Innovation

Cable is a leader in technology advances, from the continual rollout of new products and services to the groundbreaking work being done to build 10G, the internet experience of the future that will power innovations that don’t yet exist. 

Cable has invested billions of dollars of its own money (without government subsidy) to develop and deploy cutting-edge technology to give consumers expanded choices and increased access. In 2021, cable providers invested $18.5 billion on infrastructure and networks, part of the $178 billion invested from 2012 to 2021. 

Recent innovation includes:

• Widespread access to faster broadband speeds at lower prices. The most widely available top speed from cable providers has increased a whopping 24,990% in the past 20 years. Now 88% of U.S. homes have access to 1 Gbps internet speeds. At the same time, the cost of cable’s broadband services has declined by 98% when comparing the price per megabit in 2020 (61 cents) versus 20 years earlier ($28.13). 

• New products and services. Mobile phone service (Altice USA, Charter Communications and Comcast), home security and automation, the Internet of Things, adaptable remote controls and other devices for use by individuals with sight, hearing and physical impairments and more.

What is 10G?

The next generation of broadband – 10G – is quickly accelerating toward reality. With 10G, consumers will enjoy residential internet speeds of 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), 10 times faster than today’s networks. 10G is expected to reshape how we live, work, learn and play by delivering faster symmetrical speeds, lower latencies, enhanced reliability and enhanced network security in a scalable manner. 

Since the launch of the 10G initiative by CableLabs in 2019, 10G has skyrocketed from drawing board to proof of performance. In 2022, Charter Communications demonstrated rapid downstream and upstream speeds over a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network, while Comcast successfully tested a prototype 10G modem in lab trials and announced it would introduce symmetrical multigigabit speeds in 2023.