Here's how Verizon plans to revive its ailing wholesale business—hint, fiber is key

When it comes to Verizon’s wholesale business, growth is the name of the game. That might seem like an uphill battle, considering the wholesale industry has been shrinking for years. But newly appointed SVP of Verizon Partner Solutions Jeffrey Hulse said the company’s investments in fiber and 5G could help it beat the odds. Verizon's wholesale business provides telecommunications services (voice, data and internet connectivity, etc.) to other companies who then resell those services to end customers under their own brand. It allows other businesses to offer services using Verizon's network infrastructure without having to build their own. And it's a way for Verizon to leverage its network assets to generate additional revenue. Overall, Verizon's wholesale revenues decreased during 2023 compared to 2022, which the company attributed in part to declines in traditional voice communication and network connectivity as a result of technology substitution. Hulse said Verizon's strategy now is to light up the fiber it laid in 2017 and expand the company's total serviceable market.