By Mike Spaulding, Comcast Corporation; Larry Wolcott, Comcast Corporation; Jason Rupe, CableLabs
Cable operators have vast amounts of network performance data available to detect and measure defects within the cable plant. Transforming this data into actionable intelligence can be a daunting task, especially having many existing systems and process already in place.
Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) was first developed in the 1940s (Summy) and is now widely used in industries including aerospace, automotive, and electronics. The role of FMECA is to identify potential problems that may occur in a system or component, define how to detect the failures, and measure the effect. This analysis provides a consistent way to measure the criticality of common network failures and help prioritize repair efforts.
Authors Spaulding, Rupe, and Wolcott will present the jointly developed progress of the CableLabs and SCTE working groups for Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM), with an operator’s perspective from the field. This paper will demonstrate how FMECA can be used to improve customer experience, reduce trouble calls, and increase operational efficiency.