Volume 46 No. 2 MAY 2024
No guardband Flexible frequency splits DOCSIS 3.1 ULTRA-ready Optimised channel plan up to DOCSIS 4.0
www.dct-delta.com
Off to new horizons DELTA FLEX-Technology
SCTE Launches its own app! n Data Centres & Sustainability n We interview DCT Delta, Acome Group & Technetix n New Carbon Assessment report from the FTTH Council n Plus we hear from Nokia, Witbe, Webro, Kontron, Harmonic, Wisi, Ciena and IQGEO - only in Broadband Journal
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contents
VOLUME 46 NO. 2 - MAY 2024
editorial Editor’s Letter Welcome to the May 2024 issue of Broadband Journal.
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ISSN 1751-0791
A Word from Our President
Thanks to our supporters The SCTE ® is grateful to the following supporters for their continued support of Broadband Journal: Amphenol, ANGA, Cabsat, DCT Delta, FTTH Council Europe, Hirschmann, IBC, Kontron, Netceed, Openvault, VIAVI, Vistecc, Webro, and Wisi
from the scte SCTE News All the latest news and events from the SCTE. scte balkans news SCTE Balkans Update from Ambassador-at-Large
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SCTE ® - The Society for Broadband Professionals
scte benelux news Benelux News All the latest news and events from the SCTE’s Benelux Group.
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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 Data Centres & Sustainability in 2024 scte member focus Richard Reis, DIRECTOR, Maus Technology
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from the industry Industry News The latest global news from the industry. Connected: Interview With Xavier Renard, ACOME Group Navigating the Fibre Frontier: Exploration of GPON vs XGS-PON
22 26 30 34 38 44 48 52 56 60 70 74 78
SCTE ® Communications House, 41a Market Street, Watford, Hertfordshire WD18 0PN, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1923 815500
Où est l’Internet, s’il vous plaît?
office@theSCTE.eu www.theSCTE.eu
Unplugged: Interview With Paul Broadhurst, Technetix
Three Pillars of Broadband Success: Reliability, Optionality, Speed
Managing Editor Melissa Cogavin Tel: +44 (0)7501 780342 melissa@theSCTE.eu
Closing the digital divide, opening up opportunities
DCT Delta Interview
How better supporting contractors can be key to high-speed internet rollout
Industry Leaders on What’s in Store for Broadcast Tech
Publisher Evolution Print & Design Ltd
Best Practices for TV Providers Transitioning from QAM to IP Video Delivery Networks
143 Cavendish Road, Leicester LE2 7PJ, UK Tel: +44 (0) 116 274 7700/0330 010 0004 sales@evolutiondc.co.uk
Unlocking invaluable benefits for fibre rollouts with interoperability
Speeding Up Fibre Rollouts with Cable Innovations
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 .
technical Why XGS-PON? An overview of the business opportunities Navigating the Pay-TV Evolution: Technologies to Watch for in 2023
82 88 94
FTTH Council Carbon footprint project: a reporting model for the entire sector
Traditional PON Versus Mixed PON/Active Architectures Based on Ciena’s Universal Aggregation Solution
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industry events Embracing Cable/Fibre Co-Existence start up zone 5G As A Service: Campus Genius Software As A Service: Lifemote
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© 2024 Broadband Journal Information in Broadband Journal may not be reproduced, changed or used without prior written permission from the SCTE ® .
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ANGA COM 2024: Conference Programme in Top Form
FTTH Conference 2024 Europe’s leading fibre optic event of the year
acronym explainer
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products
120
service finder
121
diary dates
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May 2024 Volume 46 No.2
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EDITORial
Editor’s Letter
excellent industry initiatives doing great things to address the biggest issue of all: education. There are still big issues to overcome but progress has certainly been made. Big thanks to everyone I spoke to in the production of this piece, I am very grateful for your help. In our technical section (pages 82-104) we cover topics such as PON, XGS PON, Pay TV and we welcome a fantastic piece from the FTTH Council Europe on assessing your carbon output, which will be of use to anyone in manufacturing or distribution in our sector. We also talk to our sponsors DCT Delta AG in our interview with outgoing Ulrich Kiebler and incoming CEO Volker Braun on page 52. We also had a long chat with Technetix CEO Paul Broadhurst on page 38, and you can meet Xavier Renard, Marketing Director at Acome Group on page 26. You’ll find a Witbe product review on page 120, we introduce two new companies to you in our Start Up Zone on page 108 and Netceed talk to us about the expansion of FTTx networks in Germany on page 106, plus some inspiring thought leadership from Harmonic, IQGEO, Kontron, Webro, MS3 and 2Link. Wishing Peter Charissé, Jenny Friedsam and their team all the best for a wonderful ANGA COM and we will see you on Wednesday at 4pm! Stand MB8.
It’s springtime at last and at the SCTE we have been hard at work, as you’ll see from the new look magazine, and our shiny new logo. Our front cover, in partnership with our good friends at DCT Delta AG should jump off the shelves at this year’s ANGA COM show and the theme of new horizons reflects the objectives of both DCT Delta and the SCTE. This issue is absolutely packed with articles, reviews, anaylsis and comment from the best our industry has to offer. We have some great new initiatives to announce over the coming weeks, and we’ll be launching one in particular at ANGA COM. We’ll be celebrating the launch of our app on stand MB8 on Wednesday at 4pm, please do come and join us. We are delighted to be the Official Magazine Partner for the show this year; please do take advantage of the new pull out section in the middle of this issue of Broadband Journal which tells you all you need to know about ANGA, the schedule, the floor plan and exhibitors. Our rebrand signifies a shift for the SCTE, an embrace of digital technology and a renewed vigour for the future. You can read more about this new direction on page 4, where we hear from Dr Anthony Basham, our President. We also hear from Richard Reis of Maus Technology in our Member Focus on page 12 – Richard has been a loyal long-time individual member and recently upgraded his membership to Corporate level. The Long Read on page 16 this time revisits a theme we covered in May 2021 concerning the sustainability of data centres. At the time we were still in lockdown and the news wasn’t great; although there were sustainable options becoming available, reporting was patchy, there were ingrained cultural issues and a siloed approach that was hampering progress. Since then, we’ve seen anti-greenwashing legislation thankfully passed, technology is offering extraordinary solutions to reducing emissions and there are some
Melissa Cogavin Managing Editor SCTE ® , Society for Broadband Professionals melissa@theSCTE.eu www.theSCTE.eu
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Volume 46 No.2 MAY 2024
Human Skills training courses for all members FREE
Training
Awards
Networking Opportunities
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Events
Would you like to join our Executive Committee and help influence the direction of the SCTE? Enquire today! +44 ( 0 ) 1923 815500 OFFICE@THESCTE.EU WWW.THESCTE.EU
Dr Anthony Basham
James Harwood
Bev Walker
Melissa Cogavin
Peter Veerman
Laura Baskeyfield
EDITORial
A Word from Our President we are anticipating an interesting week at ANGA COM, and we welcome any and all feedback of course.
Since 2019, in my capacity as President of the SCTE, I’ve led the organisation through some troubled times. I’ve been part of the executive team since 2017 and a member of the SCTE for over a decade. My journey with the SCTE has been defined by navigating the pandemic, as well as championing modernisation while respecting our long-standing history. This in times collides with the present, where social media has become more of a reality than real life. Ensuring the continuation of the now 79-year-old SCTE is a balance between tradition and the future, which has been challenging and rewarding in equal measure. The SCTE is now entering its new future as you will have seen from the Broadband Journal which has received a significant makeover; this has also been part of a longer process where we surveyed the members to see where they want the SCTE to go and we have listened. ANGA COM 2024 will be pivotal for the SCTE as well; we are introducing something that I know will add more value to the members. More about this at ANGA COM. Looking into the crystal ball there are important elements to consider for learned societies like the SCTE; these, like many other institutions look likely to be shaped by some key trends and challenges. Digital Transformation is something the SCTE has embraced, from the way we disseminate knowledge to conducting meetings, from engaging with members to hosting events. Virtual conferences, webinars and digital publications; all of these will become more prevalent, which I see as a clear benefit in order to expand the reach and inclusivity of the SCTE. Breaking down boundaries and advancing knowledge further than we are able to in a meeting in a lecture theatre, and our members increasingly expect it. Digital tools are becoming more relevant and access to these has become a natural part of many organisations; the SCTE has been developing some digital tools and we will be presenting one of these at ANGA COM. Our Managing Editor Melissa has focused a lot of attention on these, so
Open access publishing is growing at a rapid rate and will change our approach to information in ways we haven’t fully grasped yet. It will potentially affect the subscription model that defines the SCTE, as well as its flagship offering, Broadband Journal. It may affect how members regard the membership benefit of a quarterly publication. Such existential questions will give us much to consider over the coming years as we navigate an uncertain, if fast-paced future. Collaboration, and especially interdisciplinary collaboration, are global challenges becoming more complex over time and involving different disciplines. There is a growing need to nurture collaboration and break down silos, enabling engineers to cross boundaries that have always existed and open the world to them. The SCTE has a pivotal role in identifying and encouraging such collaborations agnostically, and enabling the opportunity to learn about the more complex sides of communications. Working with organisations like the IET, INCA and the SCTE, a subsidiary of CableLabs will be a start to breaking down those silos. Training has always been part of the SCTE’s role and helping engineers to be better. Training in areas other than technical has been part of the SCTE’s training strategy since late 2023, and we are delighted that some have used the opportunity to break down those silos and learn more about themselves and others around them. I know that we will be announcing more course dates soon and again improving opportunities for engineers. As a learned society there is one area where things are made possible; that is in research and engaging with public and policymakers. Demonstrating the value and relevance of our fields of expertise has never been more important. Outreach education programmes and efforts to influence policy based on our expertise will feature in a big way, and this ensures the relevance of the society.
Dr Anthony Basham FSCTE President SCTE ® , Society for Broadband Professionals president@theSCTE.eu www.theSCTE.eu
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SCTE is in a good place to ensure that the SCTE continues the same relevance it has enjoyed for the last 79 years, but the changes that are around the corner will also require some changes to the SCTE itself. Evolving with the times comes pretty naturally to us after all; we have managed to evolve successfully since the early days of the Society of Relay Engineers. I look forward to the next few years ensuring the relevance and the continuation of the SCTE well into the future; another 79 years would be a lot to aim for, but only through ensuring that the SCTE remains relevant and valuable to members and the wider world will this be possible. As President of SCTE, I’m privileged to witness and contribute to our society’s remarkable journey. Over the past few years, we’ve faced unprecedented challenges and seized the opportunity to evolve, ensuring that our legacy of excellence endures. Our transformation is not just about embracing digital innovation but also about deepening our commitment to inclusivity, collaboration, and sustainability. I invite each of you to join us in shaping a future where SCTE continues to be a beacon of knowledge, innovation, and community in our field. Together, let’s forge a path that honours our history while embracing the endless possibilities of tomorrow.
we are investigating various options. We have only one world.
In a society it is a natural instinct to flock with other, like-minded people. This is definitely an area where things will evolve as we embrace the changes open access brings. As digital transformation and collaboration increases, the Society must continue to strive towards greater inclusivity and diversity; not only demographic diversity but also diversity of thought, encouraging a broader range of perspectives and voices. Expanding lectures to include other topics has resulted in some interesting discussions in areas where elements such as work-life balance, ensuring everybody is included, consideration for others and being an open employer affects all of us. Engineering needs all types of engineers and innovation needs different ideas to thrive, which sometimes means being outside of one’s comfort zone. With the pace of change difficult to keep up with at times, the future needs engineers and innovation to maintain the high tempo of new technology and innovation. I would like to thank the graduates from VMO2 that took the opportunity to be part of the SCTE; I will be in contact with you shortly to ensure we are including all members in the future of the SCTE. A key factor affecting all our lives now is sustainability and the awareness of environmental issues. Sustainable practices in the context of events and operation will be a considerable element, not only for the Society’s sake but for the future generations. The use of printed paper and waste management is a serious consideration for the SCTE and
At 79 years of age, as a learned Society there is a substantial legacy to consider; admittedly at times this has been something of a hindrance in the face of fast-paced, global challenges. The need to be agile, open and responsive to change is an absolute necessity. In the last few years alone we have endured pandemics, climate change and geopolitical shifts, all of which have affected the Society. The Covid-19 pandemic forced the SCTE to halt nearly all activity and change our approach; without a responsive Executive at the time I am afraid the SCTE would be in a very bad place by now. Webinars, podcasts and keeping Broadband Journal running became nearly the only way to continue the SCTE during the two years we lived through Covid-19. This had such an effect on the agenda, priorities, and the way in which we could mobilise the SCTE into supporting, informing and helping members; we are only really back on track now. Thank you for your patience and understanding. The SCTE is inescapably defined by the past. It weighs heavily on our shoulders at times, but we look toward a bright future, embracing all that digitisation has to offer. With a galvanised team on the Executive Committee and a passionate, involved membership, tackling disrupters that will inevitably challenge us along the way we will lean on the experience gained from our long history; we will keep calm and carry on. The Executive of the
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May 2024 Volume 46 No.2
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scte news
The day concluded with a cocktail reception and the feedback has so far been excellent. All lectures were filmed and are hosted on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thescte SCTE Spring Lecture
The lectures covered themes including DOCSIS v PON, brass plating, the digital evolution of security, customer service and the economics of broadband service availability. The day was broken into three lectures in the morning, followed by a delicious sit-down meal at lunchtime and two more lectures in the afternoon.
Taking place again at One Great George Street on March 14 entitled ‘Fibre, Service and a DOCSIS Love Story’, the event was very well attended and included speakers from Amphenol, Harmonic, Canopus Networks and recent new Corporate Members Abloy. Adam Soccorsy also delivered an excellent presentation.
SAVE THE DATE Our Summer Lecture takes place on July 3 at the London Rally School in Bicester. The morning will consist of lectures from VIAVI, Witbe and Webro, followed by a light lunch and an format this is likely to take, but we’d love to hear YOUR views about how they would work best for you. Amazon voucher will be announced at ANGA COM in May.
To enter: email office@theSCTE.eu with your feedback about the SCTE Lecture Series.
Every response will be entered into a prize draw! The winner of a £50
afternoon of high octane rally driving around the Cotswold countryside.
Open to all members free of charge and to non-members for a nominal £50. Register here: https://www.thescte. eu/events/scte-lectures This is the last of this kind of lecture for the time being as the SCTE seeks to modernise its Lecture Series model for 2025. We will be in touch about the
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Volume 46 No.2 MAY 2024
scte News SCTE Announces the 2024 Gala Dinner and Awards
event in the SCTE calendar and one not to be missed.
Lincoln’s Inn is a society of barristers which make up the Inns of Court, the institution that has the right to call students to the Bar of England and Wales. A larger event this time, accommodating up to 200 guests in black tie, the evening features a champagne reception, 4 course banquet with wine and liqueurs, the presentation of SCTE Awards, plus entertainment and dancing and a gift for every guest - it is certainly the biggest
After the success of the first Gala Dinner and Awards in four years at the fabulous Warwick Castle last October, the SCTE is delighted to announce the next Gala Dinner & Awards will take place on Saturday October 12 at the beautiful venue of The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn in London. A collection of historic buildings dating back to the 15th century in an oasis of calm in the middle of central London,
Tickets, tables and sponsorships are available now from the SCTE Office. Please either call us on +44 (0) 1923 815500 or email Bev on bev@theSCTE.eu to make your booking. We look forward to seeing you in October!
SCTE App Launch Event
The app will provide all the visibility the website provides, plus access to the Members area, standards updated, all lectures and webinars online, the ability to like, share and comment on stories in the Journal and the opportunity to register for future events. Launching on May 15 at ANGA COM, the app will be available for download on iOs and Android.
The SCTE has listened to the feedback provided by the recent Members Survey and the result is a rebrand and in particular the creation of an app for all members. As President Anthony Basham pointed out in his letter earlier on in this issue, the world is changing fast, sustainability is on everyone’s agenda and providing a digital alternative to the printed Broadband Journal is only part of the offering.
May 2024 Volume 46 No.2
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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.
Below is an update from NextGEN, our local partner in Kosovo, demonstrating a very interesting approach to courses and potential open cooperation with other parties interested in training programmes.
Right now I am working with a private University UBT in Kosovo to establish a new partnership with them. I am looking to set up some master classes for young, newly qualified engineers to study new courses in optics and HFC. All very exciting! I think the outcome will be of tremendous benefit to our young people and the industry more broadly.
www.theSCTE.eu
Besim Latifi, SCTE Ambassador- At-Large
by Shpresa Metaj, CEO at Next Gen Networks, Kosovo Next Generation Networks Institute: Pioneering 5G Education and Beyond
advancement and digital literacy in the region.
In the heart of Kosovo, an innovative transformation is underway, spearheaded by the Next Generation Networks Institute (NGN), a non-governmental organisation and trailblazer in the digital revolution. NGN has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the first NGO in Kosovo to be licensed by the Authority of Electronic and Postal Communications (ARKEP) for the utilisation of 5G technology. This groundbreaking achievement underscores NGN’s commitment to fostering technological
The Institute has already made significant strides by implementing an indoor 5G unit within its laboratory, positioning itself as a centre of excellence in next-generation network technologies. NGN’s vision extends beyond the confines of its lab; it is actively engaged in disseminating knowledge and expertise through comprehensive training programmes. These programmes cover a broad
Shpresa Metaj, CEO, Next Gen Networks
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Volume 46 No.2 MAY 2024
scte balkans news
You can connect with us through multiple channels for your convenience. Feel free to give us a call at either +383 (0) 49 788 998 or +383 (0) 49 788 996. Alternatively, our email addresses are info@ngn- ks.org , shpresa@ngn-ks.org , and shpend@ngn-ks.org . We look forward to hearing from you and exploring how we can work together. Through these initiatives, NGN is cultivating a skilled workforce poised to navigate and shape the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
curricula, and technology enthusiasts eager to explore the vast potential of 5G. It will also benefit underserved communities both in Kosovo as well as the regions nearby. This inclusive approach ensures that the benefits of 5G education are accessible to all, fostering an environment of continuous learning and innovation. Looking ahead, NGN plans to enrich its educational provision by incorporating advanced topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Automation, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Initially, the focus will be exclusively on 5G, with the curriculum organised into five key categories: Legislation, Education, Mobile Operator, Media, and Industry 4.0. This structured approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of 5G technology, its applications, and its implications across various sectors. For individuals and organisations looking to explore collaboration opportunities with us, we welcome your enquiries and proposals.
spectrum of essential topics, including Fibre Optics, Wi-Fi, Cyber Security, and notably, 5G technology. Through these initiatives, NGN is cultivating a skilled workforce poised to navigate and shape the rapidly evolving digital landscape. In a bold move to expand its educational outreach, with support from HELP and RECONOMY, NGN is currently developing a 5G E-learning platform, a pioneering endeavour that promises to revolutionise the way 5G training is delivered. This platform is not just another online learning tool; it is poised to become the first of its kind in the region, offering both live and recorded courses on 5G technology. Initially, the platform will cater to the needs of Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. However, NGN has ambitious plans to broaden its reach, gradually extending its services to a wider audience. The significance of this platform cannot be overstated. It is designed to serve a diverse group of beneficiaries, including companies seeking to train their staff in cutting-edge 5G technologies, students and universities aiming to enhance their
www.ngn-ks.org
XPS PON Remote MAC/PHY 4G / 5G Business Ethernet MACSec Outoor Installation PTP Support 10/25/100G Interfaces
wisigroup.com Booth A14 | Hall 8 ANGA COM 14.05. - 16.05.2024
May 2024 Volume 46 No.2
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scte BEnelux News
First Tech Summit of 2024 at Huawei
On Wednesday, April 17, SCTE Benelux, in collaboration with NLconnect, hosted the first Tech Summit of the year. The event took place at the Huawei Innovation Center in Rijswijk. After a light lunch, participants were given a tour of the Huawei Innovation Center led by Dennis Tossijn, BeNeLux EBG Director Marketing & Solution Sales at Huawei Technologies. Following the tour, three lectures were held on the theme ‘DOCSIS vs PON’. Technological developments are advancing at a rapid pace. In Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC), the focus is on developments in DOCSIS 4.0 and DOCSIS 3.1 upgrades. In Fibre with 25G PON, DOCSIS 4.0 represents the new generation of HFCs, offering symmetrical multi-gigabit speeds, improved security,
and lower latency using 1.8GHz technology and full-duplex technology. For PON, the next step is being considered as 100G. These interesting developments were highlighted in this Tech Summit. David Whitehead, Senior Director of Broadband Solutions at Harmonic Inc., delivered an interesting talk on ‘The Future for Cable – How To Extend the Life of the Cable Network while Enhancing Customer Quality of Experience.’ Huawei presented on ‘XGS-PON, the future-proof technology.’ John Louwerse, Domain Architect HFC at VodafoneZiggo, addressed ‘Matching portfolio across coax and fibre-based infrastructures - running coax and fibre side by side.’
www.scte-benelux.eu
Agenda 2024 SCTE Benelux Group has scheduled the following activities: September 16, 2024 IBC SCTE Benelux Lecture
New logo SCTE: Benelux joins in
Theme: AI & Content November 13, 2024 Tech Summit Theme: Infrastructure Security
The SCTE has developed a new logo and corporate identity. This will also be implemented in various expressions of the SCTE Benelux Group in the autumn. Among other things, the website and newly launched app as well as presentations will receive a new look and feel.
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Volume 46 No.2 MAY 2024
SCTE 79th Annual Gala Dinner & Awards 2024
Saturday 12 October 2024 Lincoln’s Inn, London Black tie | Music and dancing | Tickets on sale NOW | Awards criteria coming soon
Places limited - book your table today | bev@theSCTE.eu
scte member focus
Member FOCUS Richard Reis DIRECTOR, Maus Technology
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.
baby to provide for I could afford to buy a house instead of rent. The rest is as they say history! You’ve had a varied career and have a lot of strings to your bow. How would you describe what you do, and what do you enjoy best? I would love to say it was all planned, but I just tend to accept any positive sounding opportunity that comes along, some winners and some losers, of course bracketed within my skill set: that’s to say, I am a very inquisitive geek that excelled at maths and physics and repaired old radios as a kid but failed miserably at field sports, so a career in football was out of the question. What memories really stand out for you over the years you’ve been involved in this industry? Growing up in a village in the Pennines where life was black and white, full of smoky chimneys, to travelling the world, experiencing so many different cultures, some good and some challenging, some hot and some freezing cold, but always pinching myself to see if it is true. I never thought in a million years I would be the guest of the Prince of Tonga being driven around in his personal London taxi on a South Pacific island paradise, having
What got you interested in a career in the industry when you first started? It was accidental really; in the mid 90s with an ex-military RF based background I was contracting on various projects which eventually led me to NTL’s advanced products division in Winchester, hand building and testing RF modulators for the new-fangled Digital TV concept. I was issued with a significant test and measurement budget, buying HP, Tektronix and Rohde & Schwarz high performance equipment. One day I got a rather cryptic call from Rohde & Schwarz in Fleet saying they had something at their office I should see. When I got there, I was asked if I would meet their CEO, Wolfgang. He put 3 brown A4 envelopes in front of me to review the contents as he nipped off to make coffee. One envelope contained a job description for a pre-sales engineer, one a JD for an installation engineer, the knockout was a job as a sales engineer for the UK Telco segment as the fledgling HFC roll out had just begun. The offer was twice my previous income, plus sales commission and a fully expensed company car, decision made on the spot, and I went back to NTL to give them the happy news. They understood when I showed them my new offer. I had not even gone for a job that day, especially changing to a sales focused role; it felt like winning the lottery. With a partially disabled wife and a new
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scte member focus
“As well as my company MAUS being a corporate member, personally being a Fellow of the SCTE is an honour and of course brings an excellent reputation with it.”
What’s the single biggest impact that AI will have on our industry? I describe AI as being 2 different things, Passive AI and Active AI. Think of Passive AI as being chatbots, photo editing, help desks, where you go to find answers from a central large database, something that waits to be prodded, and latency is a non-issue. Any service provider can be a part of this kind of data transfer. Active AI includes such things as robots, autonomous vehicles and traffic control; it’s where my company MAUS positions itself. This is interesting to telecoms operators in their quest to become tech- co’s. The “real time thinking and reaction” is done on the edge with live information from local sensors, but also links back to traditional data centres for historical data such as maps for directions, so for this type of application very agile comms are required with a focus on ultra-low latency (even milliseconds matter when you are trying to avoid running over a pedestrian). This is where investment is heading and technical challenges still exist.
installed a network there where they had nothing before. But every positive has a negative, some memories are not so great, missing my son grow as I was away so much, punishing my health, not knowing what time zone I was in from one day to another. Success at a price for sure. The sector has changed a lot over the years; what for you is the biggest shift? The network side of things has become simpler. With the move to full fibre, it’s basically a big ethernet network, it is what hangs off either end that is becoming more complex, and as always, the easier you make it for the customer, the more complicated things get behind the scenes. What do you get out of being a member of the SCTE? What would you like to see more of? As well as my company MAUS being a corporate member, personally being a Fellow of the SCTE is an honour and of course brings an excellent reputation with it. I like the “no sales pitch” lectures, a chance to understand more without pressure being applied. It would be good to have more interaction somehow, maybe more regular sessions and something hands-on at times.
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scte member focus
“Be prepared to listen and learn! This is a very hands-on occupation, and no amount of paper certificates earned in a class will fully prepare you.”
How do you see the sector developing over the next 5 years? The statement “Data is the new oil” is kind of true, but data will inevitably devalue itself, I foresee the pendulum swinging back from where content providers divested of networks some years ago, to coming back to the party and buying into networks to provide their subscription- based services and assure QoS. Think Google Fibre providing Google Services, all under one roof. And of course the 5G mobile hype; in truth mobile accounts for less than 2% of all data that moves – it’s mostly your smart phone is using Wi-Fi connected to broadband - so fibre is here to stay. Have you had any mentors over the course of your career and how did they help you? At Rhode & Schwarz, the sales manager, Paul Harfoot, made sure to call me every day as I started my sales career, and if I was having a tough time instead of beating me up, he always found a way to keep me motivated, provide support and suggest ways forward which led to a very
successful career with them. I wish I had half his leadership abilities in that way.
What would you tell a young entrant just about to get started in this industry? Be prepared to listen and learn! This is a very hands-on occupation, and no amount of paper certificates earned in a class will fully prepare you. It is an occupation with opportunity to rise in your career if you put in the effort, and we really do need new entrants. What is the best thing about this sector? Telecoms is an unsung hero, it really is the 4th utility and is changing the world all the time, not that most people realise it. The advertisements you see on TV for remote medical operations on people at a different location to the surgeon and such like is only possible with good communications. Just remember at parties if you get asked what you do for a living, say you are an actor or pilot or something like that, otherwise if you say “I’m in telecoms” it does rather kill conversation…
https://maus.technology/
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Sustainability in 2024 Data Centres &
By Melissa Cogavin, Managing Editor, SCTE
In May 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, Broadband Journal peered INTO the industry of Data Centres and didn’t much like what it saw. Inertia, cynicism and greenwashing seemed coupled with a peculiar mix of complacency and optimism. What’s happened since?
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They faced a serious communication and image problem. According to John Booth, however, three years on this too is changing. “I think they’ve finally realised that their tenure as senior executives in the industry is coming to a very quick end.”
Some impressive, if embryonic environmental initiatives were taking root within boardrooms and in parliaments and while the optimisim about a brighter future was encouraging, there was no denying the situation was deeply alarming. At the time Data Centre Energy Efficiency Consultant John Booth, whom we will meet again later on, told us, “In the UK alone data centres take up 0.79% of energy consumption but that is just commercial. That figure doesn’t include BT telephone exchanges, hospitals, universities, head offices government facilities, retail outlets and leisure facilities. It’s more like 12%. So the number we have globally is completely off. It’s far, far higher.” It is still difficult to establish the exact number of data centres worldwide, because the definition of a data centre varies enormously. However, Brightlio.com estimates a rise of nearly 3,000 data centres since 2021, to 10,978 globally. Some context: In May 2021, 55% of the world’s population was online. It is now 66.2%. That’s a lot of Instagram posts. In 2021 we learned that the older, white, male-dominated culture of data centres was vastly at odds with the young, diverse, Silicon Valley app developers skateboarding to work. Junior engineers from a range of technical backgrounds had found themselves 30 years later running gigantic data centres in remote parts of the planet, embroiled in planning controversies amid tetchy media relations, where their marketing skills were found to be sorely lacking and their outlook dated.
As with any highly contentious subject, establishing hard facts on a national, never mind international level can be difficult. Separating cynical marketing proclamations from hard data is challenging. Dig a bit deeper and uncovering the motivations and agenda behind much of this is bewildering, since with climate change we are also dealing with a highly charged, very 21st century phenomenon: conspiracy theory. As soon as one fact has been established it is dismissed by opposing parties as ‘just weather’, unprovable hocus pocus, a sinister global plot that if you look long enough, right to the far reaches of the Internet, it will eventually lead you to the tinfoil hats of the Flat Earth Society. Getting started with some stats In 2021 there seemed barely any governance or joined up thinking; the landscape a bleak hyperscaler dystopia owned by profiteering tech giants, some of whom were working towards sustainability goals, but not many. There was a wild-west approach to planning, expansion, cooling and ESG, as well as patchy, opaque and subjective data reporting designed to please shareholders and excite the media. These huge, remote businesses appeared to be facilitating our daily lives and bleeding the planet dry while most of us were only dimly aware of their existence. Condemnation from grassroots activists and industry experts was noisy and widespread, but little affirmative action seemed likely in the short term.
In May 2021, 55% of the world’s population was online. It is now 66.2%. That’s a lot of Instagram posts.
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Sandie Brodier is Global Sales/Purchasing & Partnerships Director at Rincon Technology in the US, and suggests the shift, while proactive, is reacting to global pressures we have all lived through in the past three years. She said, “We have experienced a massive turn-around in mentality, moving from the linear economy model to the circular economy model. The worldwide semiconductor chip shortages, delivery lead time issues and climate change urgency were all factors in driving the data centres to utilising secondary- market vendor circular economy pioneers like Rincon Technology.” There’s that joined-up thinking that was missing before. Sandie agrees. “The IT industry is now considering the entire lifecycle of IT and critical infrastructure equipment when building new data centres.” Nuclear fusion is the next chapter in the data centres story. Amazon Web Services recently announced the acquisition of a $650m nuclear powered data centre in Pennsylvania. There are plans in place for the UK’s first commercial grade fusion reactor, which is going to be built in Nottingham and should be live by 2040. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are in the planning stages on both sides of the Atlantic, though it will be 10-15 years before any of them are active. Despite the decades-old hysteria that has not kept pace with the innovation it’s worried about, nuclear fusion is a clean and renewable source of energy that John Booth feels is a massive game-changer. “If we go to fusion, then climate change is over.”
commonplace in 2024. Underwater data centres constructed at sea or in caves are also on the cards. There is still plenty of room for improvement. The industry continues to innovate and explore new technologies and practices to further reduce environmental impact and increase sustainability. However, if sustainability targets are at the peak of Mount Everest, by any metric we are still at base camp. That said, legislation has been passed in Europe now and corporate ESG targets are being set, met and often exceeded. Attitudes have shifted considerably over this time and even in the three years I have spent editing this magazine, it is clear sustainability is now considered an industry-wide priority, as opposed to an obligatory nod to keep those vegetarian cranks in the office happy, or worse, spouting the kind of marketing spiel we are all familiar with without anything to back it up. Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, is one of many companies we talked to doing impressive work. “As part of Virgin Media O2’s sustainability strategy, the Better Connections Plan, we have set a goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions across our operations, products and supply chain (Scopes 1, 2 and 3 emissions) by the end of 2040. Our net zero target has also been validated by the renowned Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), and we became the first UK telco to be recognised by the Carbon Trust for our net zero plan, being awarded the Advancing Level of the organisation’s Route to Net Zero Standard.”
What progress so far?
Booth remains cynical about the direction of travel however, and while progress has certainly taken place, it isn’t nearly fast enough in his view. Susanna Kass, meanwhile sees things very differently. Founder of a US-based consultancy providing net zero solutions to the data centres industry, she is regularly fêted as one of the Top 10 Women in Sustainability Leaders, Top 10 Women in Data Centres and Top 50 Climate Change Thought Leaders. Broadband Journal reconnected with her to see what’s happened since we last spoke. “Today, the hyperscale cloud providers are leading the way with renewable energy power purchase procurement that no other industry has achieved in the past three decades; AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Meta-Facebook, and Apple are each responding to clean energy requirements with massive gigawatt scale renewable energy purchases.” Encouraging news, but as Booth pointed out, reporting from Big Tech is like reporting on global car emissions with a focus only on Formula 1. Reporting on other, smaller data centres is still far behind, though the new legislation will hopefully herald in a new era – honest reporting will be enshrined in law so the hope is that municipal buildings, schools, hospitals etc. will begin to do the same. The opinions of opposing industry experts may differ, but undeniable, well-publicised strides have been made in right direction. Data centres have increasingly adopted the use of renewable energy sources – wind, solar and hydro. A case in point: in 2021 we reported on a proposed data centre in South Wales designed by 20th century architects powered by an outrageous 60 diesel generators; that is still the case but now, the generators will only be used as a back up, should the renewable sources it relies on via the National Grid fail. Smaller data centres are popping up requiring less energy and designed with more efficient cooling systems in mind; immersed compute solutions, for example, where servers are submerged in dielectric fluid to capture and reuse the heat they are starting to proliferate. This waste heat can be used for other industrial processes, such as heating greenhouses or swimming pools. Green building practices, prioritising energy efficiency and sustainability are also more
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courses equip companies with the understanding of their supply chain, the correct terminology and the wherewithal to create legitimate sustainability practices without being accused of greenwashing.
And then?
Greenwashing The trouble with industry-wide priorities is they are ripe for exploitation. While those hapless data centre engineers struggled to market themselves a few years ago, savvy opportunists across the sector have since identified a sweet spot to make their companies shine, with a brand-new word too: greenwashing. While there certainly are companies diligently carrying out their commitments with integrity, there are lots who aren’t. The complexities of measuring net zero, confusing and evolving terminology and the lack of checks and balances have left the landscape vulnerable to inaccurate proclamations about green credentials, and until now companies have been getting away with it. “In practice nobody’s got time for sustainability - and you can quote me on that if you want.” Dom Robinson pulls no punches. The founder of Greening of Streaming, a UK-based, non-profit organisation that seeks to develop that joined up thinking in the streaming industry via an impressive membership of blue-chip companies and working groups, tempers his passionate optimism with healthy cynicism. “Sustainability is something that the CEO says, ‘Oh yes, we do it.’ But actually, when you dig deep, there’s really an owner and that owner is more than less copy-and-pasting some calculator nonsense out of some third-party documentation.” He went on, “The actual amount of ‘doing’ in corporations is almost entirely about moving things off their accounts. And yes, I’m talking about the industry- wide picture.” Robinson works closely with Anthony Daly and James Dove of ClimateEQ, a small consultancy offering sustainability training courses to the media industry. Anthony and James recognised that ignorance and confusion were a large part of why that CEO thinks he’s ‘doing sustainability’, when he’s actually doing nothing of the sort. They feel that fear of getting it wrong is part of the issue, fear of expense is an element and as Dom points out, nobody has the time to get into the weeds of offsetting net zero targets and what’s happening to their products further down the supply chain.
“Scope 3 is everything else in your supply chain. Carbon neutrality allowed you to just measure your Scopes 1 and 2 and then offset a little bit of your Scope 3, traditionally business travel, something easy to measure. That meant that companies could say, “Hey, look at us, we’re carbon neutral, or we’re climate positive.” But actually they’ve made no reductions in their actual emissions in a Scope 3. Anthony explained that 98% of emissions come from Scope 3, and most businesses that make or sell something. “Net Zero is there to say you have to measure ALL of your scopes and reduce ALL of those scopes, and it’s 50% by 2030 and it’s 90% by 2050. You’ll also hear other terms like true zero, absolute zero. True zero is like getting to zero emissions.” He went on, “If you can achieve Net Zero, amazing, we don’t believe anybody will. It’s about following a process and a framework to try to get to Net Zero. And that’s the important distinction.” Susanna Kass doesn’t agree with this. She points to the past as an indication of future developments. “Striving to reach an ambitious goal such as Absolute Zero is measured by actual progress. Results that have impact will open minds. What I was told decades ago when I started advocating Sustainable Development Goals to the Data Centre sector had similar echoes; the rest is history now, as each hyperscaler has embraced Carbon Neutrality (and Negative) Goals in its Corporate Imperative. Absolute Zero is NOT impossible; it is imperative to promote equity and humanity as we continue to innovate in the Digital Envoy.” History is a great teacher after all. Change can start small; it needn’t be an overwhelming task, Anthony says. “We say, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. If you can’t get every bit of exact data, don’t worry about it. Get what you can and start to measure it and fill in the gaps later. The other thing is, take your top 10 suppliers; if they’re 70 to 80% of your emissions, focus on them first.” “Focus on the quick wins. Get to the granular a bit later, but don’t use averages, don’t use all of the software that’s out there that just takes your spend and purchase data. That’s all greenwashing. Get into the measurement bit and you’ll find efficiency.”
Then there is The Flint, an online information hub passionate about
sustainability, set up in 2022 by industry veterans Neil Howman, formerly of 202 Communications and Neal Romanek, who felt spurred into action by what they saw as inaction, duplication, poor organisation and the siloed nature of our industry. Their mission is to spread accurate information in a fast, efficient way, since “the environmental crisis is worse than you think it is. Even the gloomiest of scientists are shocked at how much earlier certain phenomena are occurring than models had predicted. It’s all hands on deck now.” Legislation, at last Greening of Streaming, ClimateEQ and The Flint are doing a noble, difficult and important job, often working together to achieve their goals, (and we will be featuring all three organisations, among others, in our upcoming Spring Lecture in March 2025, as their work needs amplifying and you will all benefit). In January the EU passed legislation that states that “Generic environmental claims and other misleading product information will be outlawed” this will become law across the 24 members states within the next 24 months. In 2021 there was nothing like this on the horizon (the Paris Accord didn’t even mention data centres, it was so dated) so this is progress indeed. The UK is likely to mirror this legislation. As for the US, much of what happens next depends on who enters the White House next year. The chest-beating we are familiar with in the media will become a thing of the past unless companies are willing to pay substantial and incremental fines over the coming years and withstand serious damage to their reputations. Dana Haidan agreed. “It’s going to be tougher for companies to greenwash, and if they do, they’ll face huge risks – reputationally, financially, and even regulatory.” Legislation is a good start and a deterrent to greenwashing. The opportunity to train your organisation is out there now. Knowing where to start is difficult. Anthony Daly helped explain. “It’s broken down into Scopes 1, 2 and 3. 1 and 2 are pretty much energy, heat, cooling, things like that.”
There is a fine line between ignorance, says James, and avoidance. Their
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