Reporting
Cogeco Combines Canadian and U.S. Cable Operations
Montreal-based Cogeco Communications has restructured its operations, combining the “commercial, operational and technical” functions of its Canadian and Breezeline-branded U.S. telecommunications businesses into one North American unit. With the change, Breezeline president Frank van der Post will depart.
Comcast and Charter Are in a Better Position Than Smaller Cable Companies To Resist Fixed Wireless Competition, S&P Global Ratings Says
A report by S&P Global Ratings suggests that the revenue lost for cable operators from customers opting for fixed wireless access (FWA) services is greater than the gains generated from new "junior cable" mobile services. Amid this dynamic “wi
The Areas Hit Hardest by the End of the ACP Internet Subsidy
After the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program on June 1, Government Technology analyzed enrollment data published by the White House to determine where state and local government leaders might expect to see the biggest impact as a result of the end of the program. While California, New York, Texas, Florida and Ohio had the largest numbers of Internet subscribers
FTC Opens Antitrust Probe of Microsoft AI Deal
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Microsoft structured one of its latest deals with an artificial-intelligence startup to avoid a government antitrust review of the transaction. Microsoft in March hired Inflection AI’s co-founder and almost all of its employees and agreed to pay the startup around $650 million as part of a licensing fee to resell its technology.
End of Pandemic Internet Subsidies Threatens a Health Care Lifeline for Rural America
Myrna Broncho realized just how necessary an internet connection can be after she broke her leg. Broncho needed nine surgeries and rehabilitation that took months.
Yet Another TDS Divestiture Could Free Up Fiber Funding
Two incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) in Virginia—Amelia Telephone Corporation and New Castle Telephone Company—will be the property of RiverStreet Management Services LLC under an agreement signed on May 31 with TDS Telecom, current owner of the ILECs. The deal is based on a stock purchase agreement with RiverStreet.
Could the ACP Push the Feds to Resolve Festering USF Issues?
For years, the federal government has avoided any attempt to resolve a long-standing problem: how to sustain funding for the Universal Service program. But perhaps that could change now that the lack of funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) has gained substantial mindshare with the American public. Some stakeholders believe both problems can be solved by funding the ACP through the Universal Service Fund (USF) and expanding the types of entities that are required to pay to support the program.
ISPs seek halt of net neutrality rules before they take effect
As expected, broadband industry lobby groups have sued the Federal Communications Commission in an attempt to nullify net neutrality rules that prohibit blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization. Lobby groups representing cable, telecom, and mobile Internet service providers sued the FCC in several US appeals courts.
Intrepid builds more open access networks for T-Mobile
Intrepid Fiber Networks is expanding its open access fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks with deployments in eight more communities in Colorado and eight more towns in Minnesota. These newly announced communities are in proximity to current Intrepid deployments, representing an organic expansion of its network. These new locations will bring Intrepid’s network to over 400,000 homes and businesses passed across the two states. Intrepid, which was founded in 2021, has quickly made a name for itself because its anchor tenant for its Colorado and Minnesota networks is T-Mobile.
Broadband equipment spend is on the downswing – for now
Wondering how the broadband equipment market is doing? Not great, according to Dell’Oro Group. In first quarter 2024, global revenue for the broadband access equipment market dropped 12 percent year-over-year to $4.1 billion, as spending in the market reached a two-year low. What’s the deal? Dell’Oro VP Jeff Heynen said that in some cases, operators are still working through excess inventory they built up in late 2022.