Today, every Internet service provider (ISP) is adding customers left and right.

How can hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) operators keep up with the intense bandwidth demands that were put onto their networks over the last 18 months?

Approaching a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) property owner (or manager) to update their network infrastructure can be a challenge for service providers. This scenario can be especially difficult when the MDU is not receiving any complaints from tenants and their occupancy rate is 100% at any given time. The old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” applies here. The service provider needs to motivate change. But how?

How thin can your engineers be spread before all the projects you have going with your expanding network prove to just be too much? How long will it be before inevitable burnout claims another one of your most valuable team members? What are your options if your lead engineer puts in their two-week’s notice to pursue a different opportunity or is ready to retire? All these questions are being asked more and more frequently by operators as their networks grow but the size of their teams remain the same. The expertise they need from an engineering perspective either isn’t easily accessible (a common problem with rural operators) or is too expensive and too time consuming (from a training perspective) to justify hiring.

Telecommunications is one of the fastest-growing industries when it applies to speed and consistency of technological evolution. Right when it seems like you have a deep understanding of the technologies of today, a new solution breaks into the market that changes everything.

The COVID-19 Pandemic exposed different needs when it came to what subscribers looked for from their service provider. As the world comes to a hopeful end of the pandemic, one major demand that reared its head was the need for increased upstream bandwidth speeds to support the new activities that large portions of broadband subscriber bases are now taking part in. The push for more bandwidth, especially in the upstream, has caused a stair-step in an otherwise continuous upward trend over the last 20 years. As the world continues to push for higher connection speeds, increased data packages, and a more instantaneous experience with the digital world, a regression in this trend back to the previous trajectory is unlikely. For service providers, the weight of this situation is falling directly on their shoulders, so it's important to begin taking steps to increase bandwidth and better serve subscribers who are more connected than ever.