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PCT International, a manufacturer of access network products for cable networks, has tapped cable and telecommunications veteran Steve Craddock -- who previously led Comcast's DOCSIS development efforts -- as executive vice president and chief technology officer.
Craddock most recently served as senior vice president of technology in Comcast's office of the CTO before retiring last year.
"Steve Craddock has been one of the real drivers of the advanced broadband technologies that have improved consumers' lives and cable operators' bottom lines," PCT president and CEO Steve Youtsey said in announcing the hire. "We believe that his vast experience in cable technology, his deep understanding of the industry's technological underpinnings and his forward-thinking approach all will be invaluable in increasing our ability to create solutions that meet the needs of our customers."
"PCT International has gained a substantial following within the cable engineering community for its ability to design and manufacture innovative products that solve everyday problems for field technicians," Craddock said.
At Comcast, Craddock oversaw the operator's involvement in the DOCSIS, PacketCable and CableHome initiatives, and represented Comcast on the CableLabs DOCSIS and PacketCable development teams. In addition, he chaired the PacketCable Certification Board and the PacketCable Business Committee and was a founding member and Comcast voting member on the CableLabs DOCSIS Certification Board.
Prior to joining Comcast in 1994, he spent two decades with Bell Atlantic and AT&T involved in engineering, operations, product development and strategic planning across the voice, video and data markets.
Separately this week, Tempe, Ariz.-based PCT is announcing a new coaxial drop cable product, "Triton," which is designed to simplify installation, increase network integrity and extend the ability of the cable to maintain peak performance standards over its service life.
The Triton design is available in standard, tri-shield and quad-shield configurations. The cable is designed for extended use in harsh environments; according to PCT, its testing has shown the additional foil layer provides a 20dB improvement in preventing signal egress after 10,000 flexes when compared with competitors' cables.
