Standards Updates

SCTE Standards program membership offers cable telecommunications organizations an opportunity to participate in the creation, development and review of technical standards and best practices through the industry’s only ANSI-accredited forum for the development of technical specifications supporting cable telecommunications.

Below, you will find the latest updates to these specifications, as well as a history of previous update alerts.

Latest Releases

August 2025

This month, SCTE is excited to announce the approval of a new Project Authorization Request (PAR) for “Powering the Outside Plant Access Network of the Future.” This standard supports network operators adopting more energy-efficient methods for powering the outside plant by providing updated training, troubleshooting guidance and standardized best practices. It’s intended to include safe operation, switched mode power supplies, low-frequency switched DC powering, network architecture, metering, redundancy and fault management — all in a vendor-agnostic way. In the short term, this standard will improve safety, consistency and troubleshooting efficiency; in the long term, it will enhance reliability, reduce energy waste and ensure adaptability to future technologies. The new operational practice will be developed within the Energy Management Subcommittee (EMS).

There are several new releases this month. The first is a groundbreaking specification, LoRaWAN® Narrowband Transponder (SCTE 298 2025), which enables advanced communication with broadband CATV amplifiers using an efficient Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) physical layer paired with LoRaWAN® media access protocols. This document lays out critical interface details to enable remote control, telemetry, alarms and long-term support over existing coaxial infrastructure, all of which empowers operators to proactively monitor and maintain their networks with unprecedented reliability.

Also new is “Increasing Energy Efficiencies Through Inside Plant Optimization” (SCTE 299 2025), which provides practical, industry-endorsed strategies to reduce power consumption, lower operating costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions in cable network facilities. It offers actionable guidance for optimizing the inside plant (and its impact on the outside plant) while pointing to related SCTE energy standards for a complete efficiency framework. Essential for operators, engineers and facility managers, this document helps improve sustainability and operational performance in the face of rising energy demands.

The third new release this month is another document in the “What Is…?” (SCTE 293) series of technical monographs that provide high-level overviews of given topics. The material in these documents can be used as part of technical training programs, in tutorials for individuals seeking a high-level understanding of the topic and as refreshers for those who may have forgotten some of the fundamentals of the topic. The latest release, “What Is…Signal Level?” (SCTE 293-10 2025), explains the concept of signal level, starting with some of the basics from the world of electricity and electronics, and then builds upon that foundation. To expand your knowledge, you can also find all 10 of the technical monographs here. 

Four revised standards have also been recently released. They have all been updated to the most recent technology and state-of-the-art practices.

Approved Project Authorization Requests (PARs)

  • The new project, “Powering the Outside Plant Access Network of the Future,” will address more energy-efficient methods for powering the outside plant.

New Standards

Revised Standards

    View All Standards

    Past Updates

    2025

    July 2025

    This month, SCTE is excited to announce the approval of a new Project Authorization Request (PAR) for “Specification for 75-ohm SMB Connector, Male & Female Interface,” which proposes establishing a new standard for a male and female SubMiniature version B (SMB) 75 ohm impedance RF connectors used in broadband devices, specifically within active trays and Remote PHY Devices (RPDs). The standard will define mechanical, electrical and environmental requirements to ensure uniform quality, robust performance and multi-vendor compatibility. Efficiencies are expected to reduce installation variability, improve connector reliability, and simplify testing and procurement. Ultimately, these improvements will facilitate scalable, modular hardware designs as well as reliable deployment of future-proof broadband networks that require reliable RF interconnections. The new standard will be developed within the Interface Practices Subcommittee (IPS).

    The “Operational Practice for Residential Wi-Fi Deployment” (SCTE 255 2025) document has been completely revised and updated to conform to the most recent technology and state-of-the-art practices for installation and measurement. Many cable subscribers no longer differentiate wireless operation from wired cable service — whether the wireless equipment is personally owned or is part of the equipment that the cable company has provided — and often simply consider wireless and wired service to be the same thing. The guidelines in this operational practice will help cable operators provide better residential wireless service and understand some of the more common concerns that can affect the quality of wireless service on the subscriber premises.

    Approved Project Authorization Requests (PARs)

    • “Specification for 75-ohm SMB Connector, Male & Female Interface” (EC-2025-009)

    Revised Standards

    Reaffirmed Standards

    Withdrawn Standards

    • “Preparing an MDU Amplifier Extender Specification” (ANSI/SCTE 170 2020)
        June 2025

        This month we are pleased to announce another new release in the “What Is…?” (SCTE 293) series of technical monographs that provide high-level overviews of given topics. The material in these documents can be used as part of technical training programs, in tutorials for individuals seeking a high-level understanding of the topic and as refreshers for those who may have forgotten some of the fundamentals of the topic. The latest release explains how radio frequency (RF) technology is used in hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) and wireless networks such as Wi-Fi® to distribute and transport signals. Be sure to check out “What Is…RF?” (SCTE 293-9 2025). To expand your knowledge, you can also find all nine of the technical monographs here.

        The SCTE also released a new DOCSIS 4.0 standard, “Full Duplex DOCSIS Broadband Radio Frequency Hardline Amplifiers for Cable Systems” (SCTE 296 2025). This document recommends mechanical, environmental, and electrical standards for broadband radio frequency (RF) amplifiers that support DOCSIS® 4.0 FDX capabilities (echo cancellation), with synchronous downstream and upstream operation at frequencies from 108 to 684 MHz, including all sub-band options as defined in the DOCSIS 4.0 FDX specifications.

        Anyone desiring to understand how to analyze and troubleshoot upstream RF signals in HFC networks should check out our latest document proactive network maintenance (PNM) document, “Pre-Equalization Based Upstream Frequency Response Measurements” (SCTE 297 2025). This document describes a method for measurement of a cable network’s upstream frequency response based upon cable modem pre-equalization coefficients. This technique allows the field technician to use a portable field instrument, incorporating an embedded DOCSIS® cable modem, to determine proper unity gain and flatness and show network response inequalities, imbalance, level and tilt issues.

        The following documents were recently released by the SCTE Standards program:

        New Standards

        Reaffirmed Standards

          April 2025

          This month we are pleased to announce another new release in the “What Is…?” (SCTE 293) series of technical monographs that provide high-level overviews of given topics. The material in these documents can be used as part of technical training programs, in tutorials for individuals seeking a high-level understanding of the topic and as refreshers for those who may have forgotten some of the fundamentals of the topic. The latest release explains the process and mathematics behind measurements of gain, loss and return loss. Be sure to check out “What is…S-Parameters?” (SCTE 293-8 2025). To expand your knowledge, you can also find the first seven technical monographs here.

          An update of the “Recommended Practices for Optical Fiber Construction and Testing” (SCTE 181 2025) is now available free of charge on the SCTE website! Since the document’s first publication in the 1990s, the various editions of “Recommended Practices for Optical Fiber Construction and Testing” have served as valuable guidelines for the cable industry. Until this release, the document was only available for purchase, but with this release it is now freely available for download. 

          Cable broadband providers are actively building out high-speed networks in all corners of the country. As the amount of construction increases, it’s imperative that the industry use the most efficient, effective, reliable and safe techniques to build those networks. The practices recommended in this document add up to a comprehensive manual for optical fiber construction and testing. Sections cover project management; cable handling, testing and equipment; overhead cable placement; underground cable placement; underground enclosures; bonding and grounding; cable preparation and connectorization; and splicing, activation and testing. The document is intended to be read and understood by any audience, including project managers, network designers, construction personnel, outside plant technicians and workforce training designers and instructors.

          The following documents were recently released by the SCTE Standards program:

          New Standards

            • SCTE 293-8 2025: What Is…S-Parameters? This is the latest addition to the “What Is…?” series of technical monographs that explains the process and mathematics behind measurements of gain, loss and return loss.

          Revised Standards

            • SCTE 181 2025: Recommended Practices for Optical Fiber Construction and Testing has been thoroughly reviewed and updated and is now available for free for the first time in over 30 years!
            March 2025

            This month we are excited to announce the approval of a new Project Authorization Request (PAR) for an Implementation Guide to Assure Network and Service Reliability. Broadband networks are essential to our everyday lives and such networks have become more and more reliable thanks to standardization and greater interoperability methods.  The published SCTE 290 2024r1, “Service and Network Reliability Measurements and Use Cases,” offers a vendor neutral framework for defining, measuring, and reporting network and service reliability and is a great foundation for building even more reliable networks.  The next standardization step in further expanding reliability is being constructed in SCTE’s Network Operations Subcommittee Working Group 8, “Network and Service Reliability,” and was recently approved by the Engineering Committee. This new implementation guide will help expand network and service reliability by creating a comprehensive, step-by-step guide, and outline data needed for vendors and service providers to implement an industry-accepted approach to measuring and reporting network and service reliability.  The team meets every other Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Be sure to join NOS WG8 to get involved.

            We also have another new release in the SCTE 293 “What Is…?” series of technical monographs that provide high-level overviews of given topics. The material in these documents can be used as part of technical training programs, a tutorial for individuals seeking a high-level understanding of the topic, and/or a refresher for those who may have forgotten some of the fundamentals of the topic. The newest release explains long loop ALC, which is an important part of DOCSIS® CMTS and cable modem operation. Long loop AGC helps to maintain correct RF signal levels at the upstream input to a CMTS or CCAP. This technical monograph provides an overview of long loop ALC, and includes several examples illustrating how it works. Be sure to check out SCTE 293-7 2025, “What is… Long Loop Automatic Level Control?” To expand your knowledge, you can also find the first six technical monographs here.

            SCTE 62 2024, “Test Method: Noise Figure Testing Procedures,” has been completely rewritten to utilize modern test equipment. In the design of broadband networks, it’s critical to keep noise levels low in order to maximize signal integrity. Noise figure is the amount, in dB, by which the carrier-to-thermal noise of a signal is degraded when passing through an active device. This latest update standardizes the measurement of noise figure using both the “Y-factor” method and the “gain” or “cold source” method.

            The following documents were recently released by the SCTE Standards program:

            Approved Project Authorization Requests (PARs)

              • EC-2024-020: PAR for Implementation Guide to Assure Network and Service Reliability

            New Standards

            Revised Standards

              • SCTE 62 2024: Test Method: Noise Figure Testing Procedures.

            Reaffirmed Standards

              February 2025

              Four new standards were announced and released. The first, SCTE 288 2024, “Plug-in Cable Attenuator Performance Standard,” defines a common minimum specification of electrical performance and certain mechanical characteristics of plug-in attenuators used in broadband cable network nodes and amplifiers. When operators purchase aftermarket accessories, their procurement departments seldom have the engineering abilities needed to qualify and/or disqualify components based on performance. Standardization of the specification of these components will have a positive effect all the way through the supply chain, through the operators’ technical operations, and on to the customer.

              The other three are part of the SCTE 293 “What Is…?” series of technical monographs that provide high-level overviews of given topics. The material in these documents can be used as part of technical training programs, a tutorial for individuals seeking a high-level understanding of the topic, and/or a refresher for those who may have forgotten some of the fundamentals of the topic. The first three were released earlier this year (2025). Be sure to check out SCTE 293-1, “What Is…The Decibel?,” and SCTE 293-2, “What Is… Velocity of Propagation?,” and SCTE 293-3, “What Is…Return Loss?,” if you missed them. 

              The approval of a new project for Increasing Energy Efficiencies Through Inside Plant Optimization was also announced. The development of this new standard will occur within the Energy Management Subcommittee (EMS). This standard will address energy efficiency optimizations and strategies for critical equipment within cable operator facilities and data centers, including subjects such as rightsizing direct current (DC) rectification, integrating renewable energy, intelligent lighting systems, finding and decommissioning of “vampire” equipment, economization of HVAC systems, airflow management, and optimization of HVAC setpoints. Be sure to join EMS to get involved.

              The following documents were released by the SCTE Standards program:

              Approved Project Authorization Requests (PARs)

              • EC-2024-019: PAR for Increasing Energy Efficiencies Through Inside Plant Optimization

              New Standards

              Revised Standards

              • SCTE 246 2025: Best Practices in Photovoltaic System Operations and Maintenance for Cable System Operator

              Withdrawn Standards

              • SCTE 208 2021: Cable Operator Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data Collection Recommended Practices

              Many thanks to the many experts who contributed to these documents!

              The development of these standards exemplifies the SCTE Standards program moto of “Profitability Through Interoperability.” Expert members drive specifications and operational practices that allow products to be interchangeable and interoperable, thus accelerating the deployment of products and technologies to drive business results. Participants gain industry credibility, influence, and career development opportunities. Learn more about how you can get involved or join today! Please note: your company must be part of the standards program to participate.

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