepreneurs develop their ideas into successful ventures. START UPS The hub offers various programmes and initiatives designed to assist startups at different stages of their development. KIH provides a physical space equipped with necessary amenities such as co-working spaces, meeting rooms, and event spaces. KIH collaborates with various local and international organisations, universities and government agencies to strengthen Kosovo’s startup ecosystem. While primarily focused on fostering
Besim Latifi, SCTE Ambassador- At-Large
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scte balkans news
local innovation, KIH also facilitates connections with global markets, investors and mentors.
WORKSHOPS
To foster innovation and problem- solving, NGN will host hackathons and collaborative workshops, providing a platform for participants to brainstorm ideas, develop prototypes and tackle real- world challenges in telecommunications, cybersecurity and high-frequency networks.
For individuals and organisations interested in collaborating with the
Kosovo Innovation Hub, we welcome your inquiries and proposals. You can connect with us through multiple channels for your convenience. Feel free to call us at +383 (0) 49 788 998 or +383 (0) 49 788 996. Alternatively, email NGN at shpresa@ ngn-ks.org and shpend@ngn-ks.org. The team at NGN look forward to hearing from you and exploring potential collaborations.
www.theSCTE.eu
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scte BEnelux News
SCTE Benelux presents: IBC Lecture 2024
Exploring the Horizon of AI in Video SCTE Benelux is once again organising an engaging lecture during the IBC event in Amsterdam. Taking place on Monday, September 16th, from 12:00-16.00, the theme is “Exploring the Horizon of AI in Video – Opportunities and Limitations.” The synopsis includes four insightful technical lectures where we delve into the dynamic realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the video/media industry. We will explore how AI is revolutionising content creation, editing and distribution, and what can be learned about its potential to transform the way we interact with video and media.
Register here:
www.scte-benelux.eu
ProgramME: n 12:00 – 13:00:
Speakers:
Welcome with coffee and tea
n 13:00 – 13:05:
Words of welcome by our chair
n 13:05 – 14:20: Lectures
Stijn Verrept
Jan de Cock Director of Codec Development at Synamedia
Ronald Peters Team Lead Product Management Anti-Piracy & TraceMark(TM) at Irdeto
Bart VANDEROSTYNE Regional Sales Director at Robovision
n 14:20 – 15:15:
Panel discussion, questions and closing
Co-founder & CTO at Nobi
n 15:15 – 16:30:
Networking & drinks
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Volume 46 No.3 September 2024
scte BEnelux News
NLconnect Annual Congress: Sustainably Connected
sustainability in the telecom, broadband, and fibre optic industries.
On Thursday, September 12th, NLconnect, a partner of SCTE Benelux, will hold its Annual Congress in Groenekan. This year’s theme is “Sustainably Connected.” The congress is an important platform for discussing innovative solutions and collaboration opportunities for further
SCTE Benelux members can participate at a discounted rate. Register at the url below.
www.scte-benelux.eu
On Wednesday, November 13th, SCTE Benelux will hold its second Tech Summit of 2024, again in collaboration with NLconnect. Security.” Additional information about location, times, and speakers will be provided via the website and email newsletters. Tech Summit: Infrastructure Security
The theme for this meeting, aimed at technical specialists, is “Infrastructure
www.scte-benelux.eu
Benelux Tech Summit on PON versus DOCSIS
from VodafoneZiggo explained how they utilise both DOCSIS and XGSPON.
After the official opening by our chairman, Edo Kweldam, moderator Peter Veerman and three specialists highlighted developments in PON and DOCSIS. David Whitehead from Harmonic discussed the necessity and future of DOCSIS upgrades. Eric Zhong from Huawei elaborated on possible transitions from copper infrastructure to fibre (PON) and future speeds. Finally, John Louwerse
On April 17th, in collaboration with partner NLconnect, the first SCTE Benelux Tech Summit of 2024 took place. Over 60 telecommunications specialists gathered at the beautiful Huawei Innovation Center in Rijswijk. The event began with a welcoming lunch followed by a tour led by Dennis Tossijn.
The event concluded with lively discussions over snacks and drinks. Special thanks to Goce Markovski from Huawei for hosting at this beautiful location.
www.scte-benelux.eu
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scte member focus
Member FOCUS MATHEW TULLY Director of Fixed Infrastructure, Engineering and Delivery, Virgin Media O2
What got you interested in a career in this industry and how did you get started? It started with my dad, Howard. He worked for Rediffusion, then British Cable Telecomm, Metro Cable and Cabletel in the 1980s and1990s. He would take me out as an 8-year-old boy to locations where they were building satellite receiving stations deep in the Welsh Valleys high up in the hills. A few years later I came and worked at the Cabletel office in Cardiff as a junior network planner and then returned every semester break during University. I am still here all these years later! How would you best describe what you do, and what do you enjoy best? I have been upgrading Virgin Media O2’s networks for the majority of my career. In the early 2000s it was upgrading to provide broadband services into the cable network, followed by 1GHz upgrades to enable DOCSIS 3.1 in the 2010s. Now in the current decade it is all about upgrading the network with full fibre to the premise. As much as I love the building of networks and seeing that transition, the bit I enjoy the most is building the teams who do it. That camaraderie and fun is what really brings the enjoyment to the role, and building successful teams is definitely what gets me out of bed every day.
What memories really stand out for you over the years you’ve been involved in this industry? The amount of change in the company and the technology. I remember bankruptcy back in 2001 which saw so many people leave NTL and was sad to see. The merger with Telewest and the rebrand as Virgin Media was such an exciting time, and still one of my favourite periods after so long in the cable industry doldrums. Launching Virgin Media’s first Gigacities in 2019 was a recent highlight and truly showed what our network was capable of. It all goes by so quickly, but seems only like yesterday! The sector has changed a lot in the last 20 years; what for you is the biggest shift? I remember big celebrations for rolling out 10Mb per second capabilities and now we have 1Gb nationally. The vast changes in speed of broadband have been exceptional. When I started back in the 1990s, it was purely a cable TV offering, so it has changed dramatically.
At the SCTE we take great pride in our individual members, who have made such a contribution to the growth and development of our industry. This section of Broadband Journal shines an overdue light on you wonderful people in every issue going forward, as well as regularly online.
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scte member focus
What do you get out of being a member of the SCTE ® ? What would you like to see more of? Many years ago I did the SCTE installer and technician training courses which were really useful, and would recommend any young person in the industry to undertake the current offerings. I attend lectures when I can, though it’s more difficult these days. They are a great way of seeing old colleagues and keeping up to date with what is going on in the industry. What’s the single biggest impact that AI will have on the streaming/broadcast industry? The single biggest impact of AI on the streaming and broadcast industry will be its ability to revolutionise content personalisation. AI can analyse viewer preferences and behaviours in real- time, enabling platforms to recommend highly tailored content to individual users. This enhanced personalisation not only improves user satisfaction and engagement but also optimises content discovery and retention, driving higher subscription rates and advertising revenues. By delivering the right content to the right audience at the right time, AI transforms the streaming experience into a more immersive and customised journey for each viewer. How do you see the broadband/telecoms industry changing over the coming 5 years? Consolidation is a major theme in the telecoms industry right now and in the UK fibre market there are, on some counts, up to 100 fibre operators. With this level of fragmentation, it feels like it might be a challenge for everyone to generate attractive returns and that the market needs a wave of consolidation.
Have you had any mentors over the course of your career and how did they help you? Again, my dad has been the main one. I was able to watch him in action managing teams throughout his time with Virgin Media. He always made sure that his teams had a can-do attitude, a belief that if you were going to do something, then do it right and with a sense of fun. I try to emulate that today. What would you tell a young entrant just about to get started in this sector? I have mentored a lot of graduates in the sector over the years, and the advice I give is always the same. Try and focus on the here and now, what role you are doing and do it well. Don’t try to rise too quickly without that experience to help guide your decision making. Look to move sideways, working in different companies, with different technologies to improve your knowledge and understanding, and you will find the roles come to you, rather than you having to look for the roles. What is the best thing about telecoms for you? I have always enjoyed the sector. I have never had that feeling on a Sunday of dreading the week ahead. Many of the people have been here for a long time and you can build relationships that really last. You are always bumping into a former colleague at a show or event and they are now with another telco. You are also constantly having to keep up with an ever- changing technology, from copper pair, to coax to fibre – it never stops. We are now having conversations around 50Gbps and 200Gbps in the coming decades. It will always be a fun and exciting place to work.
Many years ago I did the
SCTE installer and technician training courses which were really useful, and would recommend any young person in the industry to undertake the current offerings.
www.virginmediao2.co.uk
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scte long read
The Paradox of Silent Success ISPs, Human Nature & Customer Service:
By Melissa Cogavin, Managing Editor, SCTE
Tricky job, being an ISP. AFTER ALL, WE LIVE IN A world of instant gratification and impossible expectations. The public perception of what ISPs do and the industry experience of it are poles apart. Customer service is just one element at play.
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Negativity bias in 2024: repurposed into less life-threatening situations
“Leading broadband providers target less than six minutes of downtime a year for their subscribers. While that is a tough goal even for the local power utility, consumers expect that level of always-on availability from their internet service”.
Negativity Bias It is a strange, unhappy reality, but human beings are inherently wired to focus on problems rather than the absence of them. This evolutionary trait, known as negativity bias, has historically helped us survive by being more attentive to threats and issues. Much has been written about human physiological responses to threats; the role of the brain’s amygdala, how the flight-or-fight instinct manifests itself in dangerous situations and so on but firing off angry tweets when your internet is laggy and why we do it has been covered in arguably less detail. Fast forward some 2.5m years, in the context of customer service rather than sabre-toothed tigers, such bias means that consumers are more likely to notice and remember negative experiences, such as a network outage or slow internet speeds, than the times when their service is flawless. When everything works as expected, it blends into the background of daily life, becoming an invisible facilitator of routine activities rather than a noticeable service deserving of gratitude. Mustn’t grumble The problems don’t end there for ISPs. A curious dynamic exists, particularly in the national psyche of the British, who are, by some considerable metric, an idiosyncratic lot. In many areas the British excel, especially in the creative industries and in business certainly; the emergence of the crowded alt net market is an illustration of the ‘nation of shopkeepers’ approach to free enterprise that successive governments over the last half century have encouraged. An innately aggressive business acumen
and a strong desire to go it alone seems strangely at odds with the reluctance to complain, likely rooted in a horror of drawing attention to oneself, a fear of embarrassment. In fact, John Cleese once noted that “the British have made cringing a national pastime.” Authors and anthropologists alike, especially Americans, find this characteristic adorable; writer Sally Adee in her blog Last Word on Nothing delights upon the colour draining from the face of a British diner watching his New Yorker date completely rework the menu to her liking, only to receive something substandard on her plate, leading to ‘at least three bounce backs to the kitchen, a tide of increasingly loud, performative complaining meant to elicit sympathy from nearby diners (“Can you believe this place?”), and when the time comes to settle up, a heated exchange about removing the offending item from the bill. Don’t take your eyes off the Brit because you’re in for a treat. A man is about to rip off his own face.’ Adee continues, “This is an example of “Mustn’t Grumble” culture, is one of the principles on which British civilization was founded, deriving from “keep a stiff upper lip,” and which emerged during the Victorian period. As a concept, to foreigners its true meaning is completely untranslatable.” That untranslatable concept has likely had all manner of awful, unintended consequences; generations of people unwilling to ‘bother the doctor’ till it was too late, mental health problems for war veterans unable to articulate their trauma, until recently, world-renowned, inedible cuisine. And terrible customer service.
Dan Gledhill, Harmonic
In the age of rapid technological advancement, our dependence on seamless connectivity is more pronounced than ever. It has rocketed since the lockdowns of 2020 forced us into remote work, streaming entertainment took off, online education became normalised, and our homes became increasingly littered with smart devices, from weighing scales to kettles, from vacuum cleaners to mattress covers. Our adaptability as humans is largely what has made us such a successful species on this planet, but it is also why it is difficult to remember what life used to be like. Going into the bank to pay in a cheque. Counting your change. Rescuing a runaway cassette tape with a pencil. Giving your loved ones three rings. Waiting for the post. A bygone era now, the stuff of comedy for a millennial.
Yet, despite this massive shift and our wholesale reliance on Internet
connectivity, Bjorn Ivan Teigen, Head of Research at Domos and a member of the Broadband Forum, points out, “People do not necessarily remember to thank their Internet Service Provider (ISP) when the network is working flawlessly.” This statement touches on a profound aspect of human nature and customer service, shedding light on the often-unrecognised efforts of ISPs in ensuring uninterrupted connectivity.
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The emergence of the online ‘Karen’ phenomenon, the personification of the angry, entitled consumer with her asymmetrical bob is a direct consequence of this. A thankless task One of the paradoxes of excellent customer service in the ISP industry unfortunately is that its success often goes unnoticed. When everything works seamlessly, there is no apparent reason for customers to interact with their provider, just as it doesn’t occur to any of us to thank the water company for a really great glass of water. It just needs to be there. If it isn’t, that’s not good enough. Let’s put a positive spin on this. Such “silent success” is a testament to the efficacy of the ISP’s infrastructure and support systems. What an achievement for the sector! Out of the chaos of COVID, the fibre roll out has flourished, that superfast broadband connectivity in all its myriad complexities is now as efficiently mundane as our gas supply and it’s been done so seamlessly, so below the radar, that the very people it is there to serve never think to appreciate the work that went into providing it. Service providers in all industries are waking up to this now; machines inviting you to tap a happy face are becoming a common feature in airports, retail outlets, hospitals and even public toilets, where this image (top right) was taken. Surveys and invitations to acknowledge your server, your waiter, your retailer in exchange for a discount or entry into a prize draw are common to the point of
The Law of Unintended Consequences
are a hotbed of trivial issues from angry customers, followed by fawning apologies from horrified companies, appalled their reputations have been trashed so indelibly. The balance of power thanks to these sites has tipped from the companies to the consumer as a result. Whereas the BBC and ITV once had to step in with memorable consumer programmes in the 80s and 90s such as That’s Life and The Cook Report, now all that’s required for a company to take action is a one-star review. It is a massive shift. For context, it is only in recent times that customer service has become a priority outside North America; in Europe historically, good service was viewed as extraneous, an unexpected extra. Even now, tipping isn’t expected in many countries in Europe. Until the Internet came along that is; once the online review concept emerged, consumers soon understood their own value in the marketplace, and the gloves came off. The landscape is completely different now. Poor reviews can break a company in a brutally short time. Troubleshooting problems, providing technical support, offering solutions to ensure a satisfactory user experience are all in a day’s work for a customer service representative. Broadband is now a ubiquitous utility, accelerated by the global pandemic; our reliance on it is no less than water or electricity and our expectation of an immediate resolution reflects this need. Our depleted attention spans and expectation that everything must be instant (from a flatter stomach to an Amazon delivery) has fuelled this attitude, and anything less results in vocal frustration and angry reviews online.
All this paints a rather bizarre picture by way of introduction, and in 2024 one that needs qualifying certainly. We have moved on since Victorian times, particularly since 2010 or so, as the world has become increasingly connected (though Broadband Journal suspects the mustn’t grumble instinct remains powerful, if latent, amongst most socially awkward natives). As late as 2006 a Turkish study of hotel tourists found that the British were more likely than Dutch, Israeli and Turkish folk to agree that “I am embarrassed to complain no matter how bad the product/service was “. If they had to complain, Brits were most likely to do it by writing a letter. It is really only in the last 15 years or so that the approach to complaining has changed.
How has this happened? Platforms such as TripAdvisor, Google Reviews and TrustPilot (as well as social media more broadly) have emerged in this time and have had a profound effect on customer behaviour, in good ways as well as bad. Such resources have enhanced and enabled decision-making and most of all, made businesses accountable for the first time. They have elevated customer expectations and provide a platform for customer voices to be heard, leading to greater transparency and improved service quality. Done well, the business in question will leverage good reviews as a marketing tool, gaining customer loyalty and achieving competitive advantage in the marketplace. The flipside of course is that while created with the initially altruistic intention of informing and protecting consumers, such mechanisms have emboldened even the most reticent of awkward Brits, who have made the most astonishing 180 O turn, and now rub their hands together at the prospect of complaining. In the past few of us really understood exactly why our ‘statutory rights were unaffected’ or even what they were. Not so now. Review sites these days
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Ultimately, Ofcom issued firm guidance in December 2023, stating that “broadband firms must now tell consumers about the network that underpins their broadband service and must only use terms that are clear and unambiguous.” But the damage was already done. At the same time, Ofcom conducted research revealing that “more than a quarter (27%) of broadband customers lacked confidence in understanding the language and terminology used by providers. Furthermore, only 46% of customers who reported being on full-fibre broadband were living in areas where it is actually available.” It would be funny if it weren’t so awful. In a new, fast-moving industry, often described as the ‘wild west’ in its early days, full of complicated technology and bewildering terminology, it is hardly surprising that customer service had a steep hill to climb, making it all the more amazing that companies are in 2024 competing with each other in some cases purely on customer service alone. Differentiation How are companies getting around the indisputable fact that water is water, gas is gas and broadband is broadband? Customer service is surely the only differentiator; Octopus energy is spending a fortune on an ongoing and irritating ad campaign that focuses only on the service, not the product, illustrating the only differentiator in the energy business, after an expensive and fraught couple of years since the invasion of Ukraine affected supply. In fact, they say a key part of their
detect anomalies, potential failures and performance bottlenecks before they affect the end-users. What hasn’t helped however, is the confusion experienced by consumers. For a number of years they have been sold superfast fibre broadband believing their home would be connected by fibre optic cable. Most people are unaware that the broadband supplied to their homes is via twisted pair copper telephone cable, installed maybe half a century or more earlier, resulting in slower speeds. High profile marketing campaigns by the ISPs in the UK have arguably taken advantage of the knowledge gap, installed fibre only to the cabinet, allowing the customer to believe they had fibre optic right to their front door. Your writer has experienced this first hand. CityFibre felt so strongly about this confusion they pursued a judicial review of the Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA’s) November 2017 decision over the use of the word ‘fibre’ in broadband advertisements. The review was then dismissed by the High Court, who felt that the ASA was right in its assessment that “the term fibre was not a priority identified by consumers when choosing a service, was rarely noticed in ads and, where it was, was seen as a buzzword for faster broadband.” One angry blogger wrote at the time, “But that is because the ASA allowed it to turn into something meaningless. ASA are hardly likely to want to admit they made a mistake 12 years ago.” Such confusion was effectively legislated, giving ISPs free reign to continue misleading the public for another 6 years.
irritation. Not so easy to initiate with your broadband provider, but encouraging feedback from customers, even when there are no issues, can help ISPs understand user satisfaction levels and areas for improvement and avoid those negative remarks on Trustpilot and X. Uninformed and angry ISPs play a critical role in the digital ecosystem, ensuring that data flows seamlessly across vast networks. This involves sophisticated infrastructure, continuous monitoring and rapid response to any potential issues. Such infrastructure is vast and intricate, crossing international borders, encompassing undersea cables, satellite links and data centres. As sophisticated readers of Broadband Journal, you will know all too well the levels to which ISPs are investing in building and maintaining this infrastructure, ensuring it can handle increasing data loads and provide high-speed access to all users. Routine maintenance, upgrades and troubleshooting are intrinsic to daily operations to prevent disruptions. All of the above are largely unappreciated by end-users however, whose grasp of technology is generally fairly basic, yet the expectation of instant and consistent connectivity is extremely high. ISPs employ increasingly advanced monitoring systems to track the health of their networks in real-time. Data science is now a multimillion-dollar industry that the entire sector relies on heavily to understand consumer behaviour. These systems can
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I think the nature of the beast has shown that companies should have fixed their service issues ages ago, but their service is as bad now as it was 10, 15 years back, and they haven’t fixed that.” Currently, there is a differentiation between the network builders, who are future proofing their offering by building in 10G capability to their network; others are building networks with less of a ceiling, so they will face a challenge in 10-15 years when the copper has been phased out. Meanwhile, appetites for data are skyrocketing year on year along with customer expectations around Rampling memorably calls the ‘triumvirate of key levers’, product, price and service. Isn’t reducing prices endlessly a fruitless race to the bottom? It is well known that consumers, once they’ve been offered low prices, resist paying more. Price wars don’t generally benefit anyone in the long run. Rampling smiled and said, “I don’t buy “the race to the bottom” idea as there are consumer trends and market trends that are counter to this. One, people are prepared to pay more to get more, as our models consistently demonstrate. Two, there are massive out-of-contract hikes as operators seek to recover the investment in their networks, so in some cases prices are actually rising. People vote with their feet and we’re finding service is actually important to them. I think it is a race to give customers the broadband life they want and deserve.” Loyalty? What loyalty? Peter also touched on an interesting phenomenon that divides consumer behaviour and affects ISPs in a significant way. The agile switcher, the aggressive hunter, always looking for a better deal, devouring price comparison websites (the type that probably remembers to use up coupons and vouchers before they expire) – we all know that person. You might even be that person. Then there is the resister, the reluctant switcher, the risk averse consumer who knows where he is with his provider. It isn’t about brand loyalty at that point, it is about risk. Anyone living in a house with teenagers or works from home will probably relate to that aversion. Peter says, “When there’s more than one person in the house, there’s a whole lot of baggage that goes with whoever’s responsible for the broadband. There’s risk avoidance at play here along the lines of, “Well, if I switch, is there going to be a
platforms instead, giving them a better market position and higher revenue multiples in the stock market. Striking a good balance between delivering great seamless connectivity on one side and remaining relevant to the customers on the other is no easy task. I think many ISPs are struggling to find how to capture their customers’ attention because delivering ever-higher capacity numbers no longer works as well as it used to. That is what’s driving the trend towards network APIs - ISPs are looking for ways to deliver new functionality on top of the connectivity.” Speak to an ISP directly however, and the views are complex and varied. Peter Rampling is Chief Commercial Officer at Community Fibre, which was earlier this year voted top-ranked provider of 2024 by Which? in its annual ‘Best & Worst Broadband’ report and doesn’t agree at all. “It’s not a homogenous marketplace by any stretch of the imagination at the moment. “If you think about the broadband market 10 years ago, I’d agree it was very difficult for players to differentiate themselves. We’d like to think that we have differentiated, because people do have choices now,” he said, pointing to pricing, speed and service as differentials. Fibre to the Home however is a key differential. “Once you’ve had fibre installed, the reliability is obviously much better than old slow-motion copper technology, because it’s not down to the vagaries of electricity and leaky pipes that affected it. It’s just consistently reliable.” As copper is phased out this will be less of a marker but for now, it is an important point. It also potentially ties the consumer to the provider, since you risk having the front of your house littered with boxes if you keep changing provider; the box belongs to the provider after all, not the household. “If the service is that great though, why would you ever leave?” Rampling laughed. Then there is the industry perspective, something most consumers will be less aware of. “If you’re buying wholesale, by definition, you’re paying a chunk of money to BT Openreach, and that then constrains your ability in terms of what you charge. If you’ve got your own network like we have, then you can continue to be competitive. So, I think there’ll still be product differentiation. I think there’ll be price differentiation. And
customer experience is “communicating with customers on their terms”, meaning however and wherever is better and more convenient for them. In fact, says Max McShane, Head of Digital, “I can guarantee that if a customer wants to communicate by interpretive dance, there’s a team of employees at Octopus Energy just willing to reply in the same way.” Perspectives vary on differentiation when it comes to ISPs, who see things in far more granular detail. Consumers tend to view the provision of broadband as much like any other utility; one consumer we spoke to made the point that “Internet services are a utility, but I don’t think service providers have to be as accountable as other utilities. There is much more latitude if there is a broadband outage compared to a gas or electricity outage, for example.” He went on, “Less is more: service providers are keen to bundle everything together as a way of making themselves exceptional, rather than focus on core service delivery. For example, EE want to sell you a TV now rather than focus on service quality. Vodafone are giving away wireless Bluetooth headphones this week. This isn’t really necessary and speaks to more vacuous sense of competition for the sake of it, rather than pride that ‘my product is better than yours’.” This view is echoed by our friend Bjorn Ivar Teigen at Domos, whom we met earlier. “You point out a big problem for the industry. For the pure business of delivering connectivity, success means becoming an invisible utility. A role which is unlikely to impress investors. So many ISPs are looking to become technology Internet services are a utility, but I don’t think service providers have to be as accountable as other utilities. There is much more latitude if there is a broadband outage compared to a gas or electricity outage, for example.”
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