Telecom Ramblings

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by David Hicks, Chief Strategy Officer at Render Networks

As we head into 2026, telcos are entering a period of accelerated technological change, particularly in network construction. While AI has captured attention across many domains, its most consequential impact is emerging where execution has historically struggled. Construction remains one of the last large-scale, capital-intensive activities to fully modernize, and that is beginning to change. [Read more →]

As years go, 2025 has been quite a trip. And I mean that entirely in the sense of an LSD trip. But in telecom and internet infrastructure all the craziness has kind of washed over a granite base of organic buildouts backed by real money. Everyone is too busy for the nuttiness that has enveloped politics, trade, immigration, and the like. It feels like we’d rather it all just go away while we do what we gotta do, and this year it mostly has. Will that continue in 2026? Well, yes and no. Prognosticating is hard these days, but I’ll give it a go. [Read more →]

Two expansions and a spinoff: [Read more →]

There was a bit of M&A in the fiberoptic cable space as we finish off 2025. The cable infrastructure provider Prysmian and the shipbuilder group Fincantieri have formed a joint venture to acquire Xtera from H.I.G Capital. The deal gives Prysmian a greater presence in the subsea telecommunications space. [Read more →]

Three bits of FTTH investment and an E-Rate project to check out from the past few days. [Read more →]

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by BK Smith (Head of Self Serve Solutions) and Nesia Dotson (Associate Director, Product Marketing), First Orion

Branded calling tools—verified identity, call-display customization, and advanced analytics—were first shaped by innovators working with large enterprises that had the resources for complex deployments. Small and midsize businesses (SMBs), however, have faced the steepest consequences of missed connections despite relying on fast, direct customer outreach.​ [Read more →]

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Steve Douglas, Head of Market Strategy at Spirent, now part of Keysight

We spend a lot of time in this industry hypothesizing what the world will look like in 10 years. But when technology moves this fast, looking that far out is just prediction. Looking two or three years out? That is engineering. [Read more →]

Three bits of data center news and a couple vendor items: [Read more →]

An M&A, a lease, and a couple of network upgrades: [Read more →]

Today we have a visit from another participant in the national FTTH buildout party we have all been watching the last few years.  Ezee Fiber got started on a metro footprint in Houston, but has quickly moved into New Mexico, Washington, and Illinois, with perhaps more to come.  With us today to talk about the company’s approach and plans for the future is CEO Matthew Marino. [Read more →]

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by David Idle, Bigleaf Networks CPO

For most of the last decade, enterprise satellite strategy has revolved around Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations. In the background, though, High Earth Orbit (HEO) systems—typically highly elliptical, high-apogee orbits such as Molniya and Tundra—are moving into serious consideration as another layer in the enterprise underlay. [Read more →]

One M&A and three other bits of news to catch up with in the last mile: [Read more →]

That’s the rumor that emerged a few days ago. The Japanese telco and technology giant Softbank is said to be in talks to acquire the infrastructure investment company DigitalBridge, although details of any potential deal have not trickled out. But the Japanese telco and investment giant is thought to be looking to jump into the AI infrastructure world. [Read more →]

Fraud has been a part of the telecom landscape since, well, forever.  But the landscape has never shifted as quickly as it is now with the rise of artificial intelligence. Both threats and solutions have new, evolving tools available to them. With us today to talk about how things are changing and where they are going is Nadejda Papernaia, founder and CEO of AB Handshake. AB Handshake is moving to leverage predictive AI, collaboration, and regulation to shift the balance of power toward the defense of the network. [Read more →]

Five interesting bits of infrastructure news from around the world: [Read more →]

Four fiber infrastructure announcements of regional interest around the US: [Read more →]

Four items of data center news and related technology to catch up with this week: [Read more →]

Five interesting items to catch up with: [Read more →]

With AI driving so much infrastructure investment in the data center space, sometimes the regional and middle mile fiber space seems to get less love.  But it too is flush with opportunity in today’s market for those with the expertise.  eX², a division of Vivacity Infrastructure Group, has a unique approach to such projects.  With us today to talk about Vivacity and eX²’s unique approach to the fiber infrastructure marketplace is industry veteran and Vivacity CEO Christopher Rabii. [Read more →]

Five infrastructure projects to catch up with: [Read more →]

Four interesting global deployments to catch up with: [Read more →]

Five bits of network news, three from the US and two from across the pond. [Read more →]

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Laura Lehman, Director of Digital Experience Product Management, GTT

The way enterprises manage their networks is seeing a major shift. For the past two decades, network operations were manual, hardware-centric – and most notably, reactive. Managing a network was often about finding and fixing issues as (or after) they happen, which relied as much on human oversight as on data. Now, enterprises have a powerful opportunity to completely transform the ways of the past by leveraging the power of AI intelligence and insight. [Read more →]