Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)
Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS)
Credential: Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS)
Credentialing Agency: Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)
Renewal Period: 3 years
The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS) is an intermediate-level credential for technicians in the cable telecommunications industry for a cable provider, contractor or vendor. Candidates should be able to perform coaxial network troubleshooting, coaxial network preventive maintenance, and coaxial system design calculations. BDS candidates must have a minimum of five years of work experience in cable television network operations. Candidates must pass a written exam.
More information can be found on the certifying agency's website.
Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS)
Attainability: 
Eligibility Requirements (View Details)
- Credential Prerequisite
- Experience: 5 years recommended
- Education
- Training
- Membership
- Other
- Fee
Note: This credential may have multiple options for a Service member to meet eligibility requirements. Requirements listed here are based on the minimum degree required.
To view other options, see the Eligibility tab.
Exam Requirements (View Details)
- Exam
- Written Exam
- Oral Exam
- Practical Exam
- Performance Assessment
Exam Administration (View Details)
- In-person exam
- Remote proctored on-line exam
- Third-party test vendor
Renewal Period: 3 years
- Continuing Education
- Exam
- Continuing Education OR Exam
- Fee
- Other
Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)
140 Philips Rd.
Exton, PA 19341-1316
Phone: (800) 542-5040
Fax: (610) 363-5898
Email: info@scte.org
Candidates must have five years of focused experience in cable television network operations.
The Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS) credential has the following other requirements:
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Systems Architectures
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Basic principles used to design and map the coaxial portion of the HFC network.
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Network acrchitectures related to RF signal distribution.
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Distribution Components
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Active devices used in the coaxial portion of the HFC network.
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RF and optical nodes
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Passive devices used in the coaxial portion of the HFC network.
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Coaxial cable used in the HFC network
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Signal Types
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Characteristics of analog signals: NTSC, pilot carriers and PAL
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Characteristics of digital signals: digital fundamentals, components of the digital signal, digital multiplexing, Out of Band (OOB) signaling and channel mapping.
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Upstream signal types
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Modulation schemes: analog and digital.
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Analog forward/reverse and digital forward/reverse
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Cable network impairments: noise, distortions, interfering signals, and reflections.
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Troubleshooting and Maintenance
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Test equipment used during cable network maintenance and troubleshooting.
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Divide and conquer (also called the isolation or half-split) method of troubleshooting.
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Analog and digital signal impairments.
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Basic cable plant sweeping techniques.
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Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and how rules apply to Performance Requirements and Proof of Performance (POP) Tests.
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Considerations when maintaining and troubleshooting the forward and return plant.
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Status monitoring and its purpose as a tool for maintenance.
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Cable network preventive maintenance considerations.
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Construction
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Cable and equipment used in cable telecommunications construction, and its proper handling and testing.
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Aerial cable placement considerations, including inspection, clearances, and installation.
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Cable placement considerations, including open trench, boring, and plowing installations.
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Underground enclosures used in cable plant construction.
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Cable plant bonding and grounding practices.
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Coaxial cable preparation and connectorization.
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Process of coaxial cable activation and testing for new construction.
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Field Safety
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Industry standard safe work practices, for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other job-related tools and equipment.
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Industry standard safe work practices with respect to vehicle use.
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Industry standard safe work practices with respect to work zone safety.
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Industry standard safe work practices with respect to the work environment.
There are a number of resources available to help you prepare for the Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS) examination:
An additional resource is O'Reilly Learning Safari Books Online, a searchable digital library that provides online access to thousands of books, training videos and conference sessions. See the Educational Resources section on the
Related Sites page here on COOL to learn how to get free access.
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Exam Administration
Credential exams may be administered in-person at a testing site, proctored on-line remotely, or have options for both. If an exam is administered through a test vendor, the third-party test vendor box will be checked. The following test administration options apply to the Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS) credential where checked:
- In-person exam
- Remote proctored on-line exam
- Third-party test vendor
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Third-Party Test Vendor Information
Testing for this credential is handled by the following vendor:
ProctorU
The test centers are located in the U.S.
To find out more, use the following links on the ProctorU website:
Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS)
Renewal Period: 3 years
The Broadband Distribution Specialist (BDS) credential has the following recertification information:
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BDS certification is renewable every three years. BDS certification holders must earn 12 Recertification Units (RUs) to maintain certification without having to re-take the exam.
Additional information about recertification is available on the SCTE Certification Maintenance page.
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Note: Marine Corps COOL will only pay recertification fees for the current year, no arrears will be paid.
Voucher requests for recertification fees must be submitted with proof of the current status of the certification (for example, a screen shot of your
credentialing agency dashboard or a copy of a current fee receipt).
MOS is Military Occupational Specialty
ASI is Additional Skill Identifier
WOMOS is Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialty
AOC is Area Of Concentration Officer
Functional Area
Branch
Bright Outlook – new job opportunities are very likely in the future for this job
This is an official U.S. Marine Corps website
Updated: January 29, 2021
Marine Occupations Table Legend
Related As
The military occupations shown in this table are related to this credential in one of three ways: Most, Some, or Other.
MOST
This credential is directly related to most of the major duties associated with the military occupation (at least 80%). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
SOME
This credential is related to some tasks associated with the duties of the military occupation (related 80% to at least one or more critical tasks but less than 80% of all of the entire military occupation). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
OTHER
This credential is related to this military occupation, but is more advanced or specialized and therefore will most likely require additional education, training, or experience.
COOL$
Contact usmccool@navy.mil or call 850-452-6337/6583 for a Marine Corps COOL Program Analyst.
Federal Occupations Table Legend
Related As
The federal occupations shown in this table are related to this credential in one of three ways: Most, Some, or Other.
MOST
This credential is directly related to most of the major duties associated with the federal occupation (at least 80%). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
SOME
This credential is related to some tasks associated with the duties of the federal occupation (related 80% to at least one or more critical tasks but less than 80% of all of the entire military occupation). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
OTHER
This credential is related to this federal occupation, but is more advanced or specialized and therefore will most likely require additional education, training, or experience.
Civilian Occupations Table Legend
Bright Outlook
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