Jefferies Analyst George Notter projects that MSOs will spend heavily to upgrade their aging access networks in 2017 for greater bandwidth capacity and higher broadband speeds.

Alan Breznick, Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading

January 13, 2017

3 Min Read
Big Year Ahead for Cable Network Capex

Will spending on cable network upgrades take off this year? George Notter certainly thinks so.

In a new report sent to investment clients this morning, Notter, managing director of equity research for Jefferies & Company Inc. , predicts that 2017 will be "the year of cable access network spending." He expects North American and European MSOs to invest "aggressively" in their networks this year as they upgrade their aging access infrastructure for greater bandwidth capacity; higher broadband speeds; and new, more advanced video and other services.

Contending that the cable industry is still in "the early innings of a major network upgrade," Notter noted that "at least several major MSOs" are "starting the 'Deep Fiber' transformations of their HFC networks right now." Instead of merely carrying out in-place node splits and capacity additions in the headend that require little redesign of the access network as they have in previous years, cable operators will now be adding new optical nodes to their networks, laying fiber closer to the home and shrinking the size of their service groups further. "We understand that MSOs are now entering a much more disruptive phase of network transformation," he writes.

Citing one prime example, Notter notes that Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) plans to deploy an additional 1 million optical nodes in its networks over the next four to five years as part of the giant US MSO's multi-billion-dollar "Fiber Deep" initiative. That represents a huge increase over the 250,000 to 300,000 optical nodes that Comcast currently has installed. (See also Why Cable Is Upgrading Networks Now.)

In similar fashion, Notter relates that Cox Communications Inc. , the third-largest MSO is the US, intends to overhaul its HFC plant over the next decade. He said Cox's plans call for deploying 200,000 optical nodes in is networks by the end of that span, up from a relatively paltry 25,000 nodes today.

Other major large MSOs, such as Liberty Global Inc. (Nasdaq: LBTY) and Altice , have embarked on major plant upgrade programs as well. Liberty Global plans to pass an additional 4 million homes in the UK under its "Project Lightning" initiative, while Altice has committed to going fully FTTP in the US over the next few years. Notter predicts that others will follow their lead. (See Virgin Media Plots £3B Invasion of BT Turf and Altice Plans FTTH for Entire US Footprint.)

The rollout of gigabit broadband access networks is spreading. For more, check out our dedicated Gigabit/Broadband content channel here on Light Reading.

Turning his gaze to DOCSIS 3.1, Notter predicts that the new cable broadband spec will spur the replacement cycle of customer premises equipment (CPE) over the next few years, but only "modestly." He noted that while such leading MSOs as Comcast and Liberty Global are moving ahead quickly with D3.1 upgrades, other cable operators will make the switch more gradually.

"For the 3.1 upgrade, not all operators will be as aggressive as the early movers," he writes. "Also, operators will take a success-based/opportunistic approach with DOCSIS 3.1. In the early stages, DOCSIS 3.1 CPE sales will be limited to users opting for the highest speed tiers."

In good news for cable equipment vendors, Notter projects that DOCSIS 3.1 cable modems, gateways and other products will command a "meaningful" price premium of at least 10% over comparable DOCSIS 3.0 products, at least in the short run. But, he notes, that price differential will likely come down over time as production and shipment volumes rise and more products flood the market.

Notter also predicts that strong FTTP spending by service providers will continue in the New Year as gigabit deployments continue to spread. He also sees spending on data centers remaining strong and wireless carrier capex picking up in 2017.

— Alan Breznick, Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading

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About the Author(s)

Alan Breznick

Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading

Alan Breznick is a business editor and research analyst who has tracked the cable, broadband and video markets like an over-bred bloodhound for more than 20 years.

As a senior analyst at Light Reading's research arm, Heavy Reading, for six years, Alan authored numerous reports, columns, white papers and case studies, moderated dozens of webinars, and organized and hosted more than 15 -- count 'em --regional conferences on cable, broadband and IPTV technology topics. And all this while maintaining a summer job as an ostrich wrangler.

Before that, he was the founding editor of Light Reading Cable, transforming a monthly newsletter into a daily website. Prior to joining Light Reading, Alan was a broadband analyst for Kinetic Strategies and a contributing analyst for One Touch Intelligence.

He is based in the Toronto area, though is New York born and bred. Just ask, and he will take you on a power-walking tour of Manhattan, pointing out the tourist hotspots and the places that make up his personal timeline: The bench where he smoked his first pipe; the alley where he won his first fist fight. That kind of thing.

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