In a sign of the times, both technologically and economically, the SCTE-ISBE has become a subsidiary of R&D darling CableLabs. The two non-profit cable industry organizations are merging in an effort to pull forward 10G – the CableLabs roadmap focused on next generation capabilities, including symmetrical speeds up to 10Gbps. Ironically, given the nature of mergers, CableLabs claims bringing the two groups together will increase industry collaboration, rather than shrink the Society of Cable Telecommunications Experts (SCTE) and the International Society of Broadband Experts (ISBE). The newly merged group of cable and broadband technology experts aims to expand the availability of certification and training programs, while ensuring that standards development between divisions are more closely aligned. We get the feeling…