Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss insights from the recent Mobile World Congress connectivity event in Barcelona, including updates on Starlink, AI-RAN, and the state of European telecom.

00:00 Episode intro

00:25 MWC overview and satellite bifurcation

01:55 AI-RAN may be a new revenue stream

03:34 Differences from edge computing

05:14 6G updates and T-Mobile's technical lead

06:06 Data sovereignty is a big issue for Europe

06:50 European company consolidation

07:58 Fraud is a rising concern 08:13 New devices announced at MWC

08:56 Episode wrap-up

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Mobile World Congress, SpaceX, AST, Starlink, AI, AI-RAN, compute, T-Mobile, edge computing, network, 6G, 5G, data sovereignty, consolidation, fraud, Samsung, handsets, devices

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner unpack the week’s top telecom stories, including a leadership shakeup at Charter, accelerating rural consolidation, and the strategic void left by 5G Americas' dissolution.

00:00 Episode intro

00:25 Charter announces Nick Jeffery as COO

02:46 Rural ISP consolidation accelerates

04:38 5G Americas announces cessation of operations

07:58 Effects on the analyst community

09:01 Episode wrap-up

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Charter, Frontier, Verizon, Vodafone, fiber, cable, Nick Jeffery, Chris Winfrey, rural, Metro Connect, FWA, 5G Americas, AT&T, T-Mobile, Neville Ray, Sprint, Chris Pearson, vendors

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner examine the shifting reporting metrics at AT&T and T-Mobile, and why these optics don’t alter the underlying fundamentals.

00:00 Episode intro

00:24 AT&T's improved disclosures

02:00 The analytics are still on target

03:10 T-Mobile shifts to account-level churn reporting

06:13 Transparency in the wireless industry

07:40 T-Mobile's free line issue

08:57 Listener shout-outs and appreciation

09:21 Episode wrap-up

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, disclosures, AT&T, T-Mobile, churn, Verizon, ARPU, free lines, Q4, Q1

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner share insights from the recent T-Mobile Capital Markets Day update event, covering changes in the retail store strategy, new AI translation features, and updated reporting metrics.

00:00 Episode intro

00:24 T-Mobile Capital Markets Day event overview

01:39 Pursuing convergence through fiber and FWA

02:37 Live AI translation could be a game-changer

04:03 Telecom must transcend the “dumb pipe”

05:08 Latency is key going forward

06:01 How AI actually impacts user experience

08:20 Key reporting metrics are changing

10:28 Episode wrap-up

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, AI, T-Mobile, retail, FWA, fiber, convergence, USI, translation, network, Verizon, AT&T, latency, Apple, Android, churn, Srini Gopalan

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner react to news of Sampath’s pending departure as CEO of Verizon’s Consumer Group, discuss potential successors, and analyze what the leadership shakeup could mean for the competitive landscape.

00:00 Episode intro

00:26 Sampath to exit Verizon

02:26 Who will be next?

04:40 Selection will likely come from outside

06:15 Impact on T-Mobile and its push toward T-Life

08:23 AT&T's relative stability and upcoming headquarters move

10:16 Q1 metrics are shifting

10:51 Industry excitement and episode wrap-up

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Verizon, Sampath, CEO, Ronan Dunne, Manon Brouilette, Dan Schulman, Alfonso Villanueva, T-Mobile, T-Life, layoffs, AT&T, John Stankey, headquarters, convergence, John Legere

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner analyze Q4 earnings for AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and Charter, with additional insights on convergence and FWA.

00:00 Episode intro

00:24 AT&T Q4 overview

01:40 Convergence has supplanted handset upgrades

03:30 Verizon Q4 overview

05:18 Comcast Q4 overview

05:45 Charter Q4 overview

06:35 Charter is taking FWA seriously

07:15 Charter's wireless line metrics

07:58 Episode wrap-up

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, earnings, AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Charter, cable, net adds, FWA, convergence, devices, churn, iPhone, value, fiber, Frontier, bundling, upgrades, video, NFL, T-Mobile

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss Comcast’s new loyalty program, Xfinity Membership, and whether it will work as intended for the cable giant.

00:00 Episode intro

00:25 Xfinity Membership overview

02:18 Loyalty plans actually drive acquisitions

04:04 Tangible vs. vague rewards

05:17 Verizon and T-Mobile's loyalty programs

06:49 Will these programs work for cable?

07:58 Customer care as a potential perk and episode wrap-up

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Comcast, Xfinity, cable, loyalty, T-Mobile, Peacock, Verizon, churn, NPS, customer-centric, support

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss several Verizon-related topics, including the recent outage, new rules on device unlocking, and the Frontier acquisition, plus HHS's plan to study cellphone radiation.

00:00 Episode intro

00:25 Verizon outage diagnosis

03:23 What's the proper recourse?

04:28 FCC rescinds Verizon's 60-day phone unlocking requirements

07:13 Implications for competitors

08:37 California clears Verizon's acquisition of Frontier

11:31 Convergence is back on the table

12:19 HHS to study cellphone radiation

15:37 Episode wrap-up

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Verizon, outage, 5G, network, FCC, spectrum, net neutrality, devices, cable, AT&T, BYOD, churn, Frontier, DSL, convergence, FWA, radiation, safety, HHS, CTIA

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss T-Mobile's new three-line Better Value family plan, what it means for retention, and how competitors might respond.

00:00 Episode intro

00:26 T-Mobile's new family plan overview

01:42 Loyalty plans as acquisition tools

03:26 Who is actually switching?

04:48 FWA and cable retention

05:35 T-Mobile's strategy and episode wrap-up

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, T-Mobile, Better Value, plans, satellite, loyalty, tenure, switching, Verizon, AT&T, cable, FWA

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner are joined by Recon's XJ Wang to share insights from the new report on device insurance and discuss the changes carriers must make to retain their customer base.

00:00 Episode intro

00:26 Device insurance market overview

02:32 The “Income Paradox” and market disruptors

06:05 Innovative strategies in the space

07:58 Carriers should seize opportunities

11:15 Changes are key to customer retention

12:35 Report overview and episode wrap-up

The Anxiety Premium: Structural Disruption and Behavioral Economics in the U.S. Device Insurance Market: https://www.reconanalytics.com/products/the-anxiety-premium-structural-disruption-and-behavioral-economics-in-the-us-device-insurance-market/

Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, XJ Wang, devices, insurance, switching, Spectrum, AKKO, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, ARPU, Charter, MVNO, churn, retention