BDS Study Guide 2026

The Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) communicates with cable modems, manages upstream/downstream channels, and connects the HFC plant to the IP backbone.

A signal meter is an essential tool for broadband distribution specialists to detect and locate signal leakage in coaxial cables. It can measure the strength and quality of the signal, identify ingress (external noise entering the cable) and egress (signal leaking out), and pinpoint the exact location of faults. This helps maintain signal integrity and prevent interference with other services.

HFC (Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial) refers to the network architecture that uses optical fiber from the headend to neighborhood nodes, and coaxial cable from the nodes to subscriber homes.

SCTE's Energy 2020 initiative was a voluntary industry program where cable operators committed to improving the energy efficiency of their networks and CPE to reduce the cable industry's overall energy consumption and carbon footprint.

The fiber node contains an optical receiver that converts the downstream optical signal to RF, and a laser transmitter that converts upstream RF signals back to optical for transport to the headend.

Reverse power flow allows a backup power supply to inject power in the upstream direction along the coaxial cable, bypassing a failed primary supply and restoring service to affected equipment.