This story is part of a broader Meet the CTOs feature that introduces all of the major network operator CTOs across the wireless, telecom and cable industries. To read about top network CTOs from other companies, click here.
Who he is: Former Charter engineer Terry Cordova was serving as CTO of Suddenlink Communications when Altice NV purchased a controlling interest the MSO last year. His purview then expanded significantly earlier this year when Altice also completed its purchase of Cablevision for $17.7 billion.
Cordova is now in charge of the engineering team serving all of Altice USA’s cable assets, overseeing technology strategy and architecture, as well as network operations and infrastructure, for residential and business video, voice and data services. Cordova has industry prominence through the SCTE, where he is a three-term board member and 2017 Cable-Tec Expo program co-chair, alongside Charter’s Jim Blackly.
Where he is: Altice declined to provide specifics about its corporate reporting structure, but the company did say that Cordova, executive VP and CTO for Altice USA, reports directly to Hakim Boubazine, co-president and chief operating officer for Altice USA. Working out of Altice’s New York offices, Cordova’s ongoing priority, an Altice spokesperson said, is to integrate the company’s Suddenlink and Optimum platforms, modernizing them into a centralized network. Cordova has already integrated the respective Suddenlink and Cablevision technology teams, the company said.
What he’s doing: Speaking at the recent SCTE trade show, Cordova said his focus is on “accelerating the deployment of advanced technologies such as fiber to the home, Wi-Fi 3.0, and customer-focused platforms.” Certainly, much of Cordova’s work centers around Altice’s main goal for its U.S. cable systems — cutting costs through synergies.
Beyond that, Altice has pledged to compete aggressively in the area of broadband services, and Cordova’s team is working to modernize the company’s network infrastructure. The company has numerous 1-gig deployments through Suddenlink, all of them powered by the legacy DOCSIS 3.0 standard and initiated before Altice purchased Suddenlink. Last month, though, Altice’s Suddenlink announced the expansion of 1-gig services into several Louisiana communities, as well as into the Southwestern areas of Clovis and Texico, New Mexico, and Farwell, Texas.
In addition to accelerating its Suddenlink gigabit rollouts, Altice USA CEO Dexter Goei has said the company will continue to add more fiber to its network, and will extend the availability of 300 Mbps speeds for Optimum customers (those previously under the Cablevision banner). Cordova’s teams will also support Altice’s pledges to roll out next-generation video products and invest more in business services.