Charter Communications expects to complete the physical work on its multi-gigabit hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network upgrade by the end of 2027, president and CEO Chris Winfrey told SCTE TechExpo attendees on September 29, 2026. The project will deliver symmetrical, multi-gigabit speeds across the operator's footprint.

Winfrey, who now leads the combined Charter Communications and Cox Communications business under the Spectrum brand, used his stage time to argue that cable's push into broadly deployed multi-gigabit networks gives the industry leverage in conversations with global Big Tech players.

"I think it opens up the door to have some of those conversations with global providers," Winfrey said, urging technology companies to "develop your products to a multi-gig capability that together with Comcast/Xfinity and all of the other operators … we have deployed across the entire US."

What is Spectrum actually upgrading?

The HFC overhaul sits at the center of Spectrum's near-term network strategy and runs on several parallel tracks:

• Virtual cable modem termination systems (vCMTS)
• Distributed access architecture (DAA)
• Upstream-enhancing "high-split" upgrades
• DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades to a portion of the plant

Winfrey described the project in plain terms: "It's going well. It's a lot of work." The company is also extending fiber into government-subsidized rural areas, though the upgrade program excludes the footprint added through the Cox transaction.

How does the Cox merger change the picture?

Cox's network is already in good condition and does not need near-term changes, Winfrey said. The merged company is rolling out Charter's Internet pricing and bundles — including mobile and video — across the Cox territory under a "Spectrum Day" initiative launched recently.

Cox entered the Charter deal with roughly 200,000 mobile lines, a figure Rich DiGeronimo, president of product and technology at Spectrum, cited as the starting point for what he expects to be "rapid growth" in mobile across the former Cox footprint. Spectrum also anticipates video gains in those markets through a Charter-developed pay-TV product that bundles premium ad-supported streaming apps at no added cost.

What does the CableLabs handoff mean for cable R&D?

The TechExpo general opening session also marked a leadership transition at CableLabs, with president and CTO Mark Bridges set to take over as CEO on January 1, 2027. The 18-month handover wraps up a 14-year run under outgoing CEO Phil McKinney, who became emotional on stage reflecting on his tenure.

"The years are going by," McKinney said. "I want to spend the time making that investment [in family]." The former HP executive has five grandchildren and two book deals lined up — one on critical thinking, the other on innovation.

Bridges acknowledged the scale of the work ahead: "big challenges ahead. ... I'm looking to be there to meet the moment." McKinney struck a more confident note, arguing the industry is "positioned to win, not just compete with the work that's underway."

Where is DOCSIS heading next?

CableLabs is also pushing the technical frontier on HFC. Just-released DOCSIS 4.0 "annex" specifications extend capacity to 3 GHz, and the organization is exploring 6 GHz technologies. Together with the operator-side upgrade plan, the roadmap points to higher symmetrical speeds without a full fiber-to-the-home build.

What does Spectrum see at the network edge?

Winfrey pointed to edge computing as one area where cable's upgraded connectivity could intersect with Big Tech roadmaps. Spectrum is demonstrating that capability at the show with partners including Nvidia, packaging the connectivity, power, space and cooling needed for high-bandwidth, low-latency applications.

The concrete results of those deeper engagements with global technology companies are still being defined, Winfrey acknowledged: "We're working on that."

With physical HFC work set to wrap by the end of 2027 and a new CableLabs CEO set to take the helm in January, the cable sector enters 2027 with a defined multi-gig technical roadmap but unresolved questions about how quickly it can translate scale into new revenue from Big Tech partnerships.