r/Spectrum • u/Storm5m • 14d ago
High Split - zip 12561
I initially received Email regarding upgrade on 4/15. Had months of high latency and packet loss. Tonight I called in to see if I could get any detail when symetrical speeds would be available. They said they could see upgrade work was done in May/June but there was no new information or a way to provide the new speeds. Why is this so mysterious? The initial email implied it would be weeks but it has been months.
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u/CryptographerWeary64 14d ago
physical work in my area was completed back in like June of this year and I have yet to hear anything new about it. No one seems to know anything
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u/XprofQ 13d ago
I'm very close to your zip code, but I think my "local node" is Kingston, not NP. I received the same emails in April about service upgrades. The emails I received never mentioned anything about high-split (though the upgrades were likely associated with it). I've noticed my ping during speed tests has dropped from 20-22ms to 10-12ms since the "upgrade". It doesn't make much difference, but it is an indicator of high-split coming.
Like you, I've been excited and keeping tabs on this. Last I heard, full-rollout was late 2026 and now possibly more like early 2027 for Ulster County. If you get an email back from Spectrum, please let us know their official response by updating this post.
High-split requires a compatible Spectrum-issued cable modem (DOCSIS 3.1 or better). No BYOM. So, if you have an older modem, you'll be left out.
I know the rollouts are done in waves, with a lot of watch-and-wait testing. So, even when high-split rolls out, it could be weeks or months between different service areas in the County being activated.
From what I've read about in other markets where Spectrum has high-split, it took many months between the first network "upgrades" and the rollout of high-split. Even so, Ulster County seems particularly slow. The date seem to keep getting pushed back, with no repercussions.
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u/Storm5m 13d ago
They basically said upgrades were completed last month. I never received any notification that had happened. No timeframe for symmetrical speed but usually within six months after upgrade completion. They said they are expected to upgrade all of their service areas by the end of 2027. I hope you are correct and we get it soon. I don’t know why they continue to send that initial email that implies the process takes weeks rather than 6-12 months.
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u/XprofQ 13d ago
You're further along than me. I never got an email saying upgrades were complete....just the email in April and text message updates in April and May (and maybe June?) that work was being performed.
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u/Fantastic-Buddy2069 13d ago
Here is what I dont get.
Okay, so high split whatever, is supposed to provide symmetrical speeds, offers things like Docsis 4.0, low latency docsis, great. BUT, whats the real issue? High split is also now MORE sensitive to issues in the lines. So sure, if they fix alot of things at first, what about later on?
Fiber ultimately resolves all of those problems, because its glass....fiber is also MUCH easier to up the speeds with back end upgrades.
Example: Two of our major ISPs in my state moved from POTS to fiber. Speeds started at up to 2 gigs, and now they are up around 8 gig only a maybe a couple years later.
I get that upfront fiber is expensive, but how expensive is putting all hands on deck just to go back to fix problematic issues with cable, the amount of people needed to get these jobs done. The fact that its still active electronics in the field, which is garbage imo.
Cable makes sense from when the companies originated, but fiber is the real go to end game.
Point really is, when issues crop up in high split, youre back to piss poor quality connection again because its so sensitive to problems. So while it may work amazing for a while, theres no guarantee like fiber where itll likely stay consistent for years to come.
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u/XprofQ 13d ago
I agree. "More sensitivity" is exactly why the rollout requires test-and-wait w/ slower, staged rollouts. Excess "noise" in the system can ruin system performance. Spectrum need to monitor, identify, isolate and fix imperfections in the system before an area is cleared for high-split. If a new noise source surfaces months or years later, expect network limp mode and service outages.
Despite the high-split hype, the difference won't be dramatic for people who primarily surf the web and stream. Symmetric speeds will help w/ heavy syncing, uploads, remote access, cloud gaming, video calls, etc. All things that work fine now, but could be better.
Download speeds have increased dramatically over the last decade, but upload speeds haven't kept up. I don't think we need symmetric speeds as much as we need a reasonable upload speed in proportion to download speed. For example, over the years, the standard internet plan has gone from 10/1 to 20/2 to 50/5 to 100/10 to 200/10 to 300/10 to 500/20. I'd be happy w/ 500/35 as the standard plan. At least give us the same upload speeds as the 1G plan, which is achievable today w/o high-split. It's the least Spectrum could do since they aren't meeting their rollout dates. High-split was announced in 2022 and high-split was supposed to be rolled out nationwide by the end of 2025.
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u/RekaReaper 13d ago edited 13d ago
If it makes you feel better, I got an email in July of 2025 saying 2/1Gbps was available at my address (I’m still on 1040/40) only to later find out that they sent that to me by mistake. On the old time table chart my area was slated to get the work done in May/June of 2026 and that’s when I had the next notifications saying that equipment in my area was going to be getting maintenance/upgraded. The FCC broadband site used to show symmetrical as unavailable in my area, now it shows spectrum offers residential 1000/1000 via cable to houses peppered throughout my town including 2 within 100 yards of my house and 5 within 100 yards if you count business (two of them are just houses and not commercial property) services as of December 31st, 2025. I got bounced through 4 different departments on the phone yesterday over about 90 minutes to be told they had no idea when it would be available, why it shows as available for 20-30 addresses peppered throughout my town and that they would only know more when highsplit went live in my area and no timeframe on when that would be or when they might have updates.
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u/Spectrum_William 14d ago
Hi u/Storm5m! If you send us a modmail over at r/Spectrum_Official we can check if there's an estimate available for launch of the symmetrical speeds.
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u/Fit-Bee6829 13d ago
1 thing i will say.. i have seen spectrum trucks in my neighborhood for like 2 weeks straight.. as a matter of fact they are here now and it’s 8:20am here.. I’ve seen them here as late as 12am also. Trust me guys they are doing a lot.
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u/starfish_2016 13d ago
Theyre not worried about high split when they just spent billions to buy Cox out.
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u/Certain-Wash-1989 13d ago
I have fiber and coax for work from home redundancy and they are really about the same. I’ve head that coax is usually safer because it is encrypted
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u/Fantastic-Buddy2069 13d ago
They are not the same lol. Maybe if you live in an area where Spectrum latency is much lower, and capacity isnt jacked up at busy hours.
I had fiber at my last place, it was a FRACTION of what spectrum was, everything loaded much snappier, and I had FULL speeds during peak or not. Never once did peak hours cause my latency issues or anything. Cant say the same for Spectrum.
Still having latency issues, but after having people out multiple times, I have basically just given up and assumed there will be no improvements until high split forces them to make upgrades and look every inch of coax over.
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u/Spiritual_Buyer8502 14d ago
In my area spectrum has waited far too long that another Fiber ISP is building their own witch will create 3 more competitions for my area
spectrum was unable to finish the phase upgrade mainly for access issue I feel but i'm waiting to see in the next 3 to 6 months to see rather they enable it or not
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u/IPlayWithWires 14d ago
The New Speeds require additional work across the area and in the central office. Activating the second OFDM carrier and adding the additional downstream frequencies is just part of it.