Latest news with #rural
Wall Street Journal
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
After a Mayor's Mysterious Death, a Land Dispute Divides Republicans in Tennessee
MANCHESTER, Tenn.—Smack dab between the swelling urban centers of Nashville, Chattanooga, and Huntsville, Ala., rural Coffee County was poised to become Tennessee's next boomtown, with subdivisions rapidly replacing farmland. But when the county's pro-growth mayor, Judd Matheny, died under unusual circumstances last year, it unleashed a development battle with a Southern Gothic twist that has split this deeply red area over the fundamental question of what it means to be conservative.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Verizon or Charter: Which Telecom Stock is the Smarter Investment?
Verizon Communications VZ and Charter Communications CHTR are both major players in the U.S. telecommunications industry. They primarily compete in fixed broadband, wireless services and enterprise connectivity verticals. Charter is the second largest cable operator in the United States and a leading broadband communications company providing video, Internet and voice services. The company served approximately 30.1 million customers in 41 states through its Spectrum the leading wireless carrier in the United States, delivers communication services to a vast customer base across the public sector, small and medium businesses and global enterprises as U.S. telecommunication industry is rapidly changing owing to a multiple factor. Digital transformation initiatives, cloud adoption, remote work, smart homes, and growing AI usage are driving demand for high-speed Internet. Government initiatives, such as BEAD funding program to bridge up the digital divide in rural areas, are also acting as a catalyst. Amid this backdrop, let us analyze in depth the competitive strengths and weaknesses of the companies to understand who is in a better position to maximize gains from the emerging market trends. Verizon is benefiting from the growing demand for its industry-leading 5G portfolio. The company recently secured a multibillion-dollar contract from Thames Freeport in the United Kingdom. Per the deal, Verizon will deploy private 5G networks in major logistics, manufacturing, and innovation sites along the River Thames Estuary. Contract win in one of the busiest maritime logistic hubs in the region serves as a testament to the growing demand for VZ's 5G capabilities. The company is collaborating with Nokia to execute the 5G network primarily relies on three fundamental drivers to unlock the full potential of next-generation wireless technology. These include massive spectrum holdings, particularly in the millimeter-wave bands for faster data transfer, end-to-end deep fiber resources and the ability to deploy a large number of small cells. Moreover, growing usage of advanced data analytics, AI, edge computing and IoT infrastructure deployments is expected to drive demand for Verizon's 5G network in the long company is also betting big on Fiber network expansion as well. Verizon is set to acquire Frontier Communications in a $20 billion deal. Frontier boasts 2.2 million fiber subscribers across 25 states in the United States. Frontier has been steadily investing in its fiber network; the company expects an additional 2.8 million fiber spots in addition to its current 7.2 million places by 2026. This will significantly boost Verizon's fiber the company operates in a highly competitive market and faces competition from other major players, such as AT&T, Inc. T, Charter, and T-Mobile. AT&T is also aggressively expanding its fiber footprint. The company is acquiring Lumen's fiber business. It is placing a strong focus on the densification of its existing fiber infrastructure. Such initiatives from AT&T can pose a challenge to Verizon's fiber network expansion. In a bid to expand its customer base, Verizon is spending heavily on promotion and is also offering lucrative discounts, which are weighing on margins. VZ's debt-to-cap ratio stands at 58.5%, while the current ratio is at 0.61. Charter is witnessing growth in residential mobile service and residential Internet services. The company has expanded its 5G coverage nationwide. Its Spectrum Mobile is the core element of Charter's converged network strategy, which aims to deliver highly competitive, simple data plans and pricing and ensure a premium connectivity experience for end users. The company is increasing collaboration with federal, state and local governments to bring Spectrum Internet to rural and underserved has pledged to invest $7 billion to add 100,000+ miles of fiber-optic network infrastructure. The company intends to deliver multigigabit and symmetrical Internet services across 1.7 million locations. The company recently expanded its gigabit broadband, mobile, TV and voice services in the states of Wisconsin, Tennessee and Indiana. With up to 1 Gbps, advanced WiFi, and 100% U.S.-based customer service, the company is steadily expanding Spectrum's footprint across the of its network infrastructure is opening up new revenue-generating opportunities. Nexar, a prominent AI-powered mobility solution provider, has opted to leverage Spectrum's expansive managed wireless network to facilitate faster delivery of roadway insights to the cloud faster and more efficiently. Successful integration will boost Charter's prospects in the emerging market of vehicle safety and data-driven mobility infrastructure the company operates in a fiercely competitive and saturated U.S. wireless market. It faces stiff competition from major players like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Charter has a leveraged balance sheet. As of March 31, 2025, the total principal amount of debt was $93.6 billion. Its debt-to-cap ratio stands at 82.6%, while its current ratio is at 0.36. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Verizon's 2025 sales and EPS implies year-over-year growth of 1.75% and 1.96%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2025 has been trending southward over the past 60 days, while the 2026 EPS estimate has improved 0.82% over the past 60 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Charter's 2025 sales and EPS implies year-over-year growth of 0.33% and 13.01%, respectively. The EPS estimates have been trending downward over the past 60 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Over the past six months, Verizon has gained 7.3%, while Charter has improved 11.9%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Verizon looks more attractive than Charter from a valuation standpoint. Going by the price/earnings ratio, Charter's shares currently trade at 9.48 forward earnings, higher than 8.67 for Verizon. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Charter and Verizon carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) each at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks has shown steady revenue growth over the past few years, while Verizon has been witnessing a bumpy road. Downtrend in estimate for both 2025 and 2026 shows dwindling investor sentiment on Charter. However, Verizon's comprehensive wireless and fiber network, which includes C-band spectrum, Fios infrastructure, combined with a strong focus on service reliability, gives it a clear competitive edge. Hence, with a robust cash flow and a healthy dividend payout ratio, Verizon appears to be a better investment option right now. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AT&T Inc. (T) : Free Stock Analysis Report Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Charter Communications, Inc. (CHTR) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research 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
Android Authority
10 hours ago
- Business
- Android Authority
T-Mobile's US Cellular acquistion has been approved: What happened, and what's next?
Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR The DOJ and FCC have both approved T-Mobile's $4.4 billion acquisition of most of US Cellular, with no major conditions or safeguards imposed. T-Mobile will gain US Cellular's customers, stores, and spectrum, while US Cellular will keep its towers and focus on leasing them out. Critics worry the merger could reduce competition, especially in rural areas, but US Cellular customers shouldn't see immediate changes at least. Last year, T-Mobile announced plans to acquire most of US Cellular in a $4.4 billion deal. As is typical with massive mergers, the deal required both DOJ and FCC approval. At the time, it was unclear whether such a proposal would actually be approved by either organization. After the election, the odds became much higher with the new administration. Fast forward to today — just last week, the DOJ signed off on the offer, and to little surprise, the FCC has now followed suit (via Fierce Wireless). The FCC approved the transaction without a vote from the full commission (which is made up of two Republicans and one Democrat). While these kinds of offers often come with concessions — such as new unlocking policies or other limits — this particular approval didn't include any additional conditions and passed through without any real opposition from the FCC. As part of the agreement, T-Mobile will pay $2.4 billion in cash and assume $2 billion in US Cellular debt. It will also acquire up to 4 million customers, all of US Cellular's retail stores, and its spectrum holdings in the 600MHz, 700MHz, 2.5 GHz, AWS, and PCS ranges. Verizon and AT&T will also be purchasing a portion of US Cellular's spectrum. However, US Cellular will still retain 4,400 towers and, instead of offering direct customer service, will focus on leasing these towers out to other companies. As you can imagine, not everyone is thrilled about the approval of this deal. The RWA (Rural Wireless Association), in particular, is concerned that there are no conditions around roaming. For those who don't know, US Cellular might be a regional carrier, but in certain parts of the US, it's literally the only choice. For example, I have family in Sidney, Iowa, and without roaming agreements, I'd have no coverage with the big three at all there. Thankfully, US Cellular has extensive roaming agreements in place that are beneficial to both the big carriers and smaller rural providers. While these agreements may remain in place under T-Mobile's stewardship, there's nothing written in stone to guarantee it. 'The FCC's decision takes T-Mobile's promises as gospel without any demand for accountability post-closing,' said Carri Bennet, RWA's outside general counsel. 'FCC staff's failure to impose meaningful safeguards is a dereliction of its duty to protect competition and consumers and safeguard the public interest.' What happens next, and is this merger a good or bad thing? I'll be honest, I'm fairly concerned about this merger as someone who lives in a rural area myself. While it won't affect me personally since I have decent coverage from multiple networks, that's not the case everywhere. Less competition is never a good thing. T-Mobile promised big things with Sprint, and while that acquisition certainly helped improve T-Mobile's network, we've also seen continued price increases and other moves from the carriers that suggest fewer players will always mean higher prices and less flexibility for customers. Do you agree with the FCC's approval of the US Cellular deal? 0 votes Yes, why not? NaN % Yes, but there should have been restrictions NaN % No, this won't end well for the industry NaN % Other (Tell us in comments) NaN % As for what happens next? T-Mobile and US Cellular must arrange to close on the transaction. The exact timeframe can vary, ranging from weeks to months or longer. Once complete, US Cellular won't just disappear as an option. T-Mobile previously clarified that US Cellular customers won't see any immediate changes and will be able to continue their plans as usual. This is similar to how Sprint initially worked before it was eventually rolled into T-Mobile completely, but considering US Cellular's brand recognition in certain rural areas, it's entirely possible the carrier could live on as a value brand of sorts. That's just speculation on my part, though. Really, the only thing I can say for sure is that US Cellular customers probably won't see any noticeable changes until late this year at the earliest. Beyond that, all we can do is watch and see how this unfolds. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
CBC
12 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Rogers launching new satellite-to-mobile text messaging trial
Rogers Communications Inc. has launched a new satellite-to-mobile text messaging service, marking the latest step in its partnership with SpaceX and Lynk Global to eventually deliver full satellite-to-phone coverage across apps, data and voice service. The company says its Rogers Satellite text service, which also includes text-to-911 capability, is available to all Canadians through a free beta trial that will run until October. The technology uses SpaceX's Starlink low-earth orbit satellites and Rogers' national wireless spectrum to automatically connect cellphones in areas without cell service. It's meant to help customers stay connected in some of the most remote parts of Canada and along rural highways. Rogers president and CEO Tony Staffieri says the announcement "represents the next big leap in wireless connectivity." Following the trial, Rogers Satellite will be included at no additional cost to customers on the Rogers Ultimate plan and will be available for all Canadians for $15 per month.
Forbes
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
The Cow, The Code And The Chaos: Why Logistics Needs Hybrid Intelligence
Shekar Natarajan is the founder and CEO of Some time ago, I was a passenger in a vehicle in rural India—a place where there is no rule of law regarding driving. Drivers didn't stay in neat lanes; some ended up on the side of the curb. Drivers could simply raise their right hand to signal a move to the left. They could raise both hands to signal they'd be driving straight. Somehow, in the cacophony and chaos, my driver was able to understand the intent of the other drivers and weave through them. But then appeared on the road a living creature whose intent my driver could not understand: a cow. Neither could the cow understand the intent of my driver. Yet in that moment, both had to coexist on that road. Coexistence, I believe, is necessary for success in all areas of our lives—rather than one or the other, we must find space for both. Technology is not an exception. In my view, for technology to truly help us succeed, we have to approach it through the lens of coexistence. In the supply chain world, AI can help future-proof the industry. In particular, I've observed that GenAI stands to create significant transformations. Yet, for optimal success, GenAI should be complemented by execution engines. The Limits Of GenAI Alone In The Supply Chain World Why is solely using GenAI not ideal in the supply chain world? GenAI behaves probabilistically; it is more predictive and speculative in nature. It exists to simulate, generate and explain. It can take data, uncover patterns and forecast possibilities accordingly. But the nature of the logistics industry is not probabilistic. Logistics isn't about what could happen—it's about what does happen. GenAI can only go so far in a non-probabilistic reality. For instance, a GenAI solution could analyze past data points and predict that if a retailer ships a package with a certain carrier in a certain city, there is a 90% chance the package will arrive on time. However, that prediction only holds weight in a digital world, which lacks the nuances and disruptions of the physical one. Severe weather, a port blockage, etc., can all cause shipping delays, regardless of the carrier. GenAI And Execution Engines: The Case For A Hybrid Approach By contrast, execution engines are deterministic software systems that choreograph and execute concrete actions. They exist to act, decide and choreograph. They revolve around intelligent action, which is the ability to take contextual actions in the physical world. However, acting alone, executive engines lack the flexibility to adapt in real time. Combined, GenAI and execution engines create a hybrid type of technology called execution engine optimizers. Execution engine optimizers fuse GenAI's reasoning with the capabilities of execution engines to take the most optimal actions in real time. So, GenAI essentially serves as an overlay engine that comprehends intent and simulates. The execution engine does the rest. Execution engine optimizers bind the two worlds together in an intelligent manner, transforming intent into outcomes. For example, a customer could enter a tracking number into a chatbox, and from there, GenAI in the backend could start its analysis to pinpoint who the consumer is, what their customer lifetime value is and where the package is. By overlaying different data points, such as the weather and traffic conditions, the technology could identify the root cause of the delivery failure (such as a delay or theft). GenAI could then determine the appropriate response to provide the consumer based on the situation. From there, the execution engine could automatically process both a carrier claim and check inventory availability, then offer the customer options such as reshipment or a refund. If the customer, say, opts for a reshipment, the execution engine could create a new shipping order in the system, generate a new tracking ID and send the customer an automated update with the new tracking ID. In short, these two technologies have different purposes. GenAI processes ambiguous, unstructured data. Execution engines analyze outputs and then execute accordingly. For the best results possible, both of these technologies need to coexist; they need to dance together. Power a supply chain system on GenAI alone, and you're banking on probabilities. Power one on just an execution engine, and you'll get actions without context. How Supply Chain Leaders Can Leverage The Hybrid Approach Supply chain leaders can leverage the hybrid technology, called execution engine optimizers, by taking several steps. First, supply chain leaders should identify their most significant friction points. Those are the problems that, if solved, will yield the most significant net positive results. Next, I recommend that supply chain leaders use GenAI for analysis and scenario planning. For instance, they could test to see which workflows will get impacted if certain variables change. This information will help them predict potential failures and categorize problems—from there, they should design specific, deterministic processes to address identified issues. At this point, they can take the outputs GenAI has provided them and start connecting them to execution logic (in other words, automated actions). As the generative AI engine and execution layer run, supply chain leaders should monitor how the systems are performing and create feedback loops that continuously optimize both the GenAI's and the execution engine's capabilities. On that road in India, at first, my driver honked and honked for the cow to move. The cow didn't budge. And then he, along with other people, started tapping the cow. The cow looked at everyone, then started walking away. Both parties—people and the cow—were able to create a more stable, streamlined environment. Supply chain leaders have the opportunity to stabilize and streamline supply chains if they put GenAI and execution engines in a symbiotic relationship and take action when needed to keep the duo running together harmoniously. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
