#telecom

Some Retirees have received information about increased benefits ((wireless plans now 50% off)). The letter stated it’s all due to AT&T celebrating 150 years in 2026. Makes me think our COO ain’t leaving just yet.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/verizon-names-former-paypal-ceo-dan-schulman-ceo-2025-10-06/

Saw this on a Facebook group.

Sounds like most of the union that was left in Denver was laid off today but Avaya. December 8th is the last day of payroll for what used to be the NSAC, billing, dispatch, and SOSC.

For years, I said Hans Vestberg was the wrong guy. I said the “best network” narrative was smoke and mirrors, that billions in 5G spending without a monetization plan was corporate malpractice, and that leadership had no clue how to run a 21st-century company. And what did I get? The usual chorus of Verizon fanboys and PR parrots laughing it off and calling it “AI talk.”

Well… the “AI talk” just pushed your CEO out the door.

All those corporate cheerleaders who swore everything was fine — the ones who worshipped at the altar of “Ultra Wideband” press releases and internal town-hall buzzwords — are suddenly very quiet now. Because the board just did exactly what they insisted would never happen: they fired the architect of this slow-motion train wreck and replaced him with someone who actually understands platforms, partnerships, and profit.

Let’s be honest: calling it “AI” was never about the technology — it was a cheap way to dismiss what you didn’t want to hear. Because if you admitted the analysis was right, you’d also have to admit the leadership was wrong. And now, here we are: the leadership is gone, and the analysis you mocked is the new corporate strategy.

So keep sneering about “AI talking” if it helps you sleep. But know this — the future spoke, and it just fired your hero. All your PR spin couldn’t save him. All your LinkedIn cheerleading couldn’t rewrite the numbers. The truth bulldozed through the talking points… and left your corporate fairy tale in the dust.

https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/verizon-taps-ex-paypal-virgin-mobile-exec-new-ceo

Analyst thinks Schulman’s appointment is a stop-gap measure and eventually, Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Vestberg’s heir apparent, is likely to take over. Sampath is currently CEO of the Consumer Group at Verizon.

Facts, short interview excerpts, and a forward-looking analysis of how he may lead (some AI, some custom):

Dan Schulman

• Current role: Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Communications, effective Oct 6, 2025. He succeeds Hans Vestberg, who becomes a special adviser through Oct 4, 2026. Mark Bertolini becomes Board Chair.
• Age: 67. Recent context: Verizon is pushing to reignite growth and integrate a pending Frontier Communications acquisition targeted to close in early 2026.
• Education: B.A., Middlebury College 1980. M.B.A., NYU Stern.

Career highlights

• AT&T: 18 years, rising to president of the consumer long distance business and the youngest member of the company’s top executive team.
• priceline.com: President and COO, then CEO.
• Virgin Mobile USA: Founding CEO, took it public, later sold to Sprint Nextel. Post-deal he led Sprint’s prepaid group.
• American Express: Group President, Enterprise Growth, focused on new digital payments and partnerships.
• PayPal: CEO from 2014 through 2023, leading its spinout from eBay in 2015 and subsequent platform expansion.
• Selected moves: push for crypto features and a super app strategy, and the roughly 4 billion dollar acquisition of Honey to deepen consumer engagement.
• Verizon governance: Director since 2018, elected Lead Independent Director in Dec 2024, now CEO.

Key Accomplishments:

• Customer 1st
  At PayPal he implemented Customer Choice so users could pick how they pay. He noted that the day it was announced, the stock fell 9 percent, yet two years later PayPal reported 70 million incremental customers and lower service calls.

• Profit Driven
  He is associated with a measurable approach to employee financial health. PayPal introduced the Net Disposable Income metric and moved hourly and entry-level U.S. employees from roughly 4 to 6 percent NDI in 2019 toward mid-teens by 2021, with a goal of at least 20 percent.

• Crisis Response
  During the 2018-19 U.S. government shutdown, he initiated up to 500 dollar, interest-free advances to furloughed federal workers, committing up to 25 million dollars.

• Telecom Expertise
  Schulman has prior P&L leadership in wireless at Virgin Mobile and Sprint’s prepaid unit, which gives him domain context for Verizon’s mobility and broadband markets.

Some interview excerpts:

• On motion and risk: “There’s a philosophy in martial arts which is, ‘Never stand still’.”
• On choosing the customer over margin: “If we really are going to be a customer champion, what we need to do is give customers choice.”
• On short-term pain: “The day we announced it, our stock dropped 9 percent.”
• On purpose: “Profit and purpose are fully linked together.”
• On values: “Values can’t be propaganda. They have to be something that you not just say, but you do.”
• On day-one priorities at Verizon: “Verizon is at a critical juncture. We have a clear opportunity to redefine our trajectory.” Also, “reduce our cost to serve, and optimize our capital allocation.”

Let's predict how he will lead at Verizon (guessing, but still):

• Customer-first offers, simpler choices
  Expect emphasis on plan clarity, fewer gotchas, and tools that increase perceived value without price-only competition. This mirrors his “customer champion” approach that traded short-term margin for long-term engagement at PayPal.

• Cost to serve and digital self-service
  His own language points to lowering cost to serve. Look for pushes in app experience, proactive care, and churn-reduction through analytics so service costs fall while NPS rises.

• Growth (bundling + ecosystem expansion)
  At PayPal he broadened the platform with new features and Honey’s path-to-purchase data. At Verizon, comparable logic could show up as smarter bundles across mobility, home internet, and perks that deepen engagement rather than discounting alone.

• Capital Mgmt
  Telecom is capital intensive. Expect tighter capital allocation guardrails that tie spend to measurable growth in market share and cash generation, consistent with his opening memo themes and the company’s reiterated 2025 guidance.

• Workforce
  His record suggests a belief that better employee economics and inclusion improve outcomes. While Verizon’s footprint and labor mix differ from PayPal’s, watch for selective moves that support frontline productivity and retention.

• Telecom operator basics + fiber execution
  Schulman inherits a network built during Vestberg’s 5G push and a pending 20 billion dollar Frontier acquisition aimed at fiber expansion. Expect a pragmatic focus on fiber passings, broadband adds, and unit economics while integrating the deal if it closes as planned.

• Purpose/Pragmatism
  He is outspoken about acting on values. In a regulated, politically scrutinized sector, expect careful calibration so purpose initiatives remain tied to customer trust and operating results.

What to watch in the first 12 months

• Postpaid phone net adds, phone churn, and ARPU trends vs AT&T and T-Mobile. Context: Verizon seeks to regain momentum in a highly competitive market.
• Broadband and fixed wireless net adds, fiber build milestones tied to the Frontier integration timeline.
• Cost-to-serve metrics and digital adoption rates following any app or care redesigns.
• Signals on capital allocation and any portfolio or pricing simplifications in mobility and home.

You can use Google to find this:

• Verizon announcement and Schulman’s day-one remarks.
• Breaking coverage of his appointment and competitive context.
• Customer Choice case and measured outcomes at PayPal.
• Employee financial wellness program design and results.
• 2019 shutdown advances for federal workers.
• Honey acquisition rationale.
• Earlier telecom roles and Sprint-Virgin Mobile deal context.
• Background on education and early career.
• Latest coverage on Schulman and Verizon.

After 8 years and an annual total compensation of $24m he is worth over $100m and will receive a golden parachute (access to the private jet). Blackrock will be his next executive employment and will skyrocket his wealth even more.

Spanish telecoms group Telefonica plans to lay off at least 6,000 employees across several units before the end of the year, newspaper Expansion reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the plans.

The total number of workers initially affected by the redundancy plan could rise to 7,000 out of a global workforce of around 100,000, the report added, although negotiations with unions tend to reduce such targets.

https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/telefonica-plans-lay-off-6000-workers-this-year-expansion-reports-2025-10-06/

John Stankaheeheee Let me help you!
John....let me help you demoralize the workforce even more. Do this John. Take away the service anniversary awards. Please do it John. Then remove any and all employee discounts. Also good work on pension plan increases. They are virtually non existent.
Cobb county teacher pensions in the state of Georgia get 3% every year. You are a cheap worthless pathetic divider in chief. It is no longer a desirable place to work. You and your cronies have gutted every aspect of what it used to be. You have as--ulted the low hanging fruit ( 1st level managers ) to the max because they have no voice as the union members do. The company culture will never rebound until you and your henchmen go somewhere. Anywhere would be good. Just go.John Stankaheeheee Let me help you!
John....let me help you demoralize the workforce even more. Do this John. Take away the
service anniversary awards. Please do it John. Then remove any and all employee discounts. Also good work on pension plan increases. They are virtually non existent.
Cobb county teacher pensions in the state of Georgia get 3% every year. You are a cheap worthless pathetic divider in chief. It is no longer a desirable place to work. You and your cronies have gutted every aspect of what it used to be. You have ATTACKED the low hanging fruit ( 1st level managers ) to the max because they have no voice as the union members do. The company culture will never rebound until you and your henchmen go somewhere. Anywhere would be good. Just go.

Look at that, unbelievable!!
https://www.jobs.now/jobs/165070041-principal-engineer-software-development-distinguished-engineer-software-development-ref-inkota-n

Another set
https://guestworkervisas.com/gwv/jobs_direct.php
type in Verizon

DSR staying with the order taker?

Uniform ordering was delayed, maybe because we will know our fate soon? AT&T, Network CO, Lumen or layoff?

Layoffs incoming, 2 faced leaders

I heard they opening new wireless centers for us people. I miss my Murfreesboro Mobstas

I have seen people at AT&T on H1B visas who, in my view, should not have been given those roles. Qualified American workers could have filled them just as well. There is a real problem at AT&T, plus a manufactured one. Upper management often says they cannot find qualified candidates for certain positions, which I believe is misleading. The real motivation seems to be securing cheaper labor.

I have also noticed a recurring pattern in tech. Once companies start offshoring jobs, especially in development, that shift tends to trigger greater use of H1B visas. This happens because they have no intention of investing in training American workers. I say this based on experience at a Fortune 10 company. These firms are not short on cash, they simply choose not to pay American employees what they are worth.

“But look at the stock price” was used as something of a justification for decisions like RTO and veneration of Stankey. Looked today though and the stock is effectively flat since early March and down vs. 6 months ago. S&P 500 is way up in that time period. Thank goodness I move my 401k match out of T and into investments that actually do something (for now)

Stay tuned

20% HC reduction

This is long but details how AT&T used to be a leader in taking care of employees and now it is a leader in treating them as disposable “assets”.

Worth a read

https://www.businessinsider.com/workplace-loyalty-corporate-america-dysfunction-employers-employees-att-jobs-2025-9

https://youtu.be/sLywoXWTJAw?si=Ddq0NUdkUdePE5QZ

if i evr won the lottery, i wouldn’t retire quietly. i’d open a cellphone store right in the middle of the richest neighborhood i could find.

but it wouldn’t be a normal store. our only goal would be to make sure every single customer left annoyed. prices wouldn’t matter, products wouldn’t matter, the only thing that mattered was that no one walked out satisfied.

every single worker in the store would hold the title of “manager.” that’s it, no other roles. on their name tags, we’d list their salaries in huge print. people would walk in, see someone making millions a year, and still realize they weren’t going to get any help at all.

and for customer service? our number wouldn’t go to a call center, it would connect straight to the irs. so if you wanted to complain, you’d have a very different kind of problem waiting for you.

Then as customers stormed out the door with frustration written all over their faces, we’d smile, wave, and say in the sweetest tone: “and you have a nice day.”

What a joke ... the race to the bottom is over and AT&T won

https://www.wral.com/consumer/5onyourside/utility-boxes-repair-att-september-2025/

Message from Sarah Bryant dated 9/4/202

Dear People Leaders,

For those of you who don’t know me, I joined two months ago as Executive Vice President, Finance, Telecom, and my team and I have been working across the organization as we look to strengthen our financial profile and help us to transform how we operate to ensure the long-term health and success of Optimum. It’s incredible to see the amazing work done to date by all of you and your teams and I’d like to share some enhancements to our fiscal discipline measures.

Embracing Financial Discipline with an Owner’s Mindset

First and foremost, I want to emphasize the importance of operating with an owner's mindset when it comes to financial stewardship. Every employee — regardless of role or level — must approach spending decisions as if each dollar were their own. This ownership mentality is fundamental to ensuring our company's long-term financial health and sustainable growth.

To this end, we are asking all leaders to be deliberate and prudent with our spending by proactively managing expenses. This includes an immediate pause on non-essential discretionary travel and entertainment (T&E) spending. I recognize that this is a delicate balance – it's critical that we continue to run the business, manage our business partners and vendors, and drive teammate performance. The goal isn't to stop spending entirely but to be thoughtful and judicious. Please critically evaluate T&E costs — including business travel, conferences, offsites, and client entertainment — to ensure they are directly tied to immediate business need or revenue generation. Where possible, please find alternative, cost-effective solutions or postpone less critical spending.

The pause of discretionary spending also applies to year-end events. We deeply value our employees' contributions and recognize the importance of year-end celebrations, and the ask is for leaders to find impactful ways to show appreciation and foster a positive and grateful environment for our dedicated teams in a prudent way. Check out the Recognition Toolkit in the Leader’s Zone on One, which includes meaningful approaches to employee recognition and celebrations to thank our teammates for their incredible contributions.

If you have a question regarding the T&E policy, events or other spend, please do not hesitate to reach out to your finance business partner for clarification.

Comprehensive Review of Spending Controls

To strengthen our financial governance and ensure we're positioned for long-term success, we will also be conducting a thorough review of our vendor invoice approval platforms and all PCard usage and related policies. This review will assess spending, strengthen controls, and implement procedures that uphold our fiscal responsibility. There will be additional communication regarding these changes in the next two weeks for those directly impacted.

Moving Forward with Purpose as ONE Optimum
These efforts support building a culture of financial stewardship that will serve us well in all economic conditions. Thank you for your attention and leadership. When every employee thinks like an owner, making prudent decisions about resource allocation, we create a more resilient, financially healthy and sustainable organization.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bryant
EVP, Finance, Telecom

Is there any guidance yet on that date? Thanks.

https://www.phonearena.com/news/elon-musk-spacex-echostar-verizon-spectrum_id173967

Anyone heard anything on the lumen fiber buyout? Will we being doing the installs.

BRAKING NEWS! All T-Zones and myFaves team members will be impacted.

So I have a couple of senior folks who work for Wall St. firms , and they have given me a heads up that Q1 is going to be a major hemorrhaging of white collar jobs,sectors mostly affected are big pharma, telecomm ( including at T. , VZ and CISCO) , and finance. .

Basically, companies are already pricing in the rate cut, but the unemployment numbers coupled with tarrifs effects and a expected weak holiday season is going to cause this.. so better save your nuts this winter..

I think the interviewer enjoyed throwing management some curveballs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZSsfTnQPIE

The description says “Tri-state area” but at least some of these employees are out of Blue Bell, PA.

If you ever wanted an example of what poor leadership looks like, just look around here. Confusion everywhere, mixed messages from the top, no clear plan, and a workforce that’s demoralized because nobody trusts the people in charge. This isn’t just bad luck, it’s the result of bad leadership.

https://cordcuttersnews.com/the-end-of-dsl-traditional-home-phone-att-gains-fcc-approval-shut-down-its-copper-dsl-phone-service-in-more-areas/

Verizon stock falls after EchoStar announces spectrum sale to SpaceX.
Verizon's Sampath: U.S. must seize 6G moment now. Because 5G is going so well. I'm sure BR has a plan?

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/tmobile-att-verizon-fall-after-echostar-announces-spectrum-sale-to-spacex-93CH-4228969

T-Mobile and other wireless carriers tumble on SpaceX’s purchase of spectrum licenses from EchoStarT-MobileTMUS $237.74 (0.23%) is the worst-performing S&P 500 constituent in early trading, off 5.2% as of 8:27 a.m. ET.
The reason why? SpaceX purchased a pair of spectrum licenses from EchoStarSATS $81.50 (0.03%) for roughly $17 billion, and as such, SpaceX might no longer need to rely as heavily on T-Mobile going forward.

In August 2022, T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a partnership in which the carrier would help SpaceX’s Starlink provide mobile connectivity from space. The first such satellites launched in January 2024, and T-Mobile ran an ad during the 2025 Super Bowl touting a beta trial of Starlink-powered satellite texting.

EchoStar's loser Chairman Charlie Ergen was forced to give up pursuing his dream of establishing Boost Mobile as the 4th U.S. facilities based competitor due to horrendous Marketing and a lack of funds due to Dish Network flaming out. Couldn't happen to a nicer and more deserving guy as Charlie's brought a lot of hardship into others lives over the years!

Things go from bad to worse as Boost Mobile reduces its head count

500 Boost network employees get sacked as the company loses the opportunity to be one of the "Big 4" U.S. carriers.

Sep 03, 2025, 6:37 PM

Lately, things have been going bad fir EchoStar. After it purchased Dish Network on the last day of 2023, EchoStar-owned Boost Mobile was supposed to be working on replacing Sprint as the fourth facilities based wireless carrier replacing Sprint. The latter had been gobbled up by T-Mobile in 2020 leaving only three major U.S. carriers and both the FCC and DOJ frowned on the reduced competition.
FCC has been accusing EchoStar of being a spectrum speculator

The FCC and Chairman Brendan Carr have been pushing EchoStar, accusing the company of hoarding its spectrum holdings, hoping to sell the licenses for big profits. This constant pressure from Carr led EchoStar to sell 50MHz of spectrum to AT&T for $23 billion. AT&T acquired 20MHz of 600MHz low-band airwaves that will be used by AT&T for its nationwide 5G service called AT&T 5G. The 30MHz of 3.45GHz mid-band spectrum acquired by AT&T will be used for AT&T's faster AT&T 5G+ service.

A Dish Wireless storefront.
Dish Wireless became Boost Mobile last year. | Image credit-Dish Network

Without the spectrum it sold, EchoStar's hope of having its Boost Mobile brand join Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T as the Big Four in the U.S. went up in smoke. It's not as though Boost Mobile has been thriving. The number of subscriber declined form the 9 million Boost had at the time it was purchased by Dish Network. Currently, Boost is believed to have 7.4 million customers, a 17.8% decline.

After losing its spectrum, Boost will become a hybrid MNO, or a hybrid Mobile Network Operator. Boost subscribers will use AT&T's network primarily although they also will have access to the T-Mobile network. AT&T will provide the base stations, radios, radio access network (RAN) software and spectrum frequencies. EchoStar will handle the billing, deliver the network core, and and provisioning software.

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Today, the story got uglier as EchoStar let go 500 employees who were working in the company's U.S. wireless network deployment and engineering groups. EchoStar's wireless network was originally known as Dish Wireless and became Boost Mobile after a rebranding last year. In a statement, EchoStar confirms that pressure from the FCC led to the decision to sell its spectrum to AT&T. It still has 76 MHz of airwaves to sell and there is speculation that Verizon, T-Mobile and SpaceX are interested.
EchoStar hopes to retire some debt with some of the proceeds of its spectrum sale

EchoStar revealed its motives for the reduction in head count. "Due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) actions, the recent announcement of EchoStar selling spectrum licenses to AT&T significantly impacts the company’s 5G wireless network deployment unit. With elements of our network to be decommissioned over time, the company will eventually not house a wireless network deployment workforce. After thorough review of our business operations moving forward, we have made the difficult decision to reduce our network deployment workforce. The majority of impacted employees were notified on Thursday, August 28."

Will Boost Mobile make it as an MNO?
Yes. It still has a well-known name.
24.79%
No. It won't succeed not being a Big 4 carrier.
53.31%
It's too early to tell.
21.9%
Votes 242

EchoStar President and CEO Hamid Akhavan said that the deal with AT&T will allow EchoStar to retire some debt and help fund its current businesses. It will, as noted, be a hybrid mobile network operator and a direct-to-device (D2D) satellite service provider. The executive alsio said on LinkedIn last week, "This is an important step toward resolving the FCC’s recent inquiries and demonstrates our commitment to continued innovation and success."

Because Boost Mobile will continue to exist, just not as a fourth facilities-based carrier, the spectrum sell-off impacts the retail part of the company a lot less than the network part of the business. The EchoStar spokesperson reiterated that there are no changes to the Boost Mobile brand. This is unfortunate for Boost Mobile because many blamed Boost's struggles on its failure to promote the company and its services. Meanwhile, Boost customers praised the quality of the network which is now dismantled.

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/att-now-making-headway-its-copper-retirement-plan

We are going to see something crazy really soon. People will cut lines as they lose revenue and get laidyed off. The is going to mean one thing an one thing alone. PHONE PLANES MUST GO DOWN.....PHONE PLANES MUST GO DOWN. We can't afford india anymore. the poeople in the USA won't pay. they will cut costs. they are going to do the best and most wise thing. cut costs. First is the car...2nd is the phone. lovely world coming