Mapping the migratory route of IP video, DOCSIS 3.0, iTV and mobile broadband to the wireless world dominated the plenary session: “Road Trip: Mapping Cable’s New-Tech Progression.”

The five panelists from leading cable companies outlined their deployment strategies for 3.0, IP video and other emerging technologies and services with an underlying emphasis on the growing consumer demand for content everywhere.

“We’re keeping pace with the competition by installing nothing but 3.0. But there’s still work to do, like channel bonding,” said Mike LaJoie, CTO of Time Warner Cable.

Upstream channel bonding is high on Rogers Cable’s to-do list, according to Dermot O’Carroll, the company’s senior vice president of access networks. “It’s our highest priority and will be deployed in 2011. If you maintain your plant well, you can get 30 MHz per channel and bridge to channel bonding.”

Comcast is following that path, as well, according to Tony Werner, executive vice president and CTO at Comcast. “We’re more aggressive with upstream channel bonding and [are] now in two markets.”

Panelists also showed a growing enthusiasm for IP video, iTV and advanced advertising, three emerging technologies considered to be crucial to the content everywhere model.

“Response has been huge for iTV, particularly with cruises, vacations and e-mails sent quickly. We’re getting to a scaled platform across the industry,” Werner said.

The industry is also paying more attention to mobile broadband and wireless. “We firmly believe in the need for mobility in our products. We’re putting lots of energy in mobile,” said panelist Scott Hatfield, executive vice president and CTO of Cox.

Advanced advertising is also being reenergized, according to Terry Cordova, senior vice president and CTO of Suddenlink.

“It’s an opportunity for us to put ads out there specific to devices such as Macs,” he said.

At the end of the day, however, cable’s technology map leads to mobility and access.

Concluded O’Carroll: “The future is about ubiquity and access to the network and delivering videos to both mobile devices and home devices.”