So, Black Lotus Labs may be part of an undisputed moat since KJ "didn't know how to explain" why Lumen and its predecessor company neglected to capitalize on that competitive edge product earlier.
They were literally giving it away almost in the same way Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY, stupidly gave away their LAB INNOVATIONS to Jobs, and Gates with free looks depicted by Jobs in "Triumph of the Nerds" in the early 90's. GUI was part of that invention those nerds were able to steal.
If BLL's "DEFENDER" product is so good at eliminating bad actors to local endpoints as explained, eliminating expenditures locally, it really should become a "regulated" charge as we have pushed to the Company for seeking "FCC promulgation."
The U.S. Govt. owes Lumen a lot in this regard when referencing the eight saves Lumen has already provided them with at the highest end of "internet security."
They're working on this new product also. Their competition is a high valuation minnow who leases fiber from them, Megaport, and more private, Packetfabric, where the current CTO just left to join Lumen instead. Naas and Exaswitch are part and parcel included in the solution.
https://www.fierce-network.com/cloud/exclusive-lumens-new-cto-wants-weave-fresh-fabric-clouds-future
According to Kate, they "planned their way to LUCKY."
In addition, of course, The Level 3 Fiber Backbone was built to accommodate the massive data loads that AI is flooding the market. This time, however; the broadband need must be fast with no latency at the edges where factories are producing, and back and forth cloud to enterprise, cloud to cloud, and enterprise to enterprise.
Only Level 3's original network with multiple conduits ready to be upgraded with newest fiber will facilitate insatiable demand like that moving ahead.
There are tens of billions in play right now for federally sponsored inter and intra state middle mile connections--Lumen won California recently-- beyond long haul demand for 400GIG wave lengths that are ongoing.
I don't like the public "gauntlet" of "disruptor" being blatantly announced since such Bravado can create extreme let downs which is the history of The Level 3 Network, unfortunately.
But, if they finally execute on a mere portion of the Bravado today, it could "bring amazing things" that are brought to life for Lumen Shareholders.
Speaking of Steve Jobs, did he blatantly taunt his competition publicly or long before becoming successful with focus on his "return" circa 1998?