10G: Five Years On, the Future Is Even Closer

It was five years ago this month when the cable industry first unveiled 10G. Since then, cable providers have been engineering and implementing the technology that will make next-generation networks a reality, bringing 10 gigabit per second (Gbps) speeds to households across America and forever changing how people connect, live, work, and play.

When 10G was first announced at CES, NCTA President & CEO Michael Powell said, “As a technology platform, 10G will become the backbone of digital progress all over the globe. It will reinvent the role technology plays in our everyday lives…10G is not the picture; it is the canvas on which the demands of our imagination will be built.” Here in 2024, the promise of 10G is becoming more and more of a reality.

Company 10G Milestones

Since the initial 10G announcement, there have been many milestones from companies showing the path to ultra-fast speeds.

  • Comcast in October 2023 debuted next-generation internet powered by DOCSIS 4.0 technology to the first residential customers in the world in Colorado Springs, CO. Select areas of Atlanta, GA and Philadelphia, PA were also rolled out in 2023. The company plans to have multi-gig speeds in 50 million locations by 2025.
  • Mediacom had the first U.S. field trial of the 10G platform back in late 2020 with their smart home demo in Ames, Iowa. The home functioned as a working technology laboratory for Mediacom to test next-generation applications and products. The company’s West Des Moines network is now on the 10G platform.
  • Charter demonstrated delivering 8 Gbps downstream and 6.2 Gbps upstream during the 2022 CableLabs 10G Showcase, validating the enormous potential of the platform. The company continues network expansion in locations across the country.
  • Cox has continued to reaffirm its commitment to the 10G initiative through lab tests on DOCSIS 4.0 and its multibillion-dollar annual infrastructure investment to build a 10G network over the next several years.
  • More than 80% of GCI’s footprint has access to the company’s fiber network, so consumers have access to 2.5 Gbps speeds even in the most remote places. The Alaskan provider continues to prepare for DOCSIS 4.0 and is looking to 2025 for DOCSIS 4.0 rollout in Alaska.
  • Midco announced its Fiber Forward investment, a $500 million initiative to build a network designed to meet the next-generation needs of Sioux Falls, South Dakota residents. Midco is on track to achieve 10G speeds in the area by 2025. 

Research Demonstrating 10G’s Importance

Research validating the importance and benefits of 10G play a key role in pushing the initiative forward.

  • Trend research. NCTA partnered with the Future Today Institute (FTI), experts in researching trends and calculating how they will disrupt business, government, and society, to better understand how 10G can change lives. The resulting report honed in on four areas – entertainment, healthcare, education, and agriculture – with research showing the transformative power of 10G in all of these industries.
  • Economic study. 10G is expected to generate at least $330 billion in total economic output and create more than 676,000 new jobs by 2027, according to a study by Dr. Raul Katz of Telecom Advisory Services. The report shows that network investments will create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the construction, manufacturing, and electronic equipment sectors, plus lead to the development of new applications and services that will, in turn, create more jobs.
  • Consumer satisfaction survey. In late 2022, NCTA conducted a poll with Morning Consult to understand how tech-savvy Americans feel about the promise of what superfast high-speed networks can deliver. Results showed 94% feel positively about the 10G with 58% citing the increased speeds that 10G will deliver.

As 10G continues to reach more Americans, the U.S. broadband network will remain ahead of the curve and ready for what comes next. The 10G platform will facilitate the next great technological advancements in the coming decades, ensuring fast, reliable, and safe networks continue to power the American economy.