Cable execs defend hybrid fiber coax, plot their digital divide strategies

Cable operators and vendors are a bit defensive about comparing cable’s hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks with fiber networks. New fiber builds are being driven by the $42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Jay Lee, chief technology and strategy officer with ATX, said he attended the Fiber Broadband Association’s Fiber Connect conference in August. “I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised the fiber guys were going to beat up on the cable guys,” he said. “It just felt like there’s an extreme level of confidence that fiber is going to kick some butt.” But he added, “I just feel cable’s in a great spot both from a technology timeline and in terms of upgrading the network far more quickly than fiber will be able to build out.” Colin Howlett, chief technology officer at Vecima, said, “Eventually, we’re all going to be fiber operators.” But he said cable’s HFC plant still “has a long life left in it.”