Tom Fabiano

AT&T closed its acquisition of Lumen’s fiber-to-the-home biz, as it plans to ramp its annual fiber build to 5 million passings.

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281 Mbps 5G demos look dazzling, yet 89 % of customers still reach for a plain SMS —and 9 % of Americans can’t even get a 5 G bar . The real gap in mobile isn’t speed. It’s coverage and habit. Mobile habits speak first • Text is the comfort channel. Nearly nine in ten consumers would rather type than talk, while >70 % of Gen Z associate an unexpected call with bad news . • Users layer apps, but the fallback is still the humble SMS. Ignore it and you abandon the only truly universal path to every pocket. Telecom Industry priorities say something else • Marketing shouts “speed” because it’s easy to measure; T-Mobile’s median 5 G download hit 281 Mbps in late 2024 . • Meanwhile, half-a-million square miles of U.S. landscape remain outside tower reach , and the FCC counts millions still off the 5 G grid at practical speeds . The traffic-jam analogy Cars went from 4 hp cars to 700 hp super-SUVs, yet rush-hour New York crawls at 13 mph downtown . Average US driver speed is still about 35 mph. Mobile networks show the same paradox: headline velocity rockets while everyday movement stalls where signals fade. What this means Coverage is the untapped KPI. Fill dead zones before the next “G.” Text remains the trust layer. Build services that respect asynchronous, low-friction habits. Speed sells headlines; reliability keeps customers. Operators who balance both will own the retention curve. P.S. Next: how direct-to-cell satellites and micro-cells could close the last black spots—and what that unlocks for startups. Follow for the coverage story. #MobileStrategy #5G #SMS #CustomerExperience #Telecom

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Mid-market buyers are speeding up. AI integration is progressing. Leading advisors are stepping up to the challenge. The third annual Telarus Tech Trends Report provides the insights needed to lead confidently—supported by actual buyer data, new trends, and practical takeaways designed for today's advisors. Learn why 92% of mid-market buyers are boosting IT budgets and how you can leverage these insights to remain ahead of the curve (and your competitors). Get your copy today: https://gag.gl/qMnSi6 #Telarus #TechTrends #TechnologyAdvisors #AI #BusinessGrowth #FutureofTech

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Broadband leaders: how quickly can you find your ARPU, churn rate, and cash flow projections? When these KPIs are buried, strategic decision-making becomes much harder. The solution is visibility: quick, convenient access to the metrics that matter. And it’s easier to achieve than you may think. Learn more in our latest article:
 https://bit.ly/4sPeCmy

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📈 U.S. Fiber Deployment Hits an All-Time High — Are We About to Overtake Cable? 📌 In 2025, U.S. fiber broadband providers passed 11.8 million new homes, pushing total FTTH passings to ~98.3 million — nearing the 100 million milestone and now covering over 60% of U.S. households. Average take rates climbed to ~46.5%, with even higher penetration where competitive fiber exists, signaling that fiber-to-fiber competition boosts adoption. 👉 This isn’t just a build number — it suggests fiber could surpass cable broadband as the dominant U.S. platform by ~2028, reshaping competitive strategy and prioritizing investment in both new builds and overbuilds. 🔗 Source: Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) annual deployment survey—a record-breaking year. https://lnkd.in/eVyE-gFW

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30 years ago we started something extraordinary. We took communication from scarce and expensive to abundant and nearly free. • Fixed broadband: $900 per Mbps → ~$0.12 today • Mobile data and voice: effectively unlimited No other industry has delivered this much progress to this many people. We have every reason to be proud. Now the world needs networks that are 100× better — for AI, immersive experiences, smart cities — and building them costs real money. Customers love what we’ve done, but they’ve also grown used to “free” upgrades every year. That equation can’t last forever. Companies like Verizon and Charter are already adapting their teams to this new reality. The good news: this isn’t the end of innovation. It’s the beginning of a more sustainable chapter. The same talent, assets, and customer trust that built the world’s best networks can now build business models that let us keep delivering the next leap — for customers and for everyone who makes it happen. I’m genuinely optimistic. What’s one thing you believe the industry should focus on in the next 5 years to get this balance right? Thoughts welcome. #Telecom #Broadband #DigitalInfrastructure #Leadership

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I genuinely applaud T-Mobile and Verizon on there Private 5G solutions. I truly believe all solutions in the Private 5G space build value and momentum for the ENTIRE Private 5G space. BUT..... The disconnect that I see from the US MNO's is that not all Enterprises want an MNO led/deployed Private 5G solution. So where does that leave the majority of Enterprises that want to deploy there own Private 5G solution, utilize it to the fullest extent possible, and keep native number calling and messaging? It leaves them frustrated!!! The only truly scalable solution that fits an existing MNO approved solution is #PRV8Calling NETWORKFX For the latest from James Blackman https://lnkd.in/d7iAmgNh For the latest from Michael Robuck https://lnkd.in/dXeHs_wZ

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T-Mobile and NATE just signed a major agreement that directly impacts tower contractors and crews on the ground. Highlights: * Site-specific and regional pricing replaces the one-size-fits-all matrix * 6% rate increase until new RFPs are finalized by end of year * "Scope to Quote" tool launches by Sept 1 to define job-specific SOWs * 30-day pay terms with 50% upfront billing at job start * Relief from Avetta, Ariba, and PaymodeX fees for small businesses * Crackdown on 1099/undocumented labor—reporting and enforcement tools coming * Limits on tiered subs and a move away from "Super GC" and turf vendor models These changes didn’t come easy—NATE pushed hard to get them. This is a win for the people building the network. Now let’s hold them to it. #TowerTechs #WirelessContractors #NATE #TMobile #BuildAmerica #TelecomConstruction #FairPay #TowerSafety

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We’re working with Google to give 911 the eyes they need to better help you when seconds count. Proud to share that Motorola Solutions and Google are collaborating to give Android users the ability to share live video with 911 call handlers within seconds of connecting to the call. The caller can now receive quicker real-time coaching for situations like giving the Heimlich or chest compressions, and your phone’s video can speak for you in situations where it may be unsafe to talk or you simply can’t as you’re in a state of shock. We’re proud to bring this innovation to Android users and the approximately 60% of public safety answering points across North America who use our 911 command center software. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gBxNAZFi #MotorolaSolutions #Google #Android #PublicSafety #EmergencyResponse #SolvingForSafer

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Debt and spectrum pressures force EchoStar Corporation to Dish out its RAN Network to AT&T for $23B. DISH Network Technologies Boost Mobile sells 50MHz of national spectrum on 3.45GHz and 600MHz for 23 billion $. As a result of the deal, DISH will connect its subscribers on AT&T's RAN network (mostly Ericsson, with some Fujitsu Network Communications 1Finity) and its own 5G core network (Mavenir). DISH RAN network (Samsung Networks, MTI (Microelectronics Technology Inc.), 1Finity) will be decommissioned. Dish' #openRAN network could have been an addition to AT&T's if its radios were compatible with Ericsson's.

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#UnitiWholesale is proving that connectivity isn’t just about fiber—it’s about people. In the second episode of the Trusted Connections podcast, Greg Ortyl, EVP & President, Strategic Accounts, shares what life looks like inside the newly combined Uniti + Windstream family. Listen to the full episode as Greg shares how leadership, trust, and teamwork drive real partnership, and how a bigger network can still feel personal: https://okt.to/R3UzGw #BetterTogether #PeopleFirst #Connectivity #Partnerships

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