Cable industry invests in a smarter power grid

08/17/22 • 19 min

The utility grid is undergoing a massive change, transforming in a similar way to the cable network 30 years ago, according to Dr. Robert Cruickshank, managing member of Power Networks.

"Now with distributed solar, and storage, you know, battery storage in people's homes, we actually have content creation and storage at the edge," said Cruickshank on the podcast.

The "unprecedented change" to the grid isn't without growing pains, explained Cruickshank. Extreme weather conditions, increased electricity usage and a reduction in traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels have all placed a strain on the utility grid.

On the bright side, the US is moving toward a smarter grid, supported by efforts such as the SCTE 267 standard, explained Cruickshank.

"And we actually, in the Society of Cable Telecom Engineers, we created a standard called SCTE 267. And in that standard, we define how you can communicate with devices, and tell them exactly what you were saying," said Cruickshank.

You can download an unedited transcript of the podcast here. If you want to skip around and listen, here are a few more things covered in this interview:

Current state of US power grid (00:33)
Potential issues if utility grid isn't updated (03:23)
What can be done to update the power grid (04:00)
Smart grid transformation (05:02)
SCTE 267 standard and importance of demand response (08:19)
Large scale examples of smart grids (10:03)
How cable operators and broadband providers can support smart grid transformation (11:54)
Cyber security challenges to the smart grid (12:58)
How long the smart grid transformation will take (17:10)
Additional resources (18:09)

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The utility grid is undergoing a massive change, transforming in a similar way to the cable network 30 years ago, according to Dr. Robert Cruickshank, managing member of Power Networks.

"Now with distributed solar, and storage, you know, battery storage in people's homes, we actually have content creation and storage at the edge," said Cruickshank on the podcast.

On the bright side, the US is moving toward a smarter grid, supported by efforts such as the SCTE 267 standard, explained Cruickshank.

You can download an unedited transcript of the podcast here. If you want to skip around and listen, here are a few more things covered in this interview:

Current state of US power grid (00:33)
Potential issues if utility grid isn't updated (03:23)
What can be done to update the power grid (04:00)
Smart grid transformation (05:02)
SCTE 267 standard and importance of demand response (08:19)
Large scale examples of smart grids (10:03)
How cable operators and broadband providers can support smart grid transformation (11:54)
Cyber security challenges to the smart grid (12:58)
How long the smart grid transformation will take (17:10)
Additional resources (18:09)

Sign up today for the Light Reading newsletter.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Comcast on the surge of botnets and how businesses can properly defend themselves

With the range, scope and variety of damaging botnet attacks on the rise, businesses large and small need to prioritize cybersecurity and ensure they are taking proactive and iterative measures to protect against potentially devastating attacks.

"Cyber[security], like many things in life, is a journey. It's not a destination," said Ivan Shefrin, executive director for managed security services at Comcast Business, who joined the Light Reading Podcast to discuss the rising threat of botnets. "Even the largest companies in the world are not fully mature. You can always improve continuously and get better."

Shefrin said adopting such an approach is critical for businesses as cybersecurity threats increase. The 2021 Comcast Business DDoS Threat Report found that distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) botnet attacks have risen 14% since 2019, and 41% since 2021.

"We're in an arms race now," Shefrin said. "Machine learning and automation are the leading edge of that arms race ... It unfortunately means that botnets are only going to grow in size and scope and complexity – and the difficulty in defending them."

You can download a lightly edited transcript of the podcast here. If you want to skip around and listen, here are a few topics discussed during this podcast:

A brief introduction to the world of botnets and the threat they pose to businesses (1:13)
The number and variety of attacks that can be perpetuated by botnets, and how network providers can play a role in mitigating threats (4:50)
Discoveries made and trends detected by Comcast's latest DDoS Threat Report, including a rise in the number of DDoS botnet attacks and how modernized attacks are difficult to defend against (9:30)
Why DDoS botnet attacks are on the rise (11:20)
How unpatched systems have created targets for cybercriminals, and why keeping those systems patched presents a major challenge for larger companies (16:00)
How botnets have evolved to become fungible assets for cybercriminals (21:15)

— Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading

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Next Episode

How the CHIPS and Sciences Act could boost US optical networking

Infinera CEO David Heard is optimistic about what the CHIPS and Sciences Act can do for US optical networking vendors, especially those endeavoring to be less dependent on foreign suppliers.

You can download an unedited transcript of the podcast here.

Here are just a few things covered in this podcast episode: