Telecom Ramblings

Zayo has detailed the next wave of longhaul buildouts it will be working on over the next few years, and it’s quite a lot. The communications infrastructure provider says it has more than 5,000 new route miles of fiber in the pipeline. The buildouts are in response to AI-driven data center capacity buildouts, which will inevitably require significant new capacity. [Read more →]

Four significant items of metro and last mile fiber news, three from the US and one from the UK: [Read more →]

One subsea item and three bits of data center news: [Read more →]

There has been a significant fiber M&A in the North Atlantic. The pan-European network operator EXA Infrastructure has agreed to acquire Ireland-based Aqua Comms. It’s a rare example of the inorganic purchase of a nearly pure play subsea cable business. [Read more →]

The middle mile and metro fiber sector has been an organic story over the past few years after all the M&A in the prior decade.  Bluebird Fiber is one of the regional operators that emerged from that era, and backed by Macquarie they have been quietly investing in fiber and data center assets across a footprint centered on Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa.  With us today to talk about their approach is Jason Adkins, who was named CEO of Bluebird Fiber in March of 2024.  He moved over from UPN, where he was CEO up until the Cox Communications transaction.  [Read more →]

Multiple network expansion projects from around the world to catch up with: [Read more →]

This has been a big week for data center builders in the financial markets. Four data center development companies separately tapped into big money for expansion: [Read more →]

Three items of subsea infrastructure going on this week, two within EMEA and one on the other side of the globe. [Read more →]

Interesting items from the data center, interconnection, and quantum realms. [Read more →]

A new data center market, some longhaul fiber, and a bit of managed services M&A. [Read more →]

Two items from the UK, and two more from the Middle East: [Read more →]

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Ohad Peled, Product Marketing Manager at Sony Semiconductor Israel

The global home medical equipment market is experiencing explosive growth. Smart devices are being used to monitor and treat patients suffering from diabetes, cardiac disorders, and other medical conditions without exposing those patients to the risk of hospital-acquired infections. Numerous organizations, including the World Health Organization and the National Council of Aging, are promoting self-health management to give patients better outcomes. [Read more →]

Several interesting items of regional interest from this week to catch up with: [Read more →]

The pan-European fiber operator euNetworks has completed another upgrade project, this time within its euTrade network platform. euTrade is focused on the financial community, leveraging optimized, ultra-low latency fiber routes between key financial exchanges and other destinations. The upgrade leverages more hollowcore fiber, improving connectivity to the Euronext data center in Bergamo, Italy from both London and Frankfurt. [Read more →]

Three bits of international news and one interplanetary: [Read more →]

Over the break three different M&A processes in the infrastructure space around the world steamed forward: [Read more →]

We started the week with the question of consolidation targets in the US, and now it’s time for the other side of the coin.  What network operators are most likely to be consolidators of US network assets in 2025?  We’ll take it as a given that ‘infrastructure funds’ would top the more general list of likely buyers, of course, but let’s focus on the existing network operators looking to expand inorganically in the US.  Last year the perennial favorite Zayo topped the list with Lightpath and T-Mobile tied for second. [Read more →]

Happy New Year to all!  While network operators were mostly focused on the organic path last year, there were a few significant deals.    Verizon is buying Frontier, Lightpath bought UFD, and of course Uniti and Windstream are merging.  And that last one was not a big surprise, as Windstream topped last years poll with Uniti in 4th. What is on tap for 2025 among US network operators?  Who you think are the likeliest candidates to be sold (in part or in whole)?  (Not including already pending transactions). [Read more →]

As years go, 2024 was a bit surreal on lots of fronts, but not here. In telecom and internet infrastructure it was pretty smooth. Growth has been largely organic, layoffs haven’t been a thing, investments have been sane and plentiful, and technology has continued to advance. This smoothness makes the job of a prognosticator more difficult, but there’s always next year!  So what does 2025 hold for us? Hmmm, let’s make some guesses, topic by topic: [Read more →]

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Tom Loberto, Senior Vice President of Technology, Media and Telecom at HGS.

Telecommunications (telecom) companies are often challenged with high customer churn, due to factors such as a highly competitive market landscape and an overwhelming amount of call center inquiries, which can lead to poor customer service and departing customers. As a result, elevated customer churn rates can cause lost revenue and increased customer acquisition costs, as acquiring new customers typically costs more than [Read more →]

Four items of regional interest to catch up with on the eve of Christmas. [Read more →]

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Nicholas Rossman, Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF)

Trust in the mobile sector could be a lot better. The Mobile Ecosystem Forum’s (MEF’s) 2024 Consumer Trust Study reveals the Global Trust Index, at 55%, to be down one percentage point in like-for-like markets. While this might seem moderate, it underscores a concerning reality: for nearly half of mobile users worldwide, trust in data sharing is fragile. [Read more →]

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Steve Douglas, Head of Market Strategy, Spirent Communications

The start of a new year is a perfect time to take stock of the telecommunications industry and cast our eyes forward to what’s coming next. Of course, when you work closely with the companies preparing to actually deliver new innovations to users, you don’t need a crystal ball to see what’s coming. You can just observe how they spend their time and resources.  [Read more →]