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Charter Communications Engineering

To connect customers to the world through superior broadband by becoming America's most trusted connectivity provider.

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To connect customers to the world through superior broadband by becoming America's most trusted connectivity provider.

Strengths

  • INFRASTRUCTURE: Extensive hybrid fiber-coaxial network reaching 55M homes
  • SCALE: Second largest broadband provider serving 30M+ customers
  • INTEGRATION: Successful convergence of mobile and broadband offerings
  • RESOURCES: Strong cash flow ($5.2B in Q1 2023) fueling investments
  • TALENT: Deep bench of technical expertise across network operations

Weaknesses

  • LEGACY: Aging cable infrastructure in certain regional markets
  • COMPETITION: Vulnerable to fiber providers in high-density areas
  • SPEED: Average download speeds lag behind pure fiber competitors
  • TECHNICAL DEBT: Complex systems from multiple acquisitions
  • INNOVATION: Slower pace of new technology adoption than peers

Opportunities

  • EXPANSION: Rural broadband funding through government initiatives
  • SPECTRUM: Leveraging CBRS and C-band for fixed wireless applications
  • CONVERGENCE: Further integration of mobile and home connectivity
  • ENTERPRISE: Growing B2B market segment with specialized solutions
  • AUTOMATION: Reduce operational costs through AI-powered systems

Threats

  • FIBER: Aggressive fiber overbuild in key markets from competitors
  • WIRELESS: 5G fixed wireless alternatives threatening cable market
  • REGULATION: Potential new broadband regulation impacting operations
  • TALENT: Industry-wide competition for specialized engineering talent
  • TECHNOLOGY: Rapid evolution requiring constant infrastructure updates

Key Priorities

  • MODERNIZATION: Accelerate network upgrades to DOCSIS 4.0 standards
  • CONVERGENCE: Enhance integrated mobile/broadband product offerings
  • AUTOMATION: Deploy AI-powered operations to improve efficiency
  • TALENT: Attract and retain top technical talent in competitive market
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To connect customers to the world through superior broadband by becoming America's most trusted connectivity provider.

NETWORK EXCELLENCE

Create the most reliable connectivity infrastructure

  • MODERNIZATION: Complete DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades in 45% of footprint by Q4, enabling 10Gbps speeds
  • RELIABILITY: Reduce network outages by 35% through proactive maintenance, achieving 99.97% uptime
  • CAPACITY: Increase average network capacity by 30% to accommodate 25% higher peak hour traffic
  • STANDARDS: Achieve top-quartile performance in FCCs Measuring Broadband America report in 4 metrics
AI TRANSFORMATION

Revolutionize operations through intelligent systems

  • MONITORING: Deploy AI-powered network monitoring across 80% of network nodes, reducing MTTR by 40%
  • PREDICTION: Implement predictive maintenance to prevent 75% of potential customer-impacting outages
  • OPERATIONS: Automate 50% of tier-1 customer technical issues through AI diagnostic systems
  • TALENT: Build AI expertise by training 200 engineers and hiring 25 specialized AI/ML professionals
CONVERGENCE LEADER

Seamlessly unite mobile and home connectivity

  • INTEGRATION: Launch unified connectivity platform serving 40% of customer base with single interface
  • ADOPTION: Increase mobile attachment rate for broadband customers from 42% to 50% by EOY
  • EXPERIENCE: Deliver seamless WiFi/cellular handoff in 35 metro areas, reducing disconnections by 85%
  • OFFERINGS: Launch 3 new convergence products combining home, mobile and business connectivity
TECHNICAL TALENT

Build world-class engineering capability

  • RECRUITING: Hire 150 specialized engineers in network architecture, security, and AI/ML
  • RETENTION: Improve technical talent retention to 92% through career development and upskilling
  • TRAINING: Complete 30,000 hours of technical training across engineering organization
  • INNOVATION: Launch engineering innovation lab to incubate 10 new connectivity solutions by Q4
METRICS
  • NETWORK RELIABILITY: 99.97% uptime (currently 99.95%)
  • CONVERGENCE RATIO: 50% of broadband customers with mobile (currently 42%)
  • AI EFFICIENCY: 40% reduction in manual technical operations (currently baseline)
VALUES
  • Customer-first innovation
  • Technical excellence
  • Continuous improvement
  • Operational efficiency
  • Collaborative problem-solving
Charter Communications logo
Align the learnings

Charter Communications Engineering Retrospective

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To connect customers to the world through superior broadband by becoming America's most trusted connectivity provider.

What Went Well

  • SUBSCRIBERS: Added 363,000 Internet subscribers in Q4 2023, beating estimates
  • MOBILE: Wireless line additions exceeded projections with 546,000 new lines
  • REVENUE: Total revenue increased 1.5% YoY to $13.8 billion for the quarter
  • ARPU: Average revenue per residential customer increased 1.3% to $116.52
  • RETENTION: Reduced residential customer churn to 1.1%, down from 1.2% YoY

Not So Well

  • VIDEO: Lost 257,000 video subscribers due to cord-cutting acceleration
  • CAPEX: Capital expenditures higher than anticipated at $2.7 billion
  • MARGINS: EBITDA margin pressure from increased operational costs at 37.2%
  • COMPETITION: Market share losses in areas with fiber-to-the-home options
  • IMPLEMENTATION: Network upgrade timelines delayed in several key markets

Learnings

  • INTEGRATION: Bundled mobile/internet customers show 35% lower churn rates
  • PERFORMANCE: Customers prioritize reliability over peak speeds in surveys
  • SEGMENTATION: Regional market needs vary significantly across footprint
  • INVESTMENTS: Technical debt reduction delivers better ROI than anticipated
  • ALIGNMENT: Cross-functional teams outperform siloed engineering approaches

Action Items

  • ACCELERATION: Fast-track DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades in competitive markets by Q3
  • AUTOMATION: Implement AI-powered network monitoring across 80% of nodes
  • TALENT: Launch technical up-skilling program for 2,000 field engineers
  • INTEGRATION: Unify backend systems for seamless customer experience
  • EFFICIENCY: Reduce truck rolls by 25% through remote diagnostics deployment
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To connect customers to the world through superior broadband by becoming America's most trusted connectivity provider.

Strengths

  • DATA: Massive customer usage data for AI/ML model training
  • SCALE: Enterprise-scale infrastructure suitable for AI deployment
  • OPERATIONS: Existing network operations centers for AI integration
  • INVESTMENT: Financial resources to fund AI transformation
  • ECOSYSTEM: Established vendor partnerships for AI technologies

Weaknesses

  • SKILLS: Limited AI/ML expertise compared to tech-first companies
  • INFRASTRUCTURE: Varying data quality across acquired systems
  • CULTURE: Traditional telecom mindset slowing AI adoption
  • INTEGRATION: Siloed systems challenging AI deployment
  • GOVERNANCE: Underdeveloped AI ethics and governance frameworks

Opportunities

  • PREDICTIVE: AI-powered predictive maintenance reducing outages
  • AUTOMATION: Network self-healing and automated issue resolution
  • PERSONALIZATION: AI-driven customer experience improvements
  • EFFICIENCY: Reducing operational costs through AI optimization
  • SECURITY: Enhanced threat detection using AI pattern recognition

Threats

  • COMPETITION: Tech giants deploying superior AI customer solutions
  • TALENT: Difficulty attracting top AI talent to telecom sector
  • SPEED: Slow AI transformation compared to digital-native companies
  • REGULATION: Emerging AI regulations impacting development
  • TRUST: Customer concerns about AI-enabled data usage

Key Priorities

  • TALENT: Build specialized AI Center of Excellence with domain experts
  • SYSTEMS: Unify data architecture for enterprise-wide AI applications
  • AUTOMATION: Prioritize network operations AI for immediate gains
  • EXPERIENCE: Create AI customer solutions to match tech competitors