Jeff Baumgartner

The US cable industry has gone through fits and starts trying to add mobile to the service bundle over the years. But cable has finally hit the mark by focusing on bundling home broadband and mobile and creating an early form of convergence that cable's key competitors, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, are now trying to emulate with fiber network buildouts alongside a wave of fiber-focused mergers.

With a new Trump administration entering power in late January, the regulatory wheels are already in motion and work is underway to prepare for big changes likely to arrive in 2025. ACA Connects CEO Grant Spellmeyer generally believes that the new administration will be good for ACA Connects' membership.

AT&T's framework to retire the bulk of its copper network faces static from some groups and the state of California. But the operator's development of an alternative POTS (plain old telephone service), and an increasingly favorable regulatory environment bode well for its plan, says a top policy analyst. "Considering changing circumstances, we believe [AT&T's] copper retirement goals are realistic," New Street Research analyst Blair Levin explained in a recent research note.

Charter Communications is "not standing still" as it explores new ways to compete with fixed wireless access (FWA), says CEO Chris Winfrey. But Charter's top executive also stressed that the cable industry still needs to do more to demonstrate how it matches up on price, reliability and performance. He said the relatively low price of FWA services is often combined with a bundle that includes a high-priced mobile service.

AT&T has been laying the groundwork for the decommissioning of its extensive copper network.

AT&T is looking to expand its fiber reach in both its legacy wireline footprint as well as in new markets being targeted by Gigapower, its fiber-focused joint venture with BlackRock. AT&T said it plans to reach 50 million-plus total locations with fiber by the end of 2029.

Following in the footsteps of some smaller US cable operators, GCI, Alaska's biggest cable operator, is preparing to end its pay-TV service. GCI confirmed that it has informed its video customers that it will shut down its TV offerings by mid-2025 and allocate more of its resources toward broadband and mobile.

Comcast's broadband business showed some surprising strength as the operator said it would've gained broadband subscribers in Q3 2024 if not for the demise of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Comcast lost 87,000 broadband subs in the third quarter, comprised of a loss of 79,000 residential customers and 8,000 business customers, lowering its grand total to 31.98 million.

AT&T CEO John Stankey says the company has seen better-than-expected results in the use of open-access models outside the operator's own fiber footprint. He said the economics of the open-access model is also worth a look within AT&T's own fiber footprint. AT&T's fiber network passes more than 28 million locations and remains on track to reach 30 million by the end of 2025.

Verizon's $20 billion play for Frontier Communications is a clear indicator that the company is pressing forward with a plan to expand its fiber footprint and establish a foundation for a broader convergence strategy that combines home broadband and mobile.