Telecom Weekly Roundup: Fiber, 5G & Mergers

🏆 Top Stories

• T‑Mobile Launches Fiber Home Internet: T‑Mobile officially rolled out its fiber-optic home broadband service with new plans offering symmetrical speeds up to 2 Gbps and a rare five-year price lock for customers. The move comes on the heels of T‑Mobile’s acquisition of regional provider Lumos, extending fiber internet to over 500,000 households as the Un‑carrier ramps up competition with AT&T, Verizon and cable ISPs in the home internet market. Source: theverge.com

• Senate Proposes 5G Spectrum Expansion: U.S. lawmakers reached a tentative bipartisan agreement to allocate up to 800 MHz of new spectrum for 5G and other commercial wireless uses. The legislation, moving through the Senate as part of a broader budget bill, notably excludes the lower 3 GHz band (currently used by the military), focusing instead on mid-band frequencies that the FCC could auction off to mobile operators in coming years. Source: lightreading.com

• NTIA Reforms $42B Broadband Program: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced critical changes to its Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant program to accelerate high-speed internet rollouts. The new policy notice removes rules favoring specific technologies and streamlines paperwork, aiming to reduce regulatory hurdles for ISPs and state governments and thereby speed up broadband deployment in underserved communities. Source: lightreading.com

• Telecom Cybersecurity Alert: Corporate investigators revealed that Chinese state-sponsored hackers breached a major U.S. telecom network in mid-2023 – earlier than previously known – and maintained access for seven months. Malware linked to the hackers was found lurking in the company’s systems, underscoring ongoing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in critical communications infrastructure and prompting federal authorities to heighten telecom network security warnings. Source: reuters.com

🤝 Mergers & Acquisitions

• Verizon’s Frontier Deal Approved: Verizon received the FCC’s approval for its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications, a transaction that significantly expands Verizon’s fiber footprint. To secure the sign-off, Verizon agreed to controversial conditions (including ending certain diversity programs), but the merger will now allow Verizon to upgrade broadband networks across 25 states and add at least 1 million new fiber connections per year, bolstering its competitive position in rural and suburban markets. Source: npr.org

• Prysmian Acquires Channell Corp: Italy’s Prysmian Group completed its $950 million acquisition of Channell Commercial Corp, a U.S. manufacturer of fiber-optic enclosures and other telecom infrastructure gear. Under the deal, Prysmian may pay an additional $200 million if Channell meets certain performance targets in 2025. Prysmian’s CEO said the takeover strengthens its portfolio of broadband solutions and will help “future-proof” fiber networks while supporting high-speed internet deployments across North America. Source: advanced-television.com

• Telefónica/Orange Mull Vodafone Spain Split: Europe is buzzing with consolidation rumors as Spain’s biggest operators Telefónica and Orange (via their MásMóvil joint venture, nicknamed “MasOrange”) have held informal talks about acquiring and dividing Vodafone Spain between them. Several break-up scenarios have been discussed that would see Vodafone’s Spanish assets split up and possibly the Vodafone brand exit Spain, although no formal offer has been made and regulators would heavily scrutinize any such deal. Source: telecoms.com

📅 Industry Events

• 5G Showcased at SailGP NYC: T‑Mobile turned the SailGP Grand Prix in New York City into a 5G showcase, deploying its advanced network tech at the high-speed sailing event. As SailGP’s exclusive 5G partner, T‑Mobile set up a hybrid 5G private network on Governors Island — using features like network slicing and edge computing — to power real-time race data, AI-guided camera angles, and live augmented reality overlays for fans. The demo gave a glimpse of how ultra-fast 5G connectivity can transform live sports broadcasts on the water. Source: marketscreener.com

• First NTIA Middle-Mile Project Complete: Wyoming-based ISP Visionary Broadband became the first to finish a broadband infrastructure project funded by the NTIA’s Middle Mile grant program. The Campbell County, WY project laid 11.5 miles of new fiber, built one new communications tower (and upgraded two others), and deployed multiple microwave links to bring high-capacity backhaul to rural areas. This completed middle-mile network now delivers more resilient connectivity, linking over 100 new fiber passings and extending internet service to dozens of previously underserved homes and businesses in northeast Wyoming. Source: telecompetitor.com

See you next week!