While the telecom industry has spent the past few decades touting the ever increasing bandwidth of their various broadband products, a panel of top cable experts said that consumers are increasingly looking to how those services perform as they continue to pile devices and applications onto their networks.

As cable has evolved from one-way video to two-way DOCSIS, users are becoming more concerned with how their different applications and services interact with their broadband network, Charter VP, connectivity technology Justin Colwell said on a panel session during Tuesday’s Opening General Session at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo moderated by Comcast senior technology adviser Tony Werner.

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“We’re getting to the point, actually, where we’re going to have excess capacity, and customers’ applications are going to care less about the peak bandwidth, which will be important at times, but actually more about how latency and jitter and then the home network performs,” Colwell said. “A lot of what we’re focused on from a development perspective is how we create a better in-home or in-small business network, how we then use that end-to-end network to include where hosts are out on the internet in order to establish for applications that need it or customers that need it, the right experience.”

Home networks are getting more sophisticated as they increasingly have to handle more and more devices per home. Charter averages about 15 devices connected to its Wi-Fi network per customer, Colwell said. 

“The network has never been more complicated,” Colwell said. “And our jobs are to turn that around and make it very easy for customers. Things should just work.”

Werner asked if that transformation has made the home Local Area Network (LAN) more important.

“If you don’t have a good home LAN, it’s like putting bicycle tires on the back of a dragster,” Colwell said. 

No conversation about the internet can bypass the Metaverse, the amalgamation of the various technologies and applications possible as data speeds and capacities rise exponentially. While Facebook even changed its name to Meta in deference to the expected impact of the technology, it hasn’t materialized quite as quickly as some might have expected. Werner asked if the panel thought the Metaverse was hype or reality, and Cox Communications chief technology officer Len Barlik came down hard on the latter. 

“It is going to be a reality,” Barlik said. “I think the capabilities that we’re helping developers come forward with, and the expectations of customers, we’ll continue to see an evolution associated with it. We’re living in it today. … We’ll start to see a lot more.”

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Werner also asked about the future of video for the cable business. While traditional pay TV has lost millions of subscribers over the past decade and streaming video services have started to dominate, there have been some who have questioned if video service should even be part of the equation for cable operators.

Liberty Global EVP and CTO Enrique Rodriguez said that video will continue to remain an important part of Liberty Global’s product offerings, adding that it too will evolve like the rest of the business.

“We don’t see a future in which we stop innovating in video,” Rodriguez said, adding that although technology and needs have changed over the years — consumers are mostly concerned with the ability to onboard apps and integrating services — he still sees it having a place in the product mix. 

“Video, at least in our markets, will continue to be extremely important for a long, long time,” he said. ■

Cox Communications kicked off the New Year by promoting three long-time executives — Len Barlik, Colleen Langner and Mark Lawson —  to key management roles, the company said Wednesday.

Barlik, formerly executive VP and chief operations officer, has been named chief technology officer, succeeding Kevin Hart, who was named CEO of Cox-owned fiber provider Segra earlier this week. Langner, who has previously served as EVP and chief marketing and sales officer, becomes chief operating officer; and Lawson, formerly senior VP of digital, moves into the executive VP and chief marketing and sales officer role. 

Barlik joined Cox in 2010 as EVP of product development and management and during that tenure helped launch the company’s flagship video product Contour, its ultra-high-speed broadband product Gigablast and its Homelife home security and automation portfolio. As CTO, Barlik will oversee product and technology innovation and the development of new products and services for both residential and commercial customers. He will also assume leadership of the Cox Network Transformation initiative, the company’s billion-dollar project to support future residential and business applications.  

“Len is a true innovator with a proven track record of bringing compelling new products and services to market that deliver superior customer experiences and drive revenue growth,” Cox Communications CEO Mark Greatrex said in a press release. “His ability to take a long-range, strategic vision, create a sense of urgency and move organizations to deliver on strategy makes him the natural choice to shape the future of product and technology development at Cox.”

A 26-year veteran of Cox Communications, Langner has held several senior leadership roles in the company, including SVP of field operations, with overall responsibility for field operations and vendor management. Langner also led marketing operations for the company, where she drove residential marketing strategy and execution nationwide. 

“Colleen built an intimate knowledge of our markets, our customers and what it takes to support the services we sell,” Greatrex said in the release. “Her leadership experience across our regions gives her great perspective and a well-rounded view of our business that serves our Senior Team well.”

Lawson joined Cox Communications about eight years ago, leading the company’s digital marketing and helping to digitize sales, customer care and, more recently, customer retention and base management. 

“We are moving rapidly to more digital customer journeys and interactive services and Mark is a top-notch digital expert who already has helped us blaze trails in the digital realm,” Greatrex said in the release. “He will be a tremendous asset to our senior leadership team, lending his digital vision and expertise to our growth and business strategy.”

Cox Communications said it has named Karen Bennett executive vice president and chief human resources officer, replacing Len Barlik who was recently promoted to chief operating officer at the cable company.

Bennett served as SVP and chief human resources officer at Cox Media Group, Cox Communications’ sister company that owns newspapers, TV and radio stations and digital media properties, since 2015.

“Karen has a reputation for building strong, collaborative relationships, backed by a 25-year track record as a proven leader of HR and a respected business strategist," said Cox Communications president Pat Esser in a statement.  “She will develop and execute a talent strategy that aligns with our operating principles and help us work through the challenges of driving continual growth in our rapidly evolving business.”

Barlik was named COO in May after long-time COO Jill Campbell was promoted to EVP at Cox Communications parent Cox Enterprises earlier this year. 

Bennett is a veteran of the TV and telecom industries, serving as SVP and chief human resources officer for YP (formerly AT&T Ad Solutions) prior to joining Cox Media Group. She also served as SVP of human resources for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. for nearly 14 years.

Cox Communications named Len Barlik EVP and chief operating officer of the cable company. He replaces Jill Campbell, who was promoted to parent Cox Enterprises earlier this month.

Barlik joined Cox in 2011 as executive vice president of product management and development. During his tenure, Cox launched several products such as Contour, the company’s flagship video product, Gigabit broadband speeds for residential customers and the Homelife home security and automation portfolio. Most recently, he served as chief human resources officer where he realigned leadership, processes and tools to better equip the evolving workforce to meet customer needs, Cox said.

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“No matter the role, Len’s approach is always characterized by a long-range, strategic vision, a sense of urgency and the ability to move an organization to deliver on its strategy,” Cox president Pat Esser said in a statement. “As chief operations officer, Len will ensure that our marketplace strategies are tightly aligned with our operating principles so that we can continue to improve the customer experience and grow the company.”

As executive vice president and chief operations officer, Barlik will oversee field operations, customer experience, care operations, field service strategy, operations process management and public affairs.