From a broad point of view, next-generation access network activity slowed for many cable operators in 2020 as they focused on splitting nodes and adding capacity to existing network gear to keep up with the traffic surge fueled by the pandemic. However, Comcast said its work around network virtualization and the use of new AI and machine learning techniques that optimize and enhance the performance of the access network accelerated over the past year. "We have not slowed down anything We have not stopped and not blinked," Elad Nafshi, senior vice president of next-generation access networks, at Comcast Cable, said. "Everything I've asked for from an access network standpoint, the company has stood behind and provided investment."