Latest news with #JasonArmstrong
Miami Herald
09-08-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
T-Mobile announces free perks for internet customers
T-Mobile (TMUS) recently saw a spike in new broadband customers, as many have fled from cable companies that have been gradually increasing prices for internet services over the past year. A recent CNET survey found that 63% of U.S. adults saw the monthly price of their home internet service increase last year. On average, they paid $195 more for internet in 2024 than in 2023. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter As consumers battle inflation and higher costs of living, many have explored fixed wireless access internet service, which T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T offer. This service provides internet access to remote or underserved areas at a price that's usually cheaper than traditional internet services. Related: T-Mobile launches a cheap new service amid customer struggles In T-Mobile's second-quarter earnings report for 2025, it revealed that the company added roughly 454,000 high-speed internet customers, which is 12% higher than the number it welcomed during the same quarter last year. T-Mobile ended the quarter with 7.3 million high-speed internet customers. As T-Mobile's 5G home internet grows in popularity, it recently made a bold move to lure more internet customers away from cable companies. The phone carrier has added more free perks to its new Amplified and All-in internet plans. Both plans launched in December last year with prices of $60 and $70, respectively, with autopay. Amplified now grants customers access to 24/7 tech support, which offers live video support for help with household smart devices such as thermostats, doorbells, etc., according to a recent T-Mobile press release. This was a perk that was previously only available for All-in internet customers. Related: Verizon discontinues free customer perk from phone plans This expanded perk from T-Mobile directly competes with Verizon, which recently began offering its customers 24/7 tech support in June. In addition, T-Mobile also added advanced cybersecurity to its Small Business Internet Amplified and All-In plans, which will help "block harmful sites, detect suspicious activity and keep connected devices safe from online threats." Customers can manage the feature through the T-Life app. As fixed wireless access internet becomes more of a threat in the telecom industry, cable giants Spectrum and Comcast collectively lost 343,000 internet customers during the second quarter of this year, while T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon collectively added about 932,000 new 5G home internet customers during the quarter. A recent survey from Cord Cutters News revealed that only 40.2% of consumers now rely on cable TV companies for their internet service, a significant decline from 45% in late 2024. Also, roughly 11% rely on 5G home internet, an increase from 8.4% just a year ago. During an earnings call last month, Comcast Chief Financial Officer Jason Armstrong said that the broadband industry is "competitive" and "remains intense." More Telecom News: Verizon's push to make switching harder for customers hits a snagT-Mobile announces generous offer for conflicted customersAmazon pulls the plug on a free service for customers "Fixed wireless remains very active in the marketplace," said Armstrong. "Fiber competitors continue to build more capacity." To combat this growing trend, he said that Comcast has "realigned" its pricing strategy by lowering "everyday pricing," and moving local offers "to a consistent national pricing structure." It also recently introduced one-year and five-year price lock guarantees to its internet plans without contracts. On the other hand, Spectrum, which is operated by Charter Communications, is focused on sharpening its value pitch to customers by clarifying how much money they can save by bundling their phone and internet services. "Going back to customers very clearly, both in marketing and at the time of sale, and at the time of retention, and saying the only reason that you can have a cell phone internet product at that price is because they're forcing you to pay $60.70 per mobile line," said Charter CEO Chris Winfrey during an earnings call last month. "And when you think about what is on your bill with T-Mobile or Verizon 5G home Internet, the reality is, it's dramatically more expensive than what you would pay to Spectrum for an internet mobile product." Related: Spectrum suffers major loss as customers pull the plug on service The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Travel Weekly
31-07-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Epic Universe spurs double-digit growth for Comcast in Q2
Epic Universe is driving higher spending and attendance throughout the Universal Orlando Resort following its May opening, executives from parent company Comcast said Thursday on an earnings call. The park drove a 19% increase in revenue for theme parks at Comcast, totaling $2.35 billion. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization was up 4%, limited due to soft-opening costs, CFO Jason Armstrong said. "We are extremely proud of the successful opening of Epic Universe in May," said Comcast president Mike Cavanagh. "We're pleased with the early results as Epic is already driving higher per-cap spending and attendance across the entirety of Universal Orlando Resort, with strong food and merchandise sales and minimal impact on attendance at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure." According to Cavanagh, Universal's near-term focus is on expanding ride throughput to get guests onto attractions more quickly. That will help Universal shed the capacity constraints initially placed on Epic (Universal's ticketing strategy for the park was designed to manage capacity). Armstrong said he expects the park to increase attendance as the year goes on with "significantly improved operating leverage." "We're really happy with the consumer response," the CFO said. "We're pleased with how Epic is contributing to the overall Universal Orlando guest experience and performance." Cavanagh noted that both Universal and its main competitor in the Orlando market, Disney, continue to invest heavily in their parks, which should benefit the entire market. In the second quarter, Universal's international parks performed strongly in the quarter, but Universal Hollywood faced pressures, Armstrong said. Coming soon Universal is gearing up for another launch in a couple of weeks: Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas, opening Aug. 14. Cavanagh also said Universal is developing a second year-round horror experience, in Chicago. Further, its Universal Kids Resort is on track to open next year in Texas, and its theme park outside London is scheduled to open in 2031. "These projects reflect our long-term strategy to expand reach, enter new markets and broaden the appeal of our parks portfolio," he said.
Miami Herald
21-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
T-Mobile announces generous offer for conflicted customers
T-Mobile (TMUS) is currently seeing a boom in its internet business. As traditional cable companies such as Comcast and Spectrum are losing customers after implementing price increases for their internet services, T-Mobile is seeing increased demand for its 5G Home internet. In T-Mobile's first-quarter earnings report for 2025, it revealed that the company added about 424,000 high-speed internet customers, which is almost 5% higher than the number it welcomed during the same quarter last year. T-Mobile ended the quarter with 6.9 million high-speed internet customers. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, and other providers offer their customers fixed wireless access (FWA) internet service. This service provides internet access to remote or underserved areas at a price that's usually cheaper than traditional internet services, which is why so many price-conscious consumers are flocking to it. Related: T-Mobile announces wild new offer to keep customers from leaving Comcast Chief Financial Officer Jason Armstrong even said during an earnings call in April that FWA internet is becoming a growing threat in the broadband industry. "I would tell you that the newer competitor in the last few years has obviously been fixed wireless," said Armstrong. "They're adding 1,000,000 subscribers per quarter, so that's sort of the competitive intensity that we're seeing that's sort of incremental. We are competing aggressively with it." As more consumers explore various internet options from different providers, T-Mobile has just made it easier for them to decide. For a limited time, the telecom giant is now offering customers a $300 gift card to sign up for its 5G home internet service. The promo only applies to customers who sign up for T-Mobile's new Amplified Home and All-In Home Internet plans, which both launched in December last year. Related: Verizon's move to slow down fleeing customers raises alarm bells With autopay activated, Amplified Home Internet starts at $60 a month, while All-In Home Internet, which has more perks, starts at $70 a month. Both plans offer unlimited data and come with a five-year price lock guarantee. The $300 will be dispersed via a virtual prepaid Mastercard and is only available for customers who sign up for either plan online, not in stores. The card can be redeemed 30 days after either internet plan is activated and expires in six months. The generous offer from T-Mobile comes during a time when it is also facing heightened competition from satellite internet providers such as Starlink, Viasat, and HughesNet. Satellite internet provides internet access to rural and remote areas via orbiting satellites in space, and this service usually costs between $50 and $150 a month. More Retail: Costco quietly plans to offer a convenient service for customersT-Mobile pulls the plug on generous offer, angering customersAT&T makes generous offer to older customers Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX, has attracted over 6 million customers worldwide after launching in 2019. High demand in rural and urban areas is fueling its rapid growth. The service is available in over 125 countries across all seven continents. Amazon also recently announced that it plans to launch its own satellite internet service by the end of this year in areas with poor coverage worldwide. Its internet service is set to have three different plans: one that delivers speeds of up to 100 megabits per second, another that contains a standard antenna with downlink speeds of up to 400 megabits per second, and a model that provides speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second. Related: Comcast announces a big change to win back frustrated customers The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Miami Herald
04-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Comcast has a gift for AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile customers
Comcast is not exactly beloved by customers. The cable company and Internet provider has a reputation for shady pricing practices. It advertises one price, but does not mention all the fees and other costs consumers actually have to pay. You might be buying a $25 skinny cable bundle, but it will actually cost you more than twice that once you pay the local broadcast and sports fees. Related: T-Mobile announces free new perk for customers after major loss This is a company that was longer a monopoly, but which still operates largely as if consumers don't have a choice. In some cases, at least with internet, they actually may not have a choice. Some markets only have one provider, and while there are alternatives like Elon Musk's Starlink, they are expensive and impractical. Still, it seems hard to believe that Comcast would think it could expand its business into areas where consumers do have a choice. But, when you target a market where AT&T and Verizon are leading players, how much customers hate you is relative. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter When you're weighing your options between three companies that aren't exactly famous for customer service, it's reasonable to think that price may become the deciding factor. As it entered the wireless phone market, Comcast has actually been a price leader. That actually puts it in a decent position to win market share from AT&T, Verizon, and maybe even the somewhat better T-Mobile. Comcast CFO Jason Armstrong spoke at the recent MoffettNathanson 2025 Media, Internet & Communications Conference on May 15. He was surprisingly candid about his company's growth plans. "We talk about these six growth drivers across the company. And so on the content and experience side, it's parks, as we talked about. It's studios and streaming. On the connectivity side of the business, it's wireless residential broadband and business services. So if you were to take those and sort of say, what's the size of the sandbox in each one of those that we're playing in? Wireless is the one that sticks out, as this is the largest sandbox of anything," he said. Comcast offers discount wireless service that uses its WiFi network wherever possible. When it's not, the company's phone jumped to Verizon's network. More Retail: Costco quietly plans to offer a convenient service for customersT-Mobile pulls the plug on generous offer, angering customersAT&T makes generous offer to older customers That's a lower-cost way to offer wireless service, since it does not require constantly investing in a network. Armstrong sees wireless as a massive growth opportunity. "It's 80 billion is residential broadband. 200 billion is the size of the wireless market. So it's a logical place to be focused where, if you look at our share of that sandbox, it's probably the smallest out of the six. So it's sort of this neat opportunity where it's biggest sandbox, we currently have the smallest share. So that's a ton of room to grow into," he added. While it does advertise its wireless service broadly, Armstrong pointed out that it has a core audience that it can reach more easily. "I'd just point out, we're selling into our broadband customer base, right? So that is a very different sales and acquisition cycle than someone that's got to go attract a customer that they don't currently have," he said. Comcast's cost structure also allows it to do something Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile can't. "But then there's the decision on the back of that. Is this a standalone business that you're thinking purely about in revenue and EBITDA terms for the wireless business? Or can you go reinvest, right, and drive outsized growth, maybe accelerate your growth?" he shared. Related: Verizon quietly makes bold move to keep customers from fleeing Comcast has decided to bet big on growth. "We're leaning in, we do have - we've got free line out there for a year. Gives us incredible monetization after that year. We're starting to tier into different segments. We've got a premium segment we just announced. It's a little bit higher price point, but still a huge discount to the wireless industry. So fits nicely, but gets us a little bit more in the handset game," he added. Comcast's Xfinity wireless brand is currently offering a free mobile line for a year to new and existing customers who subscribe to select Xfinity Internet plans. That offer includes both new and existing customers. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VAYK to Acquire Up to $9 million in Time-share Vacation Properties Through Non-Cash Deals
ATLANTA, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vaycaychella, Inc. (OTC Pink: VAYK) ("VAYK") management announced today the launch of a campaign to acquire time-share properties through non-cash deals. The company has reached an MOU to acquire $90,000 worth of timeshare in a non-cash deal, with the potential to increase the deal size to $9.0 million. Timeshares Resold at Deep Discounts Timeshares are often underperforming assets for most current owners. Many individuals purchase timeshares during vacation trips, mistakenly believing they will frequently return. However, their initial excitement often fades, leading to underutilization of their timeshare rights. Additionally, they lack the time or expertise to resell their annual rights, while still paying maintenance fees that may increase annually. "For these reasons, timeshare rights are resold for cash at deep discounts," said Jason Armstrong, Director of the Board at VAYK. "According to a major resale broker, in 2024, a top Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resort like Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa costs $230 per point when purchased directly from Disney. However, it was resold by this broker at an average price of $151 per point. In other words, it is more than one-third cheaper to resell timeshare." Mutually Beneficial Non-Cash Deals at Fair Value Instead, current owners may sell their timeshares to VAYK at fair value in non-cash deals, paid in restricted stocks or preferred convertible stocks. "This will be mutually beneficial," explained Armstrong. "The current owner will not suffer a financial loss and will have an upside if our share price increases. Meanwhile, those timeshares, while underperforming for current owners, can be well-managed to maximize cash revenue, in the hands of professional managers." Economic scalability is another factor. "An individual with only one timeshare will never reach adequate efficiency to manage it. In contrast, a company like ours, with 20 or 50 timeshares, can manage them collectively and achieve much higher efficiency," said Armstrong. May Exceeding 100% Revenue Growth Goal in 2025 VAYK is a vacation property renovation and operation company, focusing on short-term rentals. It reported $668K in operating revenue for 2024, with approximately $150K profit. The company has projected 100% operating revenue growth for 2025, after reporting $427,000 in revenue for the first quarter of 2025, and is set to reach about $1.5 million in annual revenue. This projection is based on its current line of business. If any new business plans are realized and generate significant revenue in 2025, the company will likely exceed its 100% revenue growth projection. "This is a huge turnaround," emphasized Armstrong. "Three years ago, this company was a sinking ship, in deep debt of over $3 million and at risk of completely losing its overseas investment. Since the new management team took over, we have eliminated $2.55 million in debt, of which about $2.37 million was complete forgiveness or cancellation; we have sold our legacy investment overseas for a $320K profit; we have secured a joint-venture agreement to renovate and operate the famous Rufus Rose House, a downtown Atlanta historic landmark; and we have closed an acquisition of a property renovation company, expecting $1.4 million in operating revenue mostly generated from this line of business." "Most importantly, we have achieved all of this without using any toxic debt financing. We have not issued any free trade shares for more than three years, and our interest costs have dramatically dropped to only about $81K in 2024, compared to $236K in interest payments in 2023," Armstrong highlighted. Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur. VAYK Contact:Contact@ 470-804-7144 View original content: SOURCE Vaycaychella, Inc. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
