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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Volume 46 No.2 MAY 2024
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