Cable and CCTV Techs Upgrading?

The consumer cable TV and commercial CCTV businesses are both experiencing significant changes from simple, single service offerings into more complex and varied services. While the changes increase the 'power' of what's provided (Video on Demand and Internet in cable TV, Video analytics and megapixel cameras in CCTV), it also increases the demands on the installer. There is only so much one can do to simplify services that are fundamentally much more complex.

This week, an interesting and controversial article in the New York Times claims that the cable guy is now 'upgraded and better dressed'. It gives examples of techs with networking certifications planning and optimizing complex IP based systems. Equally important, the commenters to this article overwhelmingly rip the NY Times article apart as being biased and unrealistic. For example:

• "This article has got to be made up by Comcast's PR department. "
• "An absolutely ridiculous article. The cable guys I've dealt with are strictly blue collar, often contract people and not very communicative. Comcast runs a sleazy overpriced operation."

Generally, techs are getting more technically sophisticated, especially new ones. However, how fast and how broad this shift is occuring is an important and interesting question. I am going to consider how to survey this in our Winter 2012 round [link no longer available].

Questions/thoughts/insights?