Cable / Telecom News

CableLabs hires new R&D chief

Mariam_Sorond_Headshot_1.jpg

LOUISVILLE, Colo. – CableLabs, the cable industry’s standards setting and research and development body, has appointed Mariam Sorond as its new senior vice president and chief research and development officer.

In this role, she will lead R&D, directing the execution and adoption of new technologies for CableLabs’ members and the industry and will help drive technical thought leadership, vision and strategy for the future of connectivity. She will report to president and CEO Phil McKinney

“We’re thrilled to welcome Mariam to CableLabs, bringing her depth of experience and expertise to our members and the industry,” said McKinney. "As we advance toward a digital future encompassing even greater wireless capabilities, it is crucial for both CableLabs and the broadband industry at large to be led by innovative executives with extensive knowledge in wireless technologies and technology policy.”

Sorond comes to CableLabs from Dish Network where she served as the chief wireless architect and vice president of technology development. She “led the R&D effort for an innovative 5G network and created the next-generation network architecture, as well as spectrum technology, technology policy, standards development and the negotiation of technical agreements across government agencies and industry partnerships,” reads the CableLabs press release.

“I am excited to be joining the innovative and talented team at CableLabs,” said Sorond in the release. “CableLabs invents the future through technologies that connect our society with better communication and quality, offering a unique environment for the insatiably curious. I look forward to working with this transformational and passionate team to deliver solutions that break barriers and are implemented around the globe.”

Prior to Dish, Sorond worked for several operators, including Nextel, ICO and PrimeCo, and vendors such as Lucent Technologies (now Nokia). She has served as a member of the NTIA's Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee since 2014.

The move to hire Sorond is significant for CableLabs since, as it notes in the press release, “as the cable and broadband industry surges ahead into a new era of ubiquitous connectivity, it is critical for CableLabs to continue building technologies that enable one cohesive and seamless ecosystem. With mobile network operators making up approximately half of CableLabs’ members, including some of the largest wireless operators in the world, Sorond’s expertise across wireless technologies for mobile, fixed and satellite networks—across both domestic and international networks—will carry CableLabs into the future.”

CableLabs Canadian members include Rogers, Shaw, Cogeco, Eastlink, Vidéotron, Access Communications, Seaside Communications, and Westman Communications.

www.cablelabs.com