Cox Communications, SCTE•ISBE Partner on Coax Splicing Training

AUGUST 21, 2019 (Atlanta, GA and Exton, PA)—Cox Communications, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) and SCTE’s global arm, the International Society of Broadband Experts (ISBE), today announced that they have partnered on a training program that is designed to provide Cox with a highly-skilled coax splicing workforce to support implementation of its fiber-deep strategy.

Cox and SCTE•ISBE have collaborated to create a Coax Splicing Boot Camp that integrates existing SCTE•ISBE training with Cox needs to create a Cox-specific training program for new splicers. The four-day course provides the knowledge and skills bases needed for field personnel capably to re-splice taps, passives and nodes as part of an upgrade of the access network. The course was delivered to an initial class of Cox field engineers in Phoenix in conjunction with a multiweek Cox onboarding boot camp, to be followed by an additional class in California.

“Our excellent customer service starts with our field teams, so it is paramount that we provide them with best-in-class training and techniques to deliver that promise,” said Kevin Hart, Executive Vice President and Chief Product and Technology Officer for Cox Communications. “This partnership with SCTE-ISBE has enabled us to create a high-quality training program that provides our coax splicer workforce with a solid technical foundation from which they can continue to build the network of the future and exceed our customers’ expectations.”

“Cox’s focus on ensuring the best possible customer experience established a high bar when we worked with them to create this program,” said Robin Fenton, Vice President, Membership & Learning Operations for SCTE•ISBE. “Because our training content has been designed in collaboration with operators and their vendor partners, we were able to expedite availability of a course that is designed to produce highly skilled coax splicing teams.”

Topics covered in the program include: field safety; signaling and transmission in cable networks; system design; coaxial cable; coaxial cable connectorization; powering an HFC and fiber deep system; aerial construction; underground construction; and activation with testing. Key learning objectives include the following abilities: to compare current and new system maps, to establish power to fiber deep nodes; to understand RF signal flows, particularly to the customer; and to successfully perform a fiber deep node cut-in within a given time frame.

The world’s leading provider of cable telecommunications education, certification and standards, SCTE•ISBE offers a rich curriculum that has been developed in conjunction with leading industry operators, subject-matter experts and vendors. Educational content powered by SCTE•ISBE’s CORTEX VirtuLearn system is delivered in a wide variety of formats that incorporate the latest advances in learning science to drive the transfer of knowledge and increase workforce capabilities. More information on SCTE•ISBE professional development can be found here.