BDS Industry Standards and Regulations 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which organization develops and maintains the DOCSIS specifications for cable broadband systems?
- IEEE
- IETF
- CableLabs (Correct answer)
- NCTA
Correct answer: CableLabs
CableLabs is the cable industry's R&D consortium responsible for developing and maintaining the DOCSIS specifications, PacketCable standards, and other cable broadband technology specifications.
Question 2: Under FCC Part 76, what is the maximum permissible signal leakage level for cable systems operating above 54 MHz?
- 10 microvolts/meter at 100 feet (Correct answer)
- 20 microvolts/meter at 100 feet
- 50 microvolts/meter at 3 meters
- 100 microvolts/meter at 10 feet
Correct answer: 10 microvolts/meter at 100 feet
FCC Part 76.605 limits cable signal leakage to 10 microvolts/meter measured at 100 feet from any point in the cable plant for frequencies above 54 MHz, protecting aeronautical frequencies.
Question 3: What is the purpose of the FCC's cumulative leakage index (CLI) requirement for cable operators?
- To limit the total number of subscribers per cable node
- To provide a statistical measure of signal leakage across the entire cable plant, ensuring aggregate interference to over-the-air services remains below regulatory thresholds (Correct answer)
- To mandate minimum signal levels at subscriber outlets
- To specify maximum upstream noise levels in the return path
Correct answer: To provide a statistical measure of signal leakage across the entire cable plant, ensuring aggregate interference to over-the-air services remains below regulatory thresholds
The CLI is a statistical measurement combining all individual leakage measurements across a cable system into a single index value, which must remain below 64 under FCC regulations to protect aeronautical and other over-the-air services.
Question 4: Which ANSI/SCTE standard defines minimum technical requirements for cable television equipment and system performance?
- ANSI/SCTE 15
- ANSI/SCTE 40 (Correct answer)
- ANSI/SCTE 55
- ANSI/SCTE 65
Correct answer: ANSI/SCTE 40
ANSI/SCTE 40 specifies the technical requirements for cable television equipment and systems, covering signal levels, distortion limits, and other performance parameters.
Question 5: What does the FCC's must-carry rule require of cable operators?
- All cable systems must carry a minimum of 100 channels
- Cable systems must carry all local broadcast television stations that request carriage on the cable system (Correct answer)
- Cable operators must provide internet access to all subscribers in their franchise area
- Cable systems must carry all government and public access channels requested by the local franchise authority
Correct answer: Cable systems must carry all local broadcast television stations that request carriage on the cable system
Under FCC must-carry rules, cable systems with more than 12 channels must carry all local commercial and noncommercial educational broadcast TV stations that assert mandatory carriage rights.
Question 6: What is NEBS compliance and why is it relevant to cable headend equipment?
- Network Equipment Building System — a set of safety, environmental, and operational standards that equipment must meet for deployment in telephone central offices and cable headends (Correct answer)
- National Electrical Building Standards — requirements for headend facility construction
- Network Edge Broadcast Standards — rules for content delivery from headend facilities
- New Equipment Bonding Specifications — grounding standards for cable infrastructure
Correct answer: Network Equipment Building System — a set of safety, environmental, and operational standards that equipment must meet for deployment in telephone central offices and cable headends
NEBS (Network Equipment Building System) defines standards for equipment reliability, safety, thermal, seismic, and EMC performance required for deployment in carrier-grade central offices and cable headend facilities.
BDS Industry Standards and Regulations 1
Which organization develops and maintains the DOCSIS specifications for cable broadband systems?