Jeff Baumgartner

Policies, regulations and standards governing video and broadband remain vitally important to the "cable" industry. But the cable industry is now keeping close tabs on other critical areas that weave into the broader telecommunications sector as cable operators move rapidly into mobile and wireless and explore ways to fully converge their networks and services. Meanwhile, those same operators must also get engaged with standards and policies focused on new and emerging categories such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI). That's all to say that Dr.

Small and midsized cable operators agree that broadband is as important as ever, but the way they are implementing their video strategies is still a mixed bag. While some operators are upgrading to new IP- and app-based services and platforms, others are also partnering with third-party streaming services or, in some extreme cases, exiting the video business altogether. 

AT&T CEO John Stankey said Internet Air, the company's new fixed wireless access (FWA) product, is "performing well" in the early going. But Stankey stressed that Internet Air will continue to be used on a limited, targeted basis.

AT&T and Charter Communications are best positioned to benefit from the multi-billion-dollar Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program based on state-by-state allocations and the presence of each operator in those states, reckon analysts that have broken down the numbers. "The larger the presence an operator has in a state with a sizable allocation of BEAD funding, the greater the opportunity there is for it to see benefits from a build-out near its existing footprint and fill-in additional pockets across its DMAs [designated market areas] with edge-outs," the analysts at IS

The second quarter (Q2) of the year is usually a tough stretch for cable operators.

The bulk of Google Fiber's buildouts is focused on cities and towns that are getting broadband service from incumbent cable operators and telephone companies.

Comcast doesn't expect to generate much broadband subscriber growth in the near term, but the operator is holding fast to an expectation that the picture will change… eventually. Comcast grew its broadband base by a mere 3,000 broadband subscribers in Q1 2023. Comcast, like other cable operators, is weathering a mix of factors in the broadband market.

Viasat intends to toss its hat into the ring for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program following the recent launch of a new high-capacity satellite that will enable the company to deliver speeds in excess of 100 Mbps nationwide. Calling the launch of its first ViaSat-3 satellite a "game-changer" for states poised to bring in BEAD dollars, Viasat said it intends to concentrate its push for funding on "Extremely High-Cost" areas that are expensive to reach with fiber. ViaSat-3, a geosynchronous (GEO) satellite packed with about 1 Tbit/s of capacity, was lofted into orbit

There are still lots of unanswered questions about the true benefit the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program will bestow upon some of the nation's top broadband providers. But a "rough, preliminary estimate" from New Street Research indicates the BEAD opportunity stands to beef up their combined enterprise values by billions of dollars. New Street Research employed a multi-step model to calculate the number of served and unserved homes that can qualify for BEAD subsidies.

Charter Communications came out on top in the latest advertising claim challenge lodged by AT&T. In its response to a challenge plaint from AT&T, the National Advertising Division (NAD) announced that Charter substantiated its "most consistent download speeds" claim for its Spectrum-branded broadband service. AT&T used an expedited challenge process, dubbed Fast-Track SWIFT, to bring this "single-issue" ad case to the NAD.