Jones/NCTI to Offer DOCSIS 3.1 Courses

Jones/NCTI, the Denver-based provider of training for cable, broadband techs and customer service reps, has struck a partnership with CableLabs that will result in new DOCSIS 3.1 training and course content for the emerging multi-gigabit platform for HFC networks. 

Under the deal, CableLabs, which published the original D3.1 specs in October 2014 ahead of certification testing that is underway now and initial deployments expected to begin later this year, will provide Jones/NCTI with DOCSIS 3.1 subject matter expertise on the new courses.  Jones/NCTI said it is also integrating CableLabs DOCSIS 3.1 training material into an updated version of the Broadband Digital Installer course for release later this month. 

Jones/NCTI said it will develop content for three new DOCSIS 3.1 courses designed for technicians and other frontline employees. The new courses will roll out starting in the late part of the second quarter of 2015 or by early Q3 2015, following CableLabs review.

Training and coursework options continue to emerge as the cable industry prepares for the deployment phase of DOCSIS 3.1. As part of its work with CableLabs, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) has developed DOCSIS 3.1 coursework and training materials for  mid- to senior-level data and headend techs. That four-module course is being offering as a one-day on-site course, and as a Web-based self-paced course.

DOCSIS 3.1, which will make cable spectrum more efficient via the use of blocks of OFDM subcarriers in tandem with a new Low Density Parity Check forward error correction (FEC) scheme, is targeting max capacities of 10 Gbps down and at least 1 Gbps upstream.

"From the Internet of Things to the Connected Home, DOCSIS 3.1 technology will change the way consumers and businesses interact today. This innovative agreement with CableLabs will help advance the industry and ensure that frontline teams stay ahead of fast-changing technology,” Stacey Slaughter, Jones/NCTI CEO, said in a statement.

"With multi-Gigabit services soon becoming a reality for broadband customers, it is imperative that frontline employees are educated on the new generation of capabilities that will be available to consumers and businesses. We are pleased that Jones/NCTI will deliver the necessary training materials to prepare field employees for the deployment of DOCSIS 3.1 solutions,” added Steve Higgins, director of network technologies, CableLabs, added.