Network management

I recently looked at the reported broadband subscriber counts from the largest publicly traded internet service providers for the end of 2025. Most of these statistics come from the quarterly reports of the ISPs. The story hasn’t changed a lot during the year. Fixed wireless access cellular ISPs still dominate new net customer gains in the industry. Cable companies continue to lose customers. Telephone companies are growing by adding more fiber customers than they are losing copper customers. There are a few interesting stories in these numbers.

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. wireless infrastructure sector, covering purpose-built cellular towers, indoor and outdoor small cells, macrocell sites, annual infrastructure investments, and the American workforce sustaining this essential industry. The following key statistics show the strength of the U.S. wireless infrastructure industry at the end of 2025:

In late 2025, DISH Wireless LLC (a subsidiary of EchoStar) notified tower companies and other of its vendors that it believed its long-term master lease agreements were “excused” following EchoStar’s decision to sell its spectrum holdings after the Federal Communications Commission began an investigation into whether EchoStar had met its buildout obligations. Wireless infrastructure providers, including tower companies, have disputed this “excuse” claim and several have initiated litigation to enforce contractual obligations.

Assistant Secretary for Telecommunications and Information Arielle Roth wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to request that the FCC seek public comment on new or updated Knowledge Database guidance to ensure protection of the ensure protection of the GPS L1 signal at 1575.42 MHz.

Numerous European executives and policy leaders have recently lamented the relatively poor state of Europe’s digital infrastructure.

SpaceX made a splash with the big unveil of Starlink Mobile, triggering renewed speculation about what Elon Musk really plans to do to shake up the decades-old terrestrial wireless industry. Will he build his own hybrid satellite-terrestrial network to rule the world? Will he strike an MVNO deal with one or more existing mobile network operators to sell a Starlink Mobile-branded phone/broadband service to the masses?

SpaceX's proposed pair of acquisitions of EchoStar spectrum is getting more static in the Federal Communications Commission docket as Liberty Latin American presses its case that the agreements toss a monkey wrench into its mobile plans. Meanwhile, dozens of tower and property owners continue to urge the FCC to require Dish Wireless to pay its bills.

Amazon announced a new device that offers broadband backup for broadband outages. The new device is the eero Signal, which is an add-on to Amazon’s eero WiFi system that will automatically connect a customer to cellular broadband any time the primary broadband connection fails. The Signal device will connect with the strongest carrier signal in your area, meaning that Amazon has made arrangements with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

To say that Consumer Cellular has a lot going on is an understatement. But what’s really remarkable is how it’s adding more retail stores and using real live people to answer customer service calls in an industry increasingly awash in AI. For the uninitiated, Consumer Cellular is an MVNO that was founded about 30 years ago by two Portland, Oregon-based guys, John Marick and Greg Pryor. Early in their tenure, they decided to focus on the 50+ age group and align the company with AARP.

The Federal Communications Commission recently granted Amazon Leo the authority to launch 4,500 more satellites. Recently, Amazon Leo asked the FCC for permission to extend its deadline to launch 3,232 satellites until July 30, 2028. The FCC hasn’t ruled on that request yet, but it’s generally expected to approve it.