Summertime often heralds a lull in the news cycle, but here at Fierce Telecom we scooped up some hot stories for the month of July.
Here are the top 10 stories that resonated with our readers. Some may come as no surprise, featuring big names like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon.
1) WSJ exposes major environmental issue for AT&T and Verizon
The telecom industry was abuzz following the Wall Street Journal’s investigative exposé, which uncovered at least 2,000 old cables across the country are coated with degraded lead.
Who exactly owns these cables is unclear, since many of them were deployed between the late 1800s and the 1960s. Still, the issue puts operators like AT&T and Verizon in a precarious position, as you can read here.
2) Cisco responds as fresh layoff reports mount
Dozens of Cisco employees flooded social media with reports of internal layoffs, though it was unclear which departments were the most impacted.
Cisco confirmed to Fierce this round of layoffs was part of a $600 million restructuring plan announced last November. Get the details here.
3) FCC still hasn’t ruled on pole attachments, presenting a hiccup to aerial fiber
While this isn’t necessarily a newsy item – it’s been over a year since the FCC requested comments on pole attachment rules – pole attachments are a key concern for companies that want to deploy aerial fiber.
An FCC spokesperson said 23 states currently have some kind of pole attachment policy in place, “and we are working to provide clarity for the remainder.” Check out the story to learn more about why pole attachments are so important.
4) Verizon latest to disclose lead-clad copper cable footprint
Verizon hasn’t disclosed exactly how many of its cables are covered with lead, but it said lead-sheathed cables make up “a small percentage” of less than 540,000 miles.
See what analysts predict what that percentage could be here.
5) TDS details lead cable findings, Verizon, AT&T still cagey
Telco lead disclosures kept on coming in July. TDS Telecom revealed it found roughly 10 miles of lead-covered cables across its network and it’s “identifying next steps” to address the issue.
AT&T, Consolidated Communications, Lumen and Verizon also weighed in on lead-clad cables – find out what they said.
6) Comcast has now installed over 100,000 Remote-PHY nodes
On the DOCSIS 4.0 front, Comcast in July announced it’s deployed over 100,000 Remote-PHY digital nodes, representing 25% of its footprint.
Comcast EVP and Chief Network Officer Elad Nafshi dished to Fierce what the milestone means for the operator’s network and DOCSIS 4.0 plans.
7) Telco stocks take a tumble amid lead contamination concerns
Unsurprisingly, stocks from telcos like AT&T, Consolidated and Frontier took a downturn following the WSJ’s report on lead-clad cables. AT&T shares particularly dropped to their lowest point in three decades.
Check out this story to learn what New Street Research and TD Cowen had to say about the financial implications for telecom companies.
8) Railroad industry group claims new VA law shifts permitting power from railroads to ISPs
Pole attachments aren’t the only infrastructure-related concern for ISPs, as fiber rail crossings can also prove cumbersome.
Virginia passed a law last month that, among other things, caps railroad crossing fees for ISPs at $2,000 per each crossing. But not everyone supports the legislation, read about it here.
9) Lead-covered cables may impact BEAD deployments
Lead-clad cables remained on the top of our readers’ minds for July, particularly how they might affect the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
Analysts suggest states may seek to use BEAD funds for remediation in some underserved locations. Check out this piece for the lowdown.
10) Charter continues to lead in Q2 fixed download rankings – Ookla
Rounding out our top 10 is Ookla’s Q2 fixed download rankings, which found Charter in the lead with a median download speed of 243.02 Mbps.
See the other ISPs who made the top cut and how Ookla’s upload rankings painted a different picture for cable operators.