Why broadband providers can no longer build networks the same way

Broadband is shifting fast and the old rules no longer apply. In this episode of Connected Nation, Harmonic’s Jeff Glahn explains how providers are rethinking the way networks are built, upgraded, and managed. From plug-and-play solutions to AI driven insights, this conversation explores how a more flexible, customer-focused approach is taking shape.

Related links:
Harmonic's website

Company's LinkedIn 

Jeff Glahn's LinkedIn 

Transcript

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (00:07):

This is Connected Nation, an award-winning podcast focused on all things broadband. From closing the digital divide to improving your internet speeds, we talk technology topics that impact all of us, our families, and our neighborhoods.

(00:22):

On this episode of Connected Nation, I talk with the senior vice president of global sales for Harmonic. He shares with us high level strategy, key market insights, and a big company announcement about a new product called C-Star. Find out what it does and why you may need it.

(00:41):

I'm Jessica Denson and this is Connected Nation. I am at Fiber Connect 2026, taking place in Orlando, Florida, May 17th through the 20th, and I am joined by Jeff Glon with Harmonic. He is the senior vice president of Global Sales. That's right. Welcome, Jeff.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (00:59):

Thank you. It's good to be here.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (01:00):

Yeah. Uh, I was just telling Jeff, they were ... When I came back to the podcast studio, he had a- and his, um, uh, colleague were sitting here and I said, "I was just at your booth and I got some whoppers." <laugh>

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (01:12):

Those are so good.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (01:13):

A lot of candy. There's a whole candy aisle there. That's how you get me to come to someone's booth, but- That's

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (01:18):

How we attract customers. Exactly.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (01:19):

Yeah. And you're- you're, uh, since you do global sales, your- your, uh, statement there said what? The sweetness, uh-

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (01:25):

It's, uh, broadband land. What was it? The sweetness? I- I-

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (01:27):

A broadband land or something?

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (01:29):

<laugh> I- I- I tell you, the- the candy was a huge sell. We had a, uh, uh, a coffee, uh, there, uh, cold brew coffee, and that was a- an amazing hit, but, uh, gave us the caffeine and the sugar to get through, uh, the show.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (01:39):

Yeah. Next time I need your PR person to let me know when that stuff's going to arrive- Yeah. ... so I can arrive as well. Absolutely.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (01:44):

<laugh> Absolutely. The, yeah, the theme worked. Uh, we did it, uh, at, uh, a re- another recent event. It was a hit, so we brought it back, uh, here to Fiber Connect and,

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (01:51):

Uh- Oh yeah. Well, I got me two- I got two boxes of Whoppers. Sometimes Whoppers are hard to fly, so I was- Fantastic. ... super happy. Uh, if my audience is listening, feel free to send me Whoppers anytime. <laugh> <laugh> Now onto- onto serious stuff. Let's talk about Harmonic and what Harmonic does, and, um, why was it important for you to be at Fiber Connect?

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (02:11):

Yeah, thanks. Great, great question. So, uh, Harmonic, uh, we are a- a public company, uh, based out of San Jose, California. Uh, we are a company of innovators. Um, we've been in the, uh, we are a leader, uh, in broadband access. Um, you know, the- the- the heritage of the company going back, you know, 15 years, uh, we- we started in- in, uh, broadband access, um, in the virtual CMTS space, which was, you know, predominantly, you know, cable operators for- for Doxys. Um, but in the last decade or so, we've started making meaningful investments in fiber. Mm-hmm. And our strategy is really resonating across the board. So you have, you know, cable operators that are, you know, migrating to f- uh, you know, fiber, uh, infrastructure

(02:51):

And we play a big part of that. Uh, and, you know, uh, we're- we're seeing a- a great, uh, you know, uh, a- a- a great, uh, you know, penetration into the telecom and ISP market. Um, Fiber Connect is the perfect marketplace, uh, for all of these operators. And we saw at the show here, uh, a wide, uh, mix of, you know, uh, you know, Doxy's cable operators. We've seen a lot of telcos here at the event, a lot of ISPs. Uh, what I love about Fiber Connect is, and versus other shows is we walk out of here with just a ton of pipeline and a ton of things to do and a ton of next steps and- and follow-ups. And for that, you know, Fiber Connect will always be on our list of top shows of the year.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (03:31):

Mm-hmm.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (03:32):

Yeah.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (03:32):

It's kind of an entrepreneurial spirit here. I've kind of noticed. I've noticed that. I agree that. Yeah. Everybody's talking about it, "Oh, I- I didn't think about that. We're going to- we're going to start that. We're going to do that. " Yeah. You've, uh, I wonder, is that sort of part of the fiber industry right now that has to be? It-

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (03:46):

It- it really is. It- it's just, you know, all of our conversations are around growth and, uh, really, you know, li- listening to- to clients and listening to prospects about the market and re- really identifying, you know, what- what problems do they have, what opportunities are they seeing, that really helps guide our roadmap and guide our- our focus on where we go as a company. We announced a- a new product out here, uh, uh, for, it's called the C Star, and it is for, uh, MDUs. And that product by itself was conceptualized via conversations with the telco and ISP community, right, where they wanted to, uh, further penetrate, they wanted to get into the MDU market and, uh, competing solutions were- were rather expensive and through engaging with clients the past couple years here at Fiber Connect, um, we developed the C-Star and it is a tremendous hit at the show.

(04:38):

We made a- an announcement and an operator, uh, in Europe, uh, DNA in Finland. Um, they, uh, they announced this morning they're- they're deploying the- the C-star and here at the event, um, we have a long list, uh, dozens of operators that are, uh, super interested in- in, uh, taking next steps with it.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (04:54):

Yeah, MDU is a big market right now.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (04:56):

Huge market, underserved. Uh, the- the- the TAM, uh, opportunities, it's- it's limitless. I mean, uh, the- the feedback we got at the show, um, was- it was just tremendously positive. Um, and you look at that and you- and- and, you know, we're- we're- we're starting to get a- a lot of, uh, a great engagement from- from telcos that have been really he- you know, heavily embedded with our, uh, our competitors over the years. Why our strategy is really resonating is also we have a- an open, uh, ONT, uh, strategy, me- meaning when you move forward with Harmonic, you know, we're a new disruptive player. We're the new kit on the block here at- at Fiber Connect reasonably. Mm-hmm. Um, uh, and, uh, when- when you look at competitive solutions, you know, y- y- you're, you know, you're- you're kind of locked in with- with- with our competitors.

(05:43):

The value we have when we come to the table and we talk to these operators is, you know, we- we provide, you know, world-class, uh, OLT technology, but it can interoperate with any ONT out there. So you- so operators don't have to go in and replace ONTs at the home, uh, they can drop in our new OLT and, you know, faster, lighter, you know, cheaper technology, we- we can, uh, you know, bring that, uh, in- in short time

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (06:07):

Faster, lighter. It sounds, and speedier. It sounds, it sounds like one of those, uh, advertisements for robots, you know, back in the day- Yeah. ... we're in the 19 days <laugh>. Yeah. Yeah. But it's- it's awesome. Yeah. Uh, you said, you now say the C star. That's right. What makes the C star so unique in the MDU market, which by the way, for anybody who's let's say MDU's multi-dwelling units, like those apartment complexes- Yeah. ... places like that.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (06:32):

Yeah. So the- the number one challenge that operators would- would face is, uh, many of the MDUs, uh, are wired with coax. Mm-hmm. So if a telco comes in and- and, uh, they would have to essentially rewire, uh, the entire MDU, which is costly and- and, uh, takes a lot of time. Mm-hmm. Uh, the, uh, value, uh, the value prop for the C Star is, uh, it- it is prepared for, uh, it comes ready for, uh, coax, uh, in- interiors for- for MDU. So it is literally, excuse me, it's literally a plug and play device for, uh, these operators.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (07:07):

Mm-hmm. Um, yeah, <laugh> we're both clearing our throats. It's- it's dry. It's- it's a little humid here, but now it's dry. I did a lot of talking last

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (07:13):

Few days.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (07:13):

I know. I get it, totally. Yeah. I get it totally. Um, so Harmonic, um, in addition to the M, um, the MDU market, are there any areas that you guys are really focusing in on right now?

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (07:24):

Yeah. So we- we are in, um, you know, this storming, norming, performing mode right now, you know, uh, fiber connect to us, you know, when we entered the fiber business five or six years ago, we're starting to get a ton of momentum and we're very, very busy in, uh, working with operators to help modernize and- and upgrade. So, um,  we are spending a lot of time with- with operators with our, uh, of course, our- our OLTs, um, you know, here at the vent, the- the C Star was a- was a tremendous hit. I'd say the other topic that, you know, comes up at- at- at every conversation that we had was, uh, really f- you know, where do we go next in terms of- mm-hmm. ... um, improving, you know, customer experience and that's come up in every single conversation. So, you know, we're- we're- we're, uh, we're starting to do a lot of work in, um, providing, you know, uh, looking into the software space for operational, uh, insights.

(08:20):

Um, so, you know, as we go forward, I think the next couple, you know, next Fiber Connect, I- I would anticipate, um, you know, Harmonic having, you know, some interesting solutions to talk about that are re- more focused on, uh, the customer experience- mm-hmm. ... and- and optimizing networks and- and taking that to the next level.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (08:36):

You're a little bit of a disruptor.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (08:38):

We are 100%. <laugh> I mean, uh, Harmonic is a group of innovators. Uh, it is a company that is very ... We lead with technology and it's one of the things, you know, I- I- I love about the cu- you know, the company the most is it makes my job in sales a lot easier. You know, we sit, we consult with clients. You know, like I said, we're the disruptor, we're the- we're the, you know, new kid on the block, if you will, and, um, it really resonates with these operators. It's ... I- I think they find our- our strategy refreshing. Um, we don't sell to customers, we consult with customers, we identify, uh, where we can add value, you know, what their problems are- mm-hmm. ... where their opportunities are. And we build to that. You know, we- we build, you know, to what their customer needs are.

(09:17):

So, you know, I think over- over time is, you know, as we, uh, you know, further, you know, penetrate into the ISP market and telecom market and- and increase these partnerships around the globe, um, we're going to be looking to technologies that how do we add more value, right? Mm-hmm. And- and how do we improve that customer experience, whether it be systems or- or, you know, new- new solutions like the CStar, um, I think that's what to expect from Harmonic going forward.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (09:41):

So, uh, you mentioned Europe and you mentioned- Yeah. ... the US both. Yeah. I- is Harmonic global, uh, very much a global footprint- We are. ... all over?

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (09:51):

Yeah. We are very, very proud of that. You know, in the last, uh, two years, we've- we've grown pretty significantly, uh, especially in what we call rest of market and- and international. Um, I think the predominantly, you know, North, North America obviously is our- our strongest.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (10:04):

Mm-hmm.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (10:05):

Uh, Latin America, um, they are doing, uh, uh, a ton of, you know, fiber builds. Uh, I'd say 90% of Latin America operators are, you know, moving to, uh, toward, or on fiber or moving towards fiber. Mm-hmm. Uh, we're, uh, we are in the middle a lot of those big builds. Um, we just announced Izzy, uh, formerly Cabomas. Uh, Izzy is, uh, launching with our OLT, and that's giving, that's a, that's a fiber solution at massive scale. Mm-hmm. So spend a lot of my time in, in, uh, in Mexico with, uh, with the Izzy team. Um, but we see growth across the board in, in Peru, uh, Argentina. Um, I made a couple trips to Brazil. Uh, last year, I think Brazil's going to be a real exciting market for us.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (10:44):

We definitely need to bring the podcast along with you. Yeah. I'm just saying. <laugh> We'll take it on the road. Uh- Yeah, take it on the road.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (10:50):

Yeah. And, um, and I, I love spending time there as well. Mm-hmm. I mean, I love, you know, spending time in all the regions. Um, but Latin, Latin America right now, especially in Brazil, they've, they've got a, you know, just a ton of focus on fiber. As a matter of fact, I met a Bazil- Brazilian op- uh, ISP was here at Fiber Connect- Oh, wow. ... uh, this morning, yeah, and, uh, had a chance to catch up and, and, um, had a chance to, uh, walk them through our roadmap. So yeah, it's, it's a very exciting, uh, high level market.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (11:14):

So are you seeing some of the same challenges across the board? Are there some, some similarities or are there big differences or the differences small- Wow. ... across that big of a footprint?

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (11:25):

Yeah, it's a good question. I, I mean, it's, it's, it's, um, it's interesting because their, their problems are, are all relatively the same. You know, everyone is looking to, uh, to modernize, um, I think, um, I think speed, uh, overall has become sort of table stakes with, with operators and, and customers. Every operator, when they engage with us, they, they want to, uh, they, they are focusing on, you know, a- all about the customer. How can they differentiate from, you know, other, you know, maybe 5G technologies or, or other technologies that they're, they're, they're competing with. Um, but  it is  really every conversation around the globe that seems to be centered around, you know, just customer experience. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (12:05):

Um, and do you deal, I know you talked about Izzy and these bigger footprints, but do you, do you deal with all tiers of ISPs and stuff or is it- Yeah. ... mostly the big guys?

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (12:15):

Yeah. So we, uh, we pride ourselves, uh, in our focus on customers of any size. So, you know, uh, you know, Comcast obviously is one of our larger customers. Um, we have 150 operators right now 150 operators and growing. So across that are, you know, cable operators, telcos, um, we, uh, we have solutions that go all the way down to, you know, operators that have maybe a thousand, you know, customers, um, and all the way up to millions. Mm-hmm. So we pride ourselves in building scalable solutions that are, you know, right size for the operator.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (12:51):

Yeah. So, um, Harmonic, I, I, I was told that you had, you were showcasing several new innovations. Yeah. What in addition to CStar did you guys, are you, were you excited about sharing with the world- Yeah. ... during this event? He's checking to see if it's okay if he talks. <laugh>

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (13:09):

Yeah. So we're pretty excited about a, a new technology that we're, uh, showcasing out here. Uh, we, uh, we haven't named it yet. Uh-huh. Uh, we are, uh, talk about customer experience and then, and talked about, you know, uh, optimizing, uh, network. So, you know, uh, we want to make sure that Harmonic, we, we position ourselves in a way that we can continuously add value with our, you know, with our clients and these operators are really in need of, uh, an up- updating on their tools. You know, some customers are using, you know, maybe 10 or even 20 different types of tools or OSS solutions to, uh, manage their, their networks. Um, what to expect from Harmonic and what we're showing out here is, uh, uh, a conceptualized approach of, uh, of a network management sys- system, but, uh, using, uh, AI- mm-hmm. ... uh, to provide better insights and, uh, and themes so that we can be more, more proactive, uh, about, uh, managing, you know, operators can be more proactive about ma- managing their network assets and ultimately, you know, uh, working to prevent issues before they even happen.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (14:13):

I'm glad you brought up AI- Yeah. ... because obviously I can't have any conversations <laugh>- Yeah. ... probably for the next year or two- Yeah. ... without bringing up AI- Yes. ... especially when we're in the technology space. Yes. So you just talked about one of the ways that your company is using AI or looking to leverage AI. How are, how is Harmonic u- looking at using it internally as well as down the road even past this new product?

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (14:38):

Yeah. So, um, from an internal perspective, you know, our, our CIO is, you know, is very forward looking and, and, you know, the, we, we, we have a, a licensing for enterprise license for, for AI tools, which, um, which I respect. We're, we're on the forefront of, you know, of, of using those responsibly, you know, within, within, um, within Harmonic. Mm-hmm. Um, we're being, you know, we're being careful because we, we, uh, understand that it seems, you know, everywhere you, you go these days, everyone has an AI solution that they want to sell. <laugh> And so we're, we're being very thoughtful, uh, in our approach. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, Harmonic has been the software business for, you know, nearly 15 years, right? We've, we've built network management systems, um, we've scaled those systems. Um, all we're doing now is using the power of AI to provide better insights, uh, and, um, you know, uh, no AI would be complete without having the proper data scientists- mm-hmm.

(15:32):

... and, and the proper engineers, um, that are, you know, plugging in the right outcomes, right? So we spend a lot of time in being very thoughtful, um, in this rollout. Um, we could've came to the show and, and, you know, and, and, and blasted, uh, blasted this out and, and, but we want to make sure that when we go to market and we introduce the product that we come with a set of operators that really help us, you know, do that selling, right? And, and what value is it adding, uh, what problems is it solving? So what to expect in the months ahead is, uh, as we work with operators and we build this out, um, that we come to the table with, uh, essentially a, a community, uh, of customers, uh, so we can obviously, you know, properly announce the, the product.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (16:11):

That's exciting. It is very exciting. Yeah. Yeah. When you guys do, let me know. Yeah. Come on the podcast and we can talk about it. Uh, I would love that. We'll,

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (16:18):

We'll be here.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (16:18):

Absolutely. Yeah. I like to do follow-ups and keep up with the companies we talk to. So, um, you, when we talked when we, when we were, when I sat down for this interview and we were just bantering before we started, I asked you what are some things that you definitely want to make sure we talk about. And one of those was, um, market insights. Yeah. Uh, why is the ... I mean, I understand you're glo- the VP of global sales, so I can imagine that you watched the market <laugh> pretty closely. Yeah. But talk about some of those market insights and why that was an important point to be made.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (16:47):

Yeah. I mean, I, I think you're seeing it at, at the show here in real time, right? Mm-hmm. I, I talked about, you know, traditional cable operators or MSOs, I talked about telcos and ISPs and it, it seems to me like all the paths are starting to converge and, you know, I think the greatest insights I captured here at the event is all these, all these conversations are converging around the same topic, right, which is, you know evolving to a complete fiber or fiber to the home infrastructure. Mm-hmm. So, you know, and that's, uh, I think a trend that started initially, uh, in Latin America, we're seeing that now take across, you know, uh, across North America and certainly in Europe is, is starting to, I think, you know, catch on, I don't want to call it a trend.

(17:28):

I, I want to call it just a reality- mm-hmm. ... of, of where we're at. Um, but, um, yeah, I think the greatest market insight that we, you know, I think that proved our, our thesis is that, um, you know, operators are moving to fiber as, as quickly as possible. I think they're being very thoughtful now about how they deploy and where they deploy, but, um, every operator, you know, we, we, uh, we engage with is, is looking at, um, you know, um, migrating to fiber or, or how fast can they go and, and how can they improve the customer experience as they scale.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (17:58):

Um, when it comes to BEAD- Yeah. ... um, the, the $42 billion program, are, are you guys dealing with any ISPs or providing some guidance or work through the, that program? Yes, it was paused for a bit- Yeah. ... but it looks like things are starting to move forward again, knock on wood- Yes. ... let's hope so. Um, but is Harmonic are you guys working with any of those groups and, and, and if so, how so? Yeah,

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (18:23):

We, we do. We work directly with the operator. Um, the operators that are, have been taken advantage of B that are, our customer base are the, more of the mid-tier to, to large tier, uh, operators. Uh, they seem to have, you know, entire teams that are, you know, dedicated to, to bead. So the consultative, you know, consultation process is relatively straightforward. Uh, they know where to go, how to buy. Uh, we offer, you know, uh, our solutions that are, you know, you know, beat certified. So we, we've, um, I, I'd say it's been a, it's been a, a meaningful contribution to our, our, our revenue over the last two years and we expect that to continue.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (18:57):

Uh, talk about your role, the senior vice president of global sales. Yeah. Sounds pretty fancy. <laugh> I'm just saying. <laugh> Um, but what do you do in that role? What's a typical day for you, um, and, and how did you land at Harmonic?

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (19:10):

Yeah, so I mean, I started my career, uh, as a network engineer. Uh, I was, uh, uh, broadband engineer at Comcast. Um, I, um, you know, I, uh, I must've been a bad engineer because I got recruited by sales. <laugh> Uh, and, uh, ki- kidding aside, I, uh, I joined sales when I was with Motorola, um, about 2006, and I just fell in love, you know, it was, it just felt like the intersection of technology and people. Um, how I ended up at Harmonic, I, about three years ago, I was at a breakfast, I think, with, uh, at a, a conference breakfast and I was meeting Harmonic for, you know, I think they were a partner in one of a, a pro- a large program we were working on for an operator. Mm-hmm. And I sat next to Nimrod Benatan who is now, uh, at the time was a GM at Harmonic and is now our CEO and, you know, a short conversation turned into a three-hour discussion about the market and about customers and, you know, I, I walked away from that breakfast just thinking, you know, wow, like, you know,

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (20:08):

He- He like

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (20:09):

What they're doing? ... he gets it. Harmonic really gets it and it was all about customer experience. It was all about challenging, you know, uh, technologies and, and, and going forward and building something special. So I walked away just feeling, you know, really great about, you know, you know, you know, meeting Nimrod and the Harmonic team. Uh, and then we kept in touch, you know, over, um, over the weeks and months following and we just continued con- conversations whenever we were in the same town or, or, you know, at a, at a customer site, uh, we would just, you know, we would talk and, uh, the opportunity came open, um, our, the former head of sales, uh, uh, retired and it was perfect timing. I think Harmonic was in the process of, uh, considering going out and finding an executive recruiter, executive search and Nimrad reached out and, and said, "Hey, there's this opportunity co- coming available.

(20:54):

Would you be interested?" And, um, I think I said, "Absolutely, you know, when can I start?" <laugh> Uh, because I just, I, after talking to, to Nimrade, it was, it felt contagious that the, his, um, his vision and, and real mission for the company, like, it just, from the, from the, the, the first time I met him, uh, I always looked at, that's, that's something I, I love to go do, which is work with great customers, right, work with great engineers, work with a great team, um, with a common mission, with a common mission to, you know, to be, uh, a market leader in broadband.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (21:26):

And there's something to be said for working for people you like- Absolutely. Yeah. ... and, um, are excited about the work. Yeah. Um, and also I would imagine, you keep talking about innovation- Yeah. ... and this excitement around this and understanding the mission. Yeah. I imagine that's easier to sell. <laugh> Yes. Yeah.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (21:42):

Yeah. It, it's, uh, on a 40an level, right? Uh-huh. If you don't believe in you, your product, if you don't believe in your company, I, I think that comes out and, and, uh, you know, I just wake up every day just loving what I do. I mean, we work with the best, you know, the best clients in the world. Uh, we're in a business that is, you know, it's just focused on growth. Mm-hmm. Um, we're, you know, we're innovating constantly. I think we've got the brightest engineers on the planet, you know, working at our company and I, I'm, I, I look at not just the next year, but, you know, I look at the next 10 years with, uh, just the utmost excitement of where can we take Harmonic and how far can we go to, you know, help operators solve problems and, and help, uh, improve, uh, you know, customer experience.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (22:19):

We call that in the business, the business, the broadcast business, a perfect transition. It is, yeah. So let's transition to the future. Yes. Uh, talk about where you do think things will go in the next year, five years, 10 years down are, are that, that, you know, where that runway is going to take us- Yeah. ... in your mind.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (22:37):

Yeah. So Harmonic, uh, in that time, we're going to continue to engage, uh, clients. We're Gona continue to, um, you know, we're going to continue to innovate, um, at the levels or even greater than what we have been. Mm-hmm. Um, I think, um, you know, these technologies that we will, will, will, uh, we will invest in will be heavily involved around the systems I talked about for customer experience around, um, you know, how do we use AI, Agentic to, you know, to, uh, really broaden those and develop those. Mm-hmm. But I think, you know, what to expect is more innovation, um, a more systems approach, uh, a more consultative approach, you know, uh, to, to, uh, to the market. Um, but, um, uh, uh, I'd say a more, a smarter rollout of that, right? We want to make sure that whatever we do, uh, is completely aligned with our, you know, customers and where the market is, is going.

(23:30):

Um, we want to be a leader there, but, you know, we certainly, we, we don't, uh, we don't want to, you know, just, uh, deploy AI for the sake of saying we

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (23:37):

Have AI- Don't want to do it in a vacuum. Yeah, exactly. It has to be- Exactly. ... partnership. We talk a lot about connecting and we're a nonprofit. Yeah. We talk a lot about the fact that this can only be done in partnership- Yeah. ... and working together and figuring out where the problems are. So, um, are, are you guys involved at all with data centers or doing any of that work?

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (23:57):

So our, our virtual core, uh, ROS, uh, it resides, uh, in the data center. Um, you know, over time, uh, we'll see. Uh-huh. It, it's an interesting market. There's a- It is an interesting market. ... tremendous amount of capital spend in, in that market. It's a tremendous amount of TAM. Um, but like I said, you know, Harmonic, uh, our, you know, center of gravity, uh, is really in the service provider space. Uh- Our center of gravity is really in, in the service provider space. So, um, we, we want to stay close to that, right? We want to stay close to the things that we do really, really well, where we add a lot of value. Um, you know, uh, well, uh, over time, we'll, we'll see, you know, where, where that goes and where that takes us, but I think where that path leads is, is exactly where the operators are going.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (24:36):

It, it's been a pleasure talking to you, but, and I, I want to do that follow up when you guys launch the next, that, uh, the one that's not named yet <laugh> the new technology. But what would you hope that, um, our listeners take away from today's conversation about Harmonic? What do you want them to really remember- Yeah. ... and think, "Oh, okay, that's what I need to think of when I think of that. "

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (24:58):

Yeah, we're, we're a broadband connectivity company. You know, we, uh, we have solutions for, uh, all operators. Um, like I said, whether you're, uh, you know, fiber to the home, whether you're a MSO that is looking to migrate from DocSys to fiber, um, you know, uh, whatever your fiber needs are, um, Harmonic has you covered, right? And we, uh, we engage, we, we love customers of any size. Uh, we, I have a team equipped around the globe to, uh, sit down and consult and, and build and design a network specifically for, you know, that meets the operator's needs and, uh, what, uh, what drives us is, you know, is making sure that, that operator is providing 100% the best customer experience, uh, to their, uh, end customer.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (25:39):

Well, I'll have to say you smile the whole time when you're talking about it, so you obviously love it and it is- It's fun. ... it's contagious. Yeah. <laugh> It's fun. I will include, um, a link to your website in the description of this podcast. And do you have a LinkedIn? I'll include that as well. Yes,

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (25:52):

I do. Yeah.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (25:52):

I'll, uh,

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (25:53):

I'll send you that as well.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (25:54):

Yeah. Yeah. Um, thank you so much, Jeff Glon. Did I say it right? You did, yeah. You nailed it. It's, it's spelled in a unique way. I love it. Yes. Um, senior vice president with global sales with Harmonic. Thank you so much for your time.

Jeff Glahn, VP, Global Sales, Harmonic (26:05):

Thanks so much for having me.

Jessica Denson, Podcast Host  (26:06):

Yeah. I'll continue my coverage from Fiber Connect 2026 in upcoming episodes of the Connected Nation podcast. Until then, I'm Jessica Denson and this is Connect to Nation. If you want to know more about us, head to connectednation.org and you can find our latest episodes on your favorite podcast platform.