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How do you grow from climbing poles as an HFC line tech to designing next-gen DOCSIS and managed-Wi-Fi networks?
In this episode of The Cable Climb, host Brady Volpe sits down with Billy Williams, Design Engineer – DOCSIS & Video Systems at Comporium, to trace a 25-year journey that proves field grit and continuous learning can launch a high-impact engineering career.
In this conversation you’ll hear:
• Billy’s first day in a bucket truck—and the mentor who pushed his pace
• Turning the light on in the return path and why reverse activation changed everything
• Leveraging SCTE certifications (BDS, BPI/BPT) for promotions and pay bumps
• Moving from truck rolls to network-performance analysis and PNM with NimbleThis
• Designing distributed access (DAA) plants and 8 Gb/s DOCSIS 3.1+ tests
• Why whole-home managed Wi-Fi is the new frontline for customer experience
• AI as the next essential “tool in the toolbox” for every broadband pro Watch to the end for Billy’s advice to new installers and service techs on how to fast-track their first five years.
🔔 Enjoyed it? Hit Like, Subscribe, and drop your questions for Billy in the comments—your feedback shapes our next climb!
00:00 Intro – Meet Billy Williams
01:30 From Lawn-Equipment Manager to Cable TV Hire
03:00 First Day: Safety Videos & Ride-Along
05:40 Trial-by-Fire RF Lessons & the SDA-5000
07:45 Discovering SCTE and Its Career Impact
09:00 Field to Desk: Network-Performance Analyst Transition
12:50 Losing the Bucket Truck, Gaining New Freedom
15:40 Go-Between & Trainer: Building Cross-Team Trust
18:50 Mentor Shift—Becoming the One People Call
21:00 DAA Rollouts & 8-Gig DOCSIS 3.1+ Tests
24:45 How DAA Changes Life for Field Techs
27:00 Reverse Activation: The Career-Defining Project
31:00 SCTE Certs & Promotions: What Pays Off
34:00 Managed Wi-Fi: Designing Whole-Home Experience
38:45 Advice to New Techs: Education & AI
42:20 Wrap-Up & Thanks
Resources
• Comporium Broadband – https://www.comporium.com
• SCTE Chapter Finder – https://www.scte.org
Join the Conversation Got questions for Billy or suggestions for future guests? Drop them below! 👍 If you learned something new, smash that Like, subscribe for more broadband wisdom, and keep climbing.
New Episodes Coming Soon! Subscribe now and hit the 🔔 notification bell to follow their journeys!
DOCSIS Gear: https://all-things-docsis.creator-spring.com
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Thank you for your time today. This was a great episode. Episode 104 is next
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