Latest news with #Breezeline
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cogeco Communications Inc (CGEAF) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Revenue Declines ...
Revenue Decline: Consolidated revenue declined by 2.7% in constant currency. Adjusted EBITDA: Stable in constant currency due to operating efficiencies and lower corporate costs. Diluted Earnings Per Share: Declined by 20% in reported currency. Capital Intensity: 21.6%, down from 23.4% last year. Free Cash Flow: Increased by 12.8% in constant currency. Net Debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA Ratio: 3.4 turns, unchanged from Q1. Dividend: Quarterly dividend of $0.922 per share declared. Canadian Revenue Decline: Cogeco Connections revenue declined by 0.9%. US Revenue Decline: Breezeline's revenue declined by 4.5% in constant currency. Internet Subscriber Growth: Canadian internet customer base grew by 8,300 subscribers. Homes Passed: Added nearly 145,000 Canadian homes since fiscal 2022. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 2 Warning Signs with CGEAF. Release Date: April 10, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Cogeco Communications Inc (CGEAF) expects significant growth in free cash flow over the next two years, driven by the end of a CapEx investment cycle. The company has successfully merged its US and Canadian teams, leading to high engagement and collaboration, and is beginning to capture technical and operational synergies. Cogeco Communications Inc (CGEAF) reported strong operational performance in Q2, with results ahead of expectations and expanded consolidated EBITDA margins. The company's fibre-to-the-home expansion program added nearly 7,000 new homes passed in the quarter, primarily in Canada, contributing to strong Internet subscriber metrics. Cogeco Communications Inc (CGEAF) is seeing increasing subscriber tenure and improved customer satisfaction in the US, particularly in Ohio, which is contributing to stable EBITDA despite revenue pressures. Cogeco Communications Inc (CGEAF) experienced a 2.7% decline in consolidated revenue, driven by lower revenue in both US and Canadian segments. Adjusted EBITDA in Canada declined by 2.8% in constant currency due to lower revenue and higher operating expenses aimed at driving subscriber growth. In the US, Breezeline's revenue declined by 4.5% in constant currency due to a cumulative decline in the subscriber base, especially for entry-level services. Diluted earnings per share declined by 20% in reported currency, impacted by higher D&A expenses, acquisition integration and restructuring expenses, and higher taxes. The radio advertising market continues to face challenges, impacting Cogeco Media's operations, although digital advertising solutions are growing. Q: What are the plans to address the decline in broadband disconnections in the US, particularly in Ohio? A: Frederic Perron, President of Cogeco Connexion, explained that while competition remains high, they expect a slowdown in fixed wireless access (FWA) growth based on competitors' forecasts. They are seeing improvements in wireless sales, which could support cable performance. Additionally, they are exploring a dual-brand strategy and have noted improvements in customer satisfaction, which should positively impact business over time. Q: How sustainable is Breezeline's profitability in the US given the competitive pressures? A: Frederic Perron noted that profitability is supported by cost reductions and operational efficiencies. TV cord-cutting is happening at low margins, and internet customers lost tend to be lower ARPU. They are also realizing healthy rate increases and seeing improvements in customer satisfaction, which contribute positively to profitability. Q: Can you provide insights into the capital expenditure (CapEx) and free cash flow guidance for the year? A: Patrice Ouimet, CFO, stated that while CapEx and free cash flow can be volatile, they expect higher CapEx in Q3 and Q4. They are comfortable with the guidance range provided and will reassess as the year progresses. Q: What is the status of potential asset divestitures in the US? A: Frederic Perron mentioned that while they have not commented on specific reports, they are open to pruning assets in the US if it makes sense operationally, strategically, and financially. This remains an area of interest for the company. Q: How is the wireless strategy expected to impact churn reduction and profitability? A: Frederic Perron explained that the wireless strategy is primarily aimed at reducing churn and discounting on the wireline business. The strategy is expected to become EBITDA positive over time, with the churn benefit kicking in from the start. The US cable MVNOs serve as a good proxy for expected penetration and payback timelines. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Best Internet Providers in Columbus, Ohio
AT&T Fiber is the best internet service provider in Columbus. It provides speedy fiber plans and reasonable pricing. In fact, AT&T Fiber offers the fastest speeds across the board: 5 gigabits for $245 and 2 gigabits for $145 monthly. The coverage, however, is not 100% in the area. If AT&T is not available at your address, some other solid options to check out for home broadband are Spectrum, T-Mobile and Verizon, depending on which ISP is available at your location. T-Mobile and Verizon also offer 5G internet in Columbus, with deep discounts if you already have a cellphone plan with one of these companies. For the lowest rates, check out Breezeline Base, which costs $20 monthly for a 100-megabits-per-second connection. CNET considers speeds, pricing, customer service and overall value to recommend the best internet service in Columbus across several categories. Our evaluation includes referencing a proprietary database built over years of reviewing internet services. We validate that against provider information by spot-checking local addresses for service availability. We also closely read providers' terms and conditions and, when needed, will call ISPs to verify details. Despite our efforts to find the most recent and accurate information, our process has limitations you should know about. Pricing and speed data are variable: Certain addresses may qualify for different service tiers, and monthly costs may vary, even within a city. The best way to identify your options is to plug your address into a provider's website. Also, the prices, speed and other information listed above and in the provider cards below may differ from what we found in our research. The cards display the full range of a provider's pricing and speed across the US, according to our database of plan information provided directly by ISPs. At the same time, the text is specific to what's available in Columbus. The prices referenced in this article come from our research and include applicable discounts for setting up monthly automatic payments -- a standard industry offering. Discounts and promotions might also be available for signing a term contract or bundling multiple services. To learn more about how we review internet providers, visit our full methodology page. Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Breezeline: Breezeline's cable internet is available in about 68% of Columbus, and plans range from $20 per month for 100Mbps to $50 per month for 1,000Mbps. Verizon 5G Home Internet: Verizon offers 5G internet service throughout central Columbus. Plans start at $60 a month for 50 to 85Mbps and go up to $80 monthly for 85 to 250Mbps. Plus, Verizon mobile customers could pay as little as $35 monthly for internet with autopay and select mobile plans. The cheapest plan you'll likely find in Columbus is Breezeline's Base tier for $20 monthly. This is not available in all areas of the city. Another solid deal would be Verizon 5G Home Internet at $50 a month. Why? Eligible Verizon mobile customers can receive a $15-per-month discount, dropping the monthly total to only $35. Source: CNET analysis of provider data. The best internet deals and top promotions in Columbus depend on what discounts are available during a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers. Columbus internet providers, such as Spectrum and T-Mobile, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including AT&T, Breezeline and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round. For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals. Speeds range from a very modest 50Mbps to 5,000Mbps in Columbus, although not everyone will have access to these numbers. Many plans sit in the 100 to 300Mbps range, while some faster speeds can be found. AT&T offers the fastest internet plans in Columbus. It boasts fiber options that include multi-gigabit plans, including 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps. Source: CNET analysis of provider data. Most internet connection plans can handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address. For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need. 0 to 5Mbps allows you to tackle the basics: browsing the internet, sending and receiving email and streaming low-quality video. 5 to 40Mbps gives you higher-quality video streaming and videoconferencing. 40 to 100Mbps should give one user sufficient bandwidth for telecommuting, video streaming and online gaming. 100 to 500Mbps allows one to two users to simultaneously engage in high-bandwidth activities like videoconferencing, streaming and online gaming. 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high-bandwidth activities at the same time. Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at It doesn't end there: We go to the FCC's website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication. Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions: Does the provider offer access to reasonably fast internet speeds? Do customers get decent value for what they're paying? Are customers happy with their service? The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, but the providers who come closest to 'yes' on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page. AT&T's fiber plans are the best bet in Columbus, but they're not available to all residences. There are plenty of other reliable, affordable and fast plans. Whether you need satellite or cable, fiber or DSL, there are several options, with some starting at just $20 a month. Fiber internet is available through AT&T, Breezeline and Brightspeed. Although none of these fiber networks are widely available, you'll find access to fiber in about 26% of the Columbus area. Breezeline offers a $20 monthly plan that's the cheapest in Columbus. Service comes with speeds up to 100Mbps. AT&T Fiber offers a 5-gigabit plan for $245 a month. You'll also find AT&T Fiber 2000 and AT&T Fiber 1000 plans that are plenty fast for most. Those plans cost $145 and $80 a month, respectively. If you have access to AT&T's Fiber, it offers much faster speeds and value than Spectrum's cable plans. If you're leaning on AT&T's Internet Air plans, Spectrum is a faster, more reliable bet. Find more details in CNET's full comparison of AT&T vs. Spectrum.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Yahoo
CSAM charges held over for Cumbola man
PORT CARBON— A Cumbola man waived his right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday on various charges including possessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). The case advances to the Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas. State police charged Gary Jon Hysock Jr., 36, with possessing CSAM. Police charged Hysock Dec.10 with felony CSAM and criminal use of a communications facility. He initially denied viewing CSAM when asked by police. Law enforcement received information via social media chat applications MeetMe and KIK that were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The email address used for both accounts was associated with Hysock, police said. Breezeline, the internet service provider, was served an administrative subpoena and complied. Ten files were uploaded to KIK using the email address associated with Hysock between April 4 and April 12, 2024, and the same address also was used June 16, 2024, in discussing sexual fantasies, according to police. On Dec. 9, Magisterial District Judge David Plachko, Port Carbon, approved a search warrant for an address in the 100 block of Cumbola, which was served Tuesday. Hysock told police he owned a phone but denied knowing what KIK is, and stated he hadn't used the application MeetMe in years. An investigation of his phone yielded, among other things, the email address in question, according to police. During a later interview, Hysock admitted he received CSAM, according to police. Plachko arraigned Hysock on $150,000 straight cash bail previously, which he was unable to post. He was remanded to Schuylkill County Prison; however, and bail was later posted on his behalf.
