The estimated useful life ranges for each category of property, plant and equipment are as follows (in years):
Cable distribution systems(1)
5 – 25
Customer premise equipment
5
Other equipment and fixtures
3 – 10
Buildings and improvements
10 – 20
Capitalized software
3 – 7
Right-of-use (“ROU”) assets
1 – 20
(1)The weighted average useful life of cable distribution systems is approximately 14 years.
Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following (in thousands):
As of December 31,
20252024
Cable distribution systems$2,705,357 $2,618,096 
Customer premise equipment386,987 366,636 
Other equipment and fixtures293,211 367,168 
Buildings and improvements147,168 141,286 
Capitalized software62,652 61,533 
Construction in progress136,955 138,064 
Land16,308 16,387 
ROU assets
10,179 10,773 
Property, plant and equipment, gross3,758,817 3,719,943 
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization(1,974,616)(1,929,988)
Property, plant and equipment, net$1,784,201 $1,789,955 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 26, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 28, 2025
2023Feb 23, 2024
2022Feb 24, 2023
2021Feb 25, 2022
2020Feb 26, 2021
2019Feb 28, 2020
2018Feb 28, 2019
2016Mar 1, 2017
2015Mar 7, 2016

About PP&E Disclosures

The PP&E disclosure details a company's physical asset base — land, buildings, machinery, and equipment — along with the depreciation methods and useful life assumptions that determine how these costs flow through the income statement. Capitalization policy thresholds reveal management's judgment on the boundary between expense and asset, directly affecting both reported earnings and asset values.

Key signals: changes in estimated useful lives or depreciation methods can materially shift reported earnings without any operational change. Compare capital expenditures against depreciation expense — when capex consistently trails depreciation, the asset base may be aging and underinvested. Watch for large asset impairments or write-downs that signal overvalued carrying amounts. Asset retirement obligations reveal future environmental or decommissioning costs that are often underappreciated. Compare PP&E intensity (PP&E-to-revenue) against industry peers to assess capital efficiency and competitive positioning.