Suddenlink Suspends Overages → AT some point...

Wouldn't it be cheaper to split some nodes here and there instead of this BS? Or just build the whole system for the future with 100 customer nodes, SDV, 1ghz, and 8-channel D3?

Making money is complicated and requires innovation. For example, consolidate the nodes: one node per region is much more efficient. Meters have trouble billing by the gigabyte, so bill by the bit! (I know, it's amazing you didn't think of something so obvious) If everyone just sticks together and hunts down the bandwidth hoarders we can do this!

Wouldn't that be like saying it's hard to measure by the mile so we'll start measuring by the foot (or inch)?

no combining nodes is not efficient and never will as you are loading to many subscribers on to a single node which two previously served. There is a reason for nodes splits not node combines more bandwidth with a split not a combine.

SDV would be smart as well as 1GHz upgrades to all of Suddenlink's 550MHz and 450MHz systems. SDV would be a priority for 750MHz and 860MHz systems while 450MHz and 550MHz systems get a 1GHz upgrade and go all digital. This is how I would run Suddenlink no system below 750MHz and in some cases 750MHz systems would go to 1GHz if bandwidth needs were not met at 750MHz.

TWC in my area is running a 860MHz system with:

8 VOD QAM channels
6 DOCSIS channels
24 SDV QAM channels

The system I am on was previously 750MHz which was partially rebuilt to 750MHz and partially retrofitted to 750MHz now it has been completely upgraded to 860MHz with some old 450MHz magnavox housings with upgraded gear in them and the rest of the stuff is either 870MHz motorola or 1GHz motorola with Aurora, Motorola, and Harmonics nodes that are 870MHz or 1GHz.

Comcast went all 860, triple-channeled the HD, and dumped analog, but they don't use SDV. I'd rather have non-re-compressed HD on a 1ghz system with SDV, but I guess we can't have everything...

1ghz doesn't help too much on the video side, as only some VOD can go up past 860, due to some cable boxes and third party tuners not going past 860, but if you move 8 DOCSIS channels up there, and only leave one south of 860 (for D2), it would help quite a bit. If you split the nodes to the point where there are less than ~100 home on each one, you could make everything except Clear QAM and expanded basic in SD (for DTAs) SDV, which could save a lot of bandwidth.

You also save on congestion on the VOD and DOCSIS sides of things, and can do more HD on demand. Basically, the farther you push the nodes out, the more and more it becomes equivalent to FTTH without actually having to install the fiber in everyone's houses. Or even if you have multiple nodes co-located together with the coax going off in different directions...