#telecom

Can these retired financial guys manage a telecommunications company?

I’m so glad T has an extra $25M to sponsor the Pebble Beach golf tournament. After all, the majority of the people watching golf have NO idea who AT&T is, or what the company sells!! I’m sure people are flooding to the stores for millions of new net adds…

The T & Stinky way…whine about cash and then drive up costs on stupid sh-t! Followed by subsequently hacking away at the labor force…

Look at all the clowns posting on Linked on how wonderful Vz did at the super bowl, no one gives a flying f….k on how ur speeds were….a normal mal customer just wants his phone working and optimal speeds where majority can use internet. Ask these clowns who spent millions in preparation, what is the ROI on such investments. Tmob and ATT know the future at the current times and wont spend money in useless investments, oh well VZ is used to do pointless investments anyways, so not a shocker!!!!!

Verizion has a new CEO. His name is Dan Schulman. He used to run PayPal.

He is bringing in his old team. Alfonso Villanueva, also from PayPal, is now a top leader at Verizon. This is a big change.

What This Means for Telecom

Telecom companies usually focus on networks. They care about 5G and cell towers. PayPal is different. PayPal is a tech company. It focuses on apps and user experience.

The industry might shift. It may look more like Silicon Valley. We will see more focus on software. We will see less focus on hardware.

What This Means for Verizon

Verizon is changing its strategy.

Better User Experience: PayPal makes payments easy. Verizon wants to make phone plans easy. Expect simpler apps and better customer service.
More Digital Sales: PayPal is an online business. Verizon will sell more online. They might close some stores.
New Services: Verizon might offer more than just phone service. They could offer financial tools. They could offer new digital products.
This is a risk. Verizon knows networks well. It does not know software as well. But Schulman knows software. He wants to modernize Verizon. He wants to make it move fast.

The old Verizon is gone. A new, faster Verizon is here.

Interesting post from analyst Roger Entner

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rogerentner_telecom-industryinsights-dataanalytics-activity-7424089431696949249-7h7i

Y/N?

Well how about that

Ericsson, T-Mobile, Telefónica Announce Early 2026 Job Cuts

https://www.fierce-network.com/broadband/2026-layoff-tracker

Ericsson announced 1,600 job cuts in Sweden on January 15. This represents a 12% reduction in its home country workforce. T-Mobile also quietly reduced sales positions nationwide, as reported on January 12. Telefónica plans up to 5,000 layoffs, mostly in Spain, by year-end. The company will offer $3 billion in compensation to affected employees.

Landed a fintech job. Base is more than my total comp was and i’ll get to learn more tech. Telecomm is dead.

I've heard rumors that most cuts will target management. Anyone know if there's any truth to that?

Telecom used to be the kind of industry where you could build a career and retire from it, especially for engineers in RF, Systems and Networking. When many of us started out years ago, we accepted that trade-off: other fields might pay more, but telecom offered stability as long as you did your job well and stayed sharp. That sense of security is gone now. With the field clearly in decline, there’s really no reason for engineers to stay, or to encourage the next generation to work hard just to become one.

Telecom has been harsh on workers for years, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. If you have a way out, take it. I made the jump and the difference is night and day. There’s a whole world of jobs that actually value you.

what a fantastic idea...
Telus offers buyouts to about 700 employees,

https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/att-hunt-more-345-ghz-spectrum

My sources are saying a layoff is imminent - upto 20% workforce starting this month and many more to follow. Its going to be a hellish year as our freefall accelerates. We lost 300k subs in 3q 2025 alone. Gramps and Granny are keeping us afloat but that isn’t sustainable unless we’re in the business of selling Adult Diapers and Prune Juice. Save up them pennies and avoid purchasing that new car, my friends. Im hoping to exit soon myself

What else T does and should do to survive the next 20 years?

Yes, Verizon is in the process of acquiring Frontier Communications in a major $20 billion deal announced in September 2024, with the goal of integrating Frontier's significant fiber network to expand Verizon's broadband offerings nationwide, and the acquisition has received regulatory approval (like from the FCC and state PUCs) with an expected closing by early next month. This acquisition combines Frontier's pure-play fiber assets with Verizon's wireless and existing fiber (Fios) services, aiming to create a stronger, combined broadband and mobile provider.

Verizon Strategic Growth Analysis: Competing for the Top Line
Note

This document analyzes Verizon's position relative to T-Mobile and AT&T as of late 2024/early 2025, focusing on strategies to improve top-line revenue.

Executive Summary
Verizon faces a bifurcated challenge: defending its premium user base against T-Mobile's aggressive value-plus-performance attacks while igniting new growth engines to match AT&T's fiber momentum. To improve the top line, Verizon must pivot from being a "utility" provider to a "platform" provider, leveraging its massive 5G Ultra Wideband investment for high-ARPU services in both consumer (FWA, Bundles) and enterprise (Private 5G, MEC) segments.

1. Competitor Landscape: The "Big Three" Dynamics
   Feature Verizon (The Premium Defender) T-Mobile (The Growth Engine) AT&T (The Balanced Builder)
   Primary Strength Network reliability brand equity, massive B2B base. "Un-carrier" value proposition, 5G mid-band spectrum lead. Fiber footprint + Mobility cross-selling.
   Top-Line Strategy Yield over Volume. Focus on ARPA (Account Revenue Per Account) via "myPlan" upsells and perks. Strong FWA push. Volume + Value. Aggressive net adds (Postpaid), attacking rural markets, and entering fiber via JVs. Convergence. Bundling Fiber + Wireless to reduce churn and boost LTV (Lifetime Value).
   Weakness Consumer postpaid net adds have historically lagged. Perception of "expensive". Lack of owned fiber assets (relying on partnerships/acquisitions like Lumos/Metronet). Debt load remains a factor; legacy wireline decline.
2. Strategic Pillars for Top-Line Growth
   A. Consumer Wireless: The "myPlan" Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA) Lever
   Verizon cannot win a price war with T-Mobile. It must win on value density.

Strategy: Aggressively migrate base to "myPlan" tiers. By decoupling perks (Disney+, Apple One, Walmart+) from the base rate, Verizon turns low-margin "freebies" into a recurring revenue marketplace.
Action:
Increase "perk" penetration to drive ARPA up by $2-3/mo per user.
Target the "Switcher Pool" with premium device on us offers only on the highest tier plans (Unlimited Ultimate).
B. Broadband: FWA as the "Gatekeeper"
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is Verizon's fastest-growing segment. It is the key to winning households where Fios doesn't exist.

Strategy: Position 5G Home Internet not just as a "cheap" alternative, but as a "smart home" hub.
Action:
Bundle Deeply: Offer significant discounts for FWA + Mobile subscribers to lock in the household (churn reduction = sustained top line).
SMB Expansion: Aggressively market FWA Business Internet to small businesses currently stuck on expensive cable legacies.
C. Enterprise (B2B): Private 5G & MEC Focus
Verizon historically owns the Fortune 500 relationship. This is the biggest differentiator against T-Mobile.

Strategy: Move beyond connectivity to managed industry solutions.
Action:
Private Networks: Scale "Network in a Box" solutions for logistics, manufacturing, and stadiums.
MEC (Mobile Edge Compute): Monetize low latency. Collaborate with AWS/Azure to sell "cloud at the edge" for real-time AI inference (e.g., computer vision in factories).
Public Safety: Compete with AT&T's FirstNet by leveraging Frontline's superior mmWave capacity in dense urban centers.
D. Innovation: The API Economy
The industry is moving toward "Programmable Networks" (GSMA Open Gateway).

Strategy: Monetize the network ITself via APIs.
Action:
Sell "Quality on Demand" (QoD) APIs to broadcasters, drone operators, and gaming companies who will pay a premium for guaranteed throughput/latency slices.
Implement "Silent Authentication" APIs to banks for fraud prevention (replacing SMS 2FA), creating a high-margin B2B2C revenue stream.

1. Summary of Recommendations
   Stop chasing empty calorie net adds; focus on High Value adds who take phones + watches + home internet.
   Accelerate the "Platform" narrative: You aren't just selling data; you are selling the ability to run real-time AI at the edge.
   Defend the Enterprise Moat: Use Private 5G to make Verizon indispensable to industrial operations, locking out T-Mobile.

Fixed Wireless Johnny Stinkey. Not everyone wants or needs Ferrari like Fiber Speeds. 9/10 are content with Fixed Wireless. Running Fiber all over the map is a Stinkey move. Johnny Stinkey is always a day late and a dollar short.

Dan mentioned that we can't rely on our network superiority anymore. No need to worry about that Verizon is the new Sprint. Major impacts to engineering teams. There won’t be a good network to rely on anyway. I am already setting the degradation happening.

Verizon’s Mass Layoffs Were ‘Inevitable,’ CEO Says. What the Telecom Wants to Do in 2026. By Karishma Vanjani - Dec 05, 2025, 4:49 pm EST

Verizon announced its largest-ever round of layoffs, cutting thousands of jobs last month. Now the telecom’s new CEO is explaining the cuts—and laying out the path forward for remaining workers.

Chief Executive Daniel Schulman hosted a live all-hands employee webcast on Friday, the company’s first since announcing it’s shedding more than 13,000 jobs. Holding a cup and wearing a dark shirt while standing in front of the red Verizon logo, Schulman was blunt. A video of the webcast was seen by Barron’s.

“We’ve lost like 500 to 700 basis points of market share in the last five years,” Schulman said. “And by the way, that puts pressure on a lot of things. It puts pressure on our revenue. It means we have to compete harder. We start raising rates and when we start raising rates, you start irritating customers big time. They start churning. Like our churn is up like 20, 25 basis points since we started raising rates.”

Customer satisfaction scores are also not great, according to Schulman. “They are worse than our competitors,” he said, adding that the fault is partly Verizon’s. The telecommunications giant didn’t offer employees the “financial flexibility” to get things done, he said.

“A lot of it is self-inflicted wounds. A lot of it,” Schulman said.

The decision on mass layoffs was “inevitable,” according to Schulman, “because if we don’t have enough money to put back into our value proposition to customers, we are going to continue to shrink.” Making small cuts would have meant doing something quite large later on, he added.

Schulman said he presented the company’s 2026 turnaround plan during his first board meeting as CEO this past week, and has plans to detail it the next time he talks to the Street, a likely reference to analysts who cover the company. Schulman will probably share more during Verizon’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Jan. 27.

Verizon didn’t immediately respond to Barron’s request for comment on the plan or the layoffs.

Investors, however, can put together some clues. In late October, Schulman said he intends to use “AI as a key tool to simplify offers.”

That same month, Schulman said in a call with employees, according to a transcript reviewed by Barron’s, that “a lot of the friction occurs because we’re so complex. Like we have so many different promotions out there.”

Verizon will also likely make customer service a focal point in the new year. Schulman, who called himself an overachiever and an upfront man in Friday’s webcast, shared a story of a terminally ill cancer patient who he personally contacted after the man reached out trying to disconnect his Verizon plan.

“Everybody gets terrible customer service across every industry, it’s so bad right now out there. And what if we empowered our reps to do the right thing,” Schulman said.

Verizon has its work cut out for itself. Having a good network connection is no longer a differentiator—and that is forcing the telecom to try to find another way to standout amid a competitive landscape. Shares have taken a beating: Under former CEO Hans Vestberg, who will now serve as a special advisor until October 2026, Verizon stock fell 15%. Shares have dropped 6% over the past three months.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or Ebitda, largely remained stable under Vestberg, who took the reins in mid 2018. Ebitda in 2024 was $48.8 billion, up from $47.2 billion in 2019.

The latest Thanksgiving was strong, Schulman said during the webcast. Separately, he said he sees an opportunity in helping hyperscalers—large cloud service providers—connect to data centers.

Schulman wished his employees happy holidays at the end of the webcast. “Don’t forget about finishing the fourth quarter strong,” he said.

Paywalled: https://www.barrons.com/articles/verizon-layoffs-ceo-stock-price-1e8ee33f
Paywall Removed: https://archive.is/XvQ4k

Comments:
Scott Colebank
Many investors remain in this stock because the dividend yield is appealing and the company has a long record of increasing its payout. With a new CEO taking over, there is uncertainty about how highly he prioritizes maintaining or growing the dividend as he works to turn the company around.

Whitham Reeve
Both the CEO and the company have avoided addressing the dividend directly. This silence is viewed by some investors as a sign that management may consider cutting or reducing the dividend without drawing attention to it.

CM C
The incoming leadership appears to be focusing on operational discipline, which is overdue. Schulman faces the challenge of repairing an organization that, under Vestberg, struggled with efficiency. The previous leadership period included high capital spending, unnecessary complexity across business units, and frequent strategy changes that diluted focus. Vestberg also earned eight figure compensation despite weak performance, which frustrated many shareholders.

Bill Letson
As wireless service becomes more like a commodity, carriers often engage in price competition to retain or attract customers. This compresses margins and can erode long term value. Because of this dynamic, the commenter sees Verizon as a value trap, meaning the stock appears cheap but may not deliver meaningful upside.

MATTHEW MENENEBERG
This user experienced billing issues in which Verizon added charges for services that were not requested. Removing these charges took months and no refund was provided for the incorrect billing period. Because of the frustration and lack of customer care, they plan to leave Verizon soon.

Houyhnhnm GT
The commenter has been a long term holder who has waited through multiple promises of improvement. The ongoing lack of meaningful progress has tested their patience, and they plan to give the company only one more year before selling if results fall short again.

George Vernile
This investor highlights the substantial dividend income they receive, about four thousand dollars every quarter. They remain committed to holding the stock because the steady income is valuable to their portfolio.

So does Sam's no longer offer monthly discounts with Verizon?

1k days?

Hahahahahahahaha. Don't forget chargebacks also! Merry Christmas!

Curious with the recent spate of telelcom CEO changes, wondering who's next in line for T throne? Thoughts..

Here we go…..more coming in January, confirmed.

Here’s one:

Verizon will lay off 165 employees in January 2026 including 14 people in Skagit and Whatcom counties.

The telecommunications giant filed the layoff notice to the worker adjustment and retraining notification database, part of the Washington state Employment Security Department.

In the layoff notice, Verizon wrote it was undergoing a restructuring “to maximize the utilization of company facilities and resources.”

Did some research this weekend. T-Mobile has a family plan special. 4 free iPhone 17s at $25 per line (approx $140/mo with taxes/fees).

https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/apple-iphone-deals?INTNAV=tNav%3ADeals%3AApple

The Verizon Split: A ServCo/NetCo Divorce Threatened by an Outsourcing Anchor
Verizon's strategic push to separate its core business into two entities—a customer-facing ServCo and a network-operating NetCo—is a widely publicized move aimed at unlocking significant shareholder value and slashing $10 billion in operating expenses (OpEx). While structurally sound in theory, internal echoes suggest the entire separation plan is at risk of being operational chaos due to a critical pre-existing flaw: the poorly performing $2.1 billion Managed Network Services (MNS) contract with HCLTech (HCL).
This separation is not a fresh start; it is a complex IT and process de-integration effort that is being attempted while a core operational function is under external distress.
(....)

1. Amplified Operational Chaos in the Split
   The HCL underperformance is an anchor dragging down the separation process itself:
   Increased IT Migration Costs: A structural split necessitates the clean de-coupling of legacy IT systems. If HCL manages key operational platforms (e.g., MNS systems) but lacks sufficient documentation or operational control, the process of separating and replicating those systems between the new ServCo and NetCo becomes slower, more complex, and pushes the one-time separation cost (estimated at ∼$1-2 billion) higher.
   A Crippled ServCo: The new ServCo requires a seamless hand-off to HCL for its post-sale support model. If this model is already shaky, ServCo’s initial business processes—built on this flawed assumption—will be unstable. This handicaps the ServCo’s agility and customer experience from its first day of independent operation.
2. Workforce Strategy and the Risk of "Brain Drain"
   For the remaining workforce, the situation is characterized by deep distrust and volatility:
   More Internal Turmoil: Employees facing layoffs or transition will have zero confidence in the quality or stability of the outsourced HCL entity. This increases the risk of the most valuable, experienced employees choosing to quit prematurely rather than participate in the chaotic hand-off, further exacerbating the "brain drain."
   Pressure to Shadow: Verizon leadership faces internal pressure to quietly keep high-value engineers in-house to "shadow" or "fix" HCL's work. This preserves short-term service quality but utterly defeats the separation’s core OpEx reduction goal.
   The successful separation of ServCo and NetCo depends entirely on a stable operational base. If the HCLTech partnership remains an underperforming, fixed-cost liability, it will not only undermine the expected cost savings but also significantly reduce the market valuation of the customer-focused ServCo, jeopardizing the entire value-unlocking thesis of the structural split.
   The company must effectively restructure or contain the HCL relationship before or during the separation, or risk the split becoming an exercise in formalizing operational distress.

Phase 2: The Premium IPO (Years 3-5)
The endgame is not a utility sale. A rebranded "Tech-Enabled Communications Platform" targets 10-11x EV/EBITDA—more than double VZ’s current segment multiple—by shifting the investor narrative from "low-growth utility" to "digitally enabled service platform."

MetricLegacy VZ SegmentModeled ServCo (Year 5)EBITDA Margin25%38%EV/EBITDA Multiple5-6x10-11xWhy Verizon is the Perfect Case Study

CEO Dan Schulman's track record—scaling PayPal’s asset-light model—aligns perfectly with a ServCo mindset. Separation would allow him to:
Shed Valuation Drag: Instantly move ~$20B in annual CapEx off the P&L.
Focus on Growth: Reinvest freed capital into service innovation and customer experience.

Enhance Transparency: Attract differentiated, growth-focused funds for ServCo and stable income funds for NetCo.

The Precedent is Clear: BT/Openreach, Telstra InfraCo, and KKR/Telecom Italia have already demonstrated double-digit valuation re-ratings once infrastructure and services were properly delineated.

The ServCo, long viewed as the weaker half, could become the crown jewel—reborn as a high-margin, digitally transformed growth vehicle commanding a premium Wall Street multiple.

This isn't financial engineering; it's the structural precondition for sustainable growth. The sum of the parts is clearly worth more than the whole.
hashtag#Telecom hashtag#Verizon hashtag#PrivateEquity hashtag#Valuation hashtag#ApolloGlobalManagement hashtag#Strategy hashtag#StructuralSeparation
likelovesupport

The Only Way to Fix Verizon's Valuation: Apollo's Blueprint for Structural Separation

Probably 12000 FTEs will loose their jobs. (this already happened !!!)

The days of the integrated telecom giant are over. The biggest opportunity in the sector today isn't a new product; it's a structural divorce—separating the capital-intensive NetCo (Network) from the asset-light, growth-driven ServCo (Service).

This is no longer a fringe idea; it's the defining transformation trend of the decade, and it’s the most rational path to unlock billions in trapped equity value—especially for a stock like Verizon ($VZ).

The Problem: Blended Multiples Suppress Value
Integrated carriers suffer from a blended market multiple problem. The network's capital drag suppresses returns, while the dynamic service business is undervalued. The result? Chronically low P/E ratios and stagnant shares despite strong cash generation.
The Solution: Apollo’s Reverse LBO ServCo Play
Private Equity firms like Apollo Global Management are experts at complex carve-outs. Their blueprint for a newly-separated ServCo: a Reverse LBO that transforms a utility stock into a premium tech-enabled platform, commanding a 2x multiple expansion.

Phase 1: The Asset-Light Transformation (Years 1-2)
Digital-First Cost Structure: Replacing legacy IT with cloud-native BSS/OSS and using AI to overhaul customer service, driving a 20-30% OpEx reduction.
Pure-Play Aggregation: ServCo pivots entirely to the customer, bundling connectivity with high-margin services (security, streaming, IoT). Result: 5-10% ARPU increase and up to 25% churn reduction.

Deleveraging: Cost savings are rapidly converted into financial firepower to stabilize the balance sheet.

What are your thoughts ?
Light Reading Fierce Network
hashtag#Telecom hashtag#Verizon hashtag#PrivateEquity hashtag#Valuation hashtag#ApolloGlobalManagement hashtag#Strategy hashtag#StructuralSeparation

https://straussborrelli.com/2025/11/25/verizon-new-jersey-warn-act-investigation/

That T-Mobile gives a 75% employee discount on phone plans.

Process that.

For laid off people leaving Verizon, we had a thread on this (link below).
It was a good thread, with 20+ responses.

Here is a summary.

T-Mobile / TMO

• Regular plans cheaper than Verizon even with Verizon employee discount
• Promo for current and former Verizon employees: 2 months free service and free phones, code: VZEX (through sales reps)
• Costco / Sams Club T-Mobile deals: about 450 dollars in gift cards per line when signing up
• Several people report good network quality and paying less than with Verizon
• In Florida, one person reports faster network and no dead spots with Starlink feature
• One commenter is joining a T-Mobile family plan via active duty military daughter to save money

Tello

• Used as a cheap line for kids
• Around 100 minutes plus unlimited texts for under 10 dollars per month
• Has unlimited plans, described as the cheapest the commenter has seen

Visible

• One person planning to sign up, likes the site and the value on Verizon network
• Another has a 20 dollar per month plan and had no issues
• Note: Visible is owned by Verizon, which reduces the stick it to Verizon satisfaction

US Mobile

• Prepaid: 10 dollars per month for unlimited talk, text, and 2 GB data
• Extra data: 4 dollars per additional 2 GB
• Has unlimited data plans as well
• You can choose to use Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile network
• Another deal: if you pay in advance, about 25 dollars per month per line on Verizon or other networks

Helium Mobile

• App based carrier
• Three plans: Free, 15 dollars per month, and 30 dollars per month for unlimited everything
• Likely a T-Mobile reseller
• Instant new number or option to port your existing number

Spectrum Mobile

• Uses Verizon network plus its own WiFi offload
• Around 30 dollars per month with taxes included

Cricket Wireless

• Uses AT&T network, suggested as an option
• Cheap but no details

@OP+1kast0jhx | https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1kast0jhx

Hi folks. If there are upcoming layoff(s), can you please share the details? As for the "First - Ask your supervisor" individual, your response is not needed and please skip this post.

It's not fun whatsoever to watch coworkers, friends and/or family loose their livelihood. I know many at Verizon who've been going thru this round of layoffs turmoil, and amongst them some who lost their jobs. It's very hard watching people you know suffer, however it is a reality of working at large corporations.

Honestly, it's something you inadvertently sign up for when you take a corporate position, especially in the Telecommunications industry which has regularly had staff cutbacks for nearly ~45 years beginning with the breakup the AT&T Bell System in 1982.

I've worked in Telecom (AT&T, Verizon, Virgin Mobile, Sprint, T-Mobile and Boost) since the mid-1980's and have been thru major rounds of layoffs literally dozens of times (impacted 1 time personally when AT&T shut down their entire Consumer Business in 2003) so I can certainly emphasize with others enduring the same.

This could well be Verizon's "new norm" going forward (also Telcom & Corp America) with AI, automation and operational changes significantly take hold.

P.s., I've previously worked closely with Verizon's CEO, Dan Schulman at AT&T and Virgin Mobile over the years. He's a good Executive doing what's necessary to right Verizon's lagging performance.

I’m ready for a change!

Comcast has layoffs every fourth quarter, it's stands ops for them.

Today’s announcement was amazing! I haven’t been this excited since I found out I can bake a potato in the microwave! I mean. Wow! I can get a baked potato without turning on the oven! Amazing! The future is now!

Petty? Yes. Hear me out though.

My 1 line, phone and watch was running up the score gradually on my bill. About $98 a month or so. Without the employer discount, my bill is now going to be $170! Give me a break. Even if there's no magical ethical carrier, stop giving your money to this corporation.