Who owns, controls, or influences media and telecommunications outlets.
Ownership
Dragonfly Internet CEO Shares Journey from FWA to Fiber, Alabama Power Deal
Alabama-based Dragonfly Internet was created in 2023 when ITC Holding Company bought a local fixed wireless provider and opted to change the name. Since then, Dragonfly has been upgrading the fixed wireless equipment that the previous company had deployed and expanding to unserved and underserved areas using a mixture of fixed wireless and fiber. “Our preference is to use fiber where we can,” CEO David Hartin said. “But there will be communities where fixed wireless will make a lot of sense to do.
Public and private fiber operators tap asset backed security
One tactic that both private and public fiber companies are using to raise capital is to tap asset backed security (ABS), according to the analysts at TD Cowen. ABS is a type of financial investment that uses income-generating assets as collateral and is an alternative to other ways of raising capital, such as corporate bonds.
Frontier is helping fiber securitization take off
It’s a no-brainer that fiber providers need some way to get the money they need for their passings targets, whether that’s tapping into government grants or private equity support. However, Frontier Communications is pursuing a third option. In August 2023, Frontier inked a $2.1 billion asset-backed securitization (ABS) deal – the first public company in the U.S.
The future of broadband mergers and acquisitions
You can’t go far in the broadband industry without hearing about some internet service provider getting acquired or an investment from a private equity company. Brightspeed, Consolidated Communications and Wire 3 are a few recent examples. Ropes & Gra
Gerald M. ‘Jerry’ Levin, TV Executive Behind Time Warner-AOL Merger
Gerald M. “Jerry” Levin, a television executive who rose to the top of Time Warner and orchestrated its ill-fated merger with America Online, which defined his legacy, died at the age of 84 in Long Beach (CA). Levin played a key role in the creation of HBO, helped spearhead the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Media, and led the subsequent acquisition of Ted Turner’s media holdings—including CNN—to create the largest news and entertainment company in the world.
House Passes Bill to Ban TikTok or Force Sale as Lobbyists Turn Attention to Senate
The House voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill on that would ban TikTok from operating in the US or force a sale, with lawmakers largely shrugging off a last-minute lobbying push by the Chinese-controlled service and setting the stage for a final showdown in the Senate, where lawmakers have been cooler on the legislation. The measure passed the House 352 to 65, with one member voting present, showing broad bipartisan support for cracking down on TikTok over national-security concerns. The popular short-video app has faced scrutiny over the way its algorithm works to select content for use
Meridiam rides fiber train in Alabama with $230 million investment
Alabama is getting a major open access fiber boost via private investment. Meridiam, an infrastructure investment firm, is kicking off a $230 million project to build an open access network that will reach 17 Alabama cities, including Selma and Demopolis. It aims to eventually cover 53,000 homes and businesses in partnership with Yellowhammer Networks, a fiber-to-the-premises network developer that’s financed by Meridiam. This is far from Meridiam’s first time riding in the broadband infrastructure rodeo.
Visionary Broadband Acquires Aristata Communications
Visionary Broadband—a provider of high-speed internet service to communities in the rural West including Colorado, Wyoming and Montana—announced the acquisition of Aristata Communications. Aristata CEO Carlin Walsh said the acquisition will provide Aristata access to capital to upgrade aging and outdated infrastructure in order to provide its current and future customers with reliable high-speed internet they need and deserve. Aristata has long used Visionary’s dual-routed network to reach the internet and observed Visionary’s technical and operational abilities during that time.
Court Tosses $1 Billion Verdict Against Cox Communications for Music Piracy
A federal appeals court tossed a $1 billion verdict won by music publishers against Cox Communications, ordering a new trial on how much the internet provider should owe in damages for illegal downloads by its customers. The case stems from a 2018 copyright-infringement lawsuit filed by leading record companies and music publishers, including Sony, Universal Music and Warner Music.
Shouldn’t Broadband Mapping Data Belong to the Public?
My biggest pet peeve about the Federal Communications Commission's mapping is that the agency made the decision to give power over the mapping and map challenge process to CostQuest, an outside commercial vendor. The FCC originally awarded CostQuest $44.9 million to create the broadband maps. Many people think that was an exorbitant amount, but if this was the end of the mapping story, fine.