AT&T is shaping up for 2022 and beyond

From Chris Tyler; InvestorPlace ~ Dec 16, 2021

It’s a call that widows, orphans and apes aren’t likely to connect with. I’m referring to AT&T (NYSE:T) shares. But today and for other investors, it’s worth considering T stock.

Remember that Covid-19 bottom way back in March 2020 when Wall Street was pricing in a zombie apocalypse? Who could forget, right?

Today, though, the pandemic’s wrath has more or less (emphasis on the latter) long since been dismissed by the stock market and barometers like the Dow Jones.

Sure, back in November as omicron entered investors’ vernacular, the Dow staged a bearish hissy fit. But that lasted less than a month and a haircut barely trimming 5% off the index.

And buyers are right back at it in December.

By Grace Dille; MeriTalk ~ Dec 08, 2021

The U.S. Coast Guard has selected AT&T to consolidate different data communications networks onto a single modernized data communications platform under a task order worth up to $161 million over 11 years.

The task order is from the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization – the Defense Information Systems Agency’s contracting arm – and falls under the U.S. General Services Administration’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract.

Through a new data communications platform, AT&T aims to offer the Coast Guard “improvements in network efficiencies, speed, and flexibility,” according to an AT&T press release.

The Coast Guard will also be able to expand its usage of FirstNet, AT&T’s nationwide communications platform. Currently, the Coast Guard uses FirstNet services and capabilities for routine and special operations across more than 1,300 pilots and aircrew.

“Time is precious for the critical services the U.S. Coast Guard provides, from search and rescue to port security and military readiness,” Stacy Schwartz, vice president of the FirstNet program at AT&T, said in the release.

By Jeff Baumgartner; Light Reading ~  Dec 06, 2021

AT&T CEO John Stankey largely dismissed concerns raised by dozens of Congressional Democrats that the proposed $43 billion merger of AT&T’s WarnerMedia unit and Discovery Communications poses an anticompetitive threat to the US media industry.

“What is articulated in those letters is really unfounded,” Stankey said Monday at the UBS Global TMT Virtual Conference.

He was referencing a December 4 letter to the US Department of Justice signed by about 30 members of Congress arguing that the proposed transaction “raises significant antitrust concerns.” The letter also seeks to determine if the deal might “reduce the amount of diverse and inclusive media and entertainment content available to consumers.”

“In particular, the merger threatens to enhance the market power of the combined firm and substantially lessen competition in the media and entertainment industry, harming both consumers and American workers,” the letter argues. “In light of these concerns, we respectfully urge the Department to conduct a thorough review of this transaction to ensure that it does not harm American consumers and workers by illegally harming competition.”

By Mike Dano; Light Reading ~  Nov 19, 2021

Two separate financial analyst firms predict that AT&T was the big winner in the FCC’s recent auction of midband spectrum. And both firms believe the carrier spent around $9 billion on spectrum licenses in the auction.

If AT&T did indeed spend $9 billion, it would cap an expensive year for the company. AT&T already spent a total of around $27.7 billion on C-band spectrum licenses earlier this year.

Thus, if the analysts’ predictions are accurate, AT&T over the course of 2021 may end up spending a total of $36.7 billion on midband spectrum licenses. That’s just under half of the $85 billion AT&T spent to acquire Time Warner in 2018.

Importantly, all that spending ought to give AT&T access to a wide swatch of midband spectrum, which the operator can use to improve the speed and performance of its growing 5G network. Such spectrum has been described as ideal for 5G.

DALLAS – Azure and ANE in ATL AT&T* and Microsoft are launching the “Private Preview” of Azure Edge Zone in Atlanta to help companies multiply the power of 5G by combining it with cloud computing. By harnessing AT&T Network Edge (ANE) capabilities to the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, businesses large and small will be able to create new, connected applications and services that are both powerful and lightweight. Atlanta is our next location to come online, and we’re already working with a handful of businesses to help them create new experiences for their customers.

Expanding collaboration Microsoft and AT&T have been working together a long time to create and innovate. Most recently, the two companies announced an industry-first collaboration to adopt Microsoft cloud technology for AT&T’s 5G core network workloads. The Azure Edge Zones collaboration brings additional customer benefit, as companies can start creating services such as lightweight and rich virtual reality interfaces for everyone from gamers to first responders. Or hyper-precise location tools that will supercharge industrial and warehouse environments. The edge essentially puts compute capabilities in the air around you, freeing you from physical, wired connections to the CPUs and GPUs that run those applications.

Who is using this? We worked with JamKazam, where low-latency audio and video streaming aids musicians in collaborative efforts online. AT&T’s low-latency solution, using the edge and 5G, delivered meaningful results for the band The Perfect Nines, helping them create virtual jam sessions without the constraints of crowded home wi-fi networks. Check out this video to learn more. The AT&T 5G Innovation Studio collaborated with Microsoft and EVA to deliver an important advancement for U.S.-based autonomous drones. By creating a unique test environment representative of the Microsoft Azure Edge Zone with AT&T, the low latency of 5G combined with EVA’s app deployed at the network edge with Azure cloud services enabled autonomous drone control beyond visual line of sight. Check out this video to learn more.

By Diana Goovaerts; Fierce Telecom ~ Nov 02, 2021

AT&T locked in yet another government contract, securing a 10-year, $182 million deal to provide network upgrades and services to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The deal covers USAID’s domestic and international connectivity needs, with AT&T set to supply wireline voice and data to the agency’s locations across the U.S. as well as connectivity to 90 USAID locations worldwide. Under the contract, AT&T will consolidate USAID’s various networks onto its own global IP voice network, with this transition expected to be completed in early 2023.

It will also upgrade the circuits within USAID’s data centers to provide higher bandwidth and capacity, weave global satellite connectivity into the mix and provide solutions which will allow agency workers to set up mobile hot spots in areas where there’s little connectivity. For the satellite piece, an AT&T representative told Fierce it will “work with OneWeb and other satellite providers to support service delivery to the Middle East and Africa.” Additionally, the contract will enable USAID to tap into AT&T’s cybersecurity capabilities, hosted voice services and cloud solutions.

The decision to invest in T stock depends on your expectations

By Chris Markoch; InvestorPlace ~ Oct 28, 2021

I wrote about AT&T (NYSE:T) in early September and advised that prudence should govern any decision about T stock. Since that article, T stock is down 6%. However, most of that occurred after the ex-dividend date for the company’s upcoming Nov. 1, 2021 dividend payout. Score one for prudence.

Investor sentiment began to sour in May 2021. That’s when AT&T announced that it was spinning off Warner Media. The move will make Warner Media a separate business unit that will merge with Discovery (NASDAQ:DISCA). The standalone entity will be called Warner Bros. Discovery.

However, in doing so, AT&T also said it would be cutting its dividend. And management said the cut could be as much as 50%. Investors will still receive AT&T’s current dividend until the spinoff is finalized. However, it seems that many investors have made up their mind. So maybe prudence isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

By Mike Dano; Light Reading ~ Oct 25, 2021

Amid an ongoing debate over Internet users’ privacy, new documents indicate that AT&T holds onto its customers’ location and usage data for seven years – far longer than its rivals.

“There is no conceivable business reason they need that much,” Nate Wessler, deputy project director of the Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told Motherboard.

In comparison, T-Mobile holds onto its own subscriber data – including call records, cell site connection information and text content – for around two years before discarding it. Verizon holds onto such data for one year.

The new information comes from Motherboard, which published a 139-page report from the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team (CAST) dated 2019. The report is essentially a guide for how law enforcement can legally access telecommunications data. Such data – which typically can only be obtained by law enforcement officers through a warrant or court order – is often used in cases involving kidnappings, homicides, missing persons and robberies.

“I’ve never seen a visualization of it,” Wessler, of the ACLU, said of the report published by Motherboard.

Indeed, the details of the report are eye-opening. For example, AT&T retains “cloud storage internet/web browsing” data for one year.

“Like all companies, we are required by law to comply with mandatory legal demands, such as warrants based on probable cause. Our responses comply with the law,” AT&T spokesperson Margaret Boles explained to Motherboard.

The report is noteworthy considering it comes just days after the Federal Trade Commission released a report that found that top broadband service providers including AT&T “collect troves of personal data,” and that consumers don’t have much choice on how that data is used.

“Many internet service providers (ISPs) collect and share far more data about their customers than many consumers may expect – including access to all of their Internet traffic and real-time location data – while failing to offer consumers meaningful choices about how this data can be used,” the FTC said of its 74-page report (PDF).

AT&T Laying Groundwork for Projected Ramp in IoT Deployments

Blues Wireless Device Enabled by AT&T to Seamlessly Connect IoT Devices Globally is Now Available from AT&T

Source: AT&T; Pipeline ~ Oct 13, 2021

What’s the news?  AT&T* is bringing to market a solution that can accelerate and streamline massive deployments of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and applications globally for enterprise and government customers through cellular connectivity. Notecard, by Blues Wireless, allows just about any asset to be connected to the cloud with carrier-grade security. The solution takes away significant complexity and cost through pre-paid connectivity and allows solution integrators and product builders to accelerate time to market and scale.

Why is this important?  The global market intelligence firm IDC estimates that by 2025, the overall number of connected Internet of Things devices worldwide will reach almost 40 billion, an increase from 31.1 billion in 2020.1

The need is clear for businesses to take full advantage of the potential of IoT innovation, become more efficient, reduce their environmental impact, and scale their operations. Commercial appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, and beverage dispensers, as well as construction rigs, refrigeration equipment, and containers are all envisioned to be coming off  the assembly lines fully equipped for connectivity. To date, the development, scaling and adoption has been low due to the complexity of scaled operations due to management and operational constraints when relying on Wi-Fi for connectivity. Cellular connectivity overcomes these challenges, making it the best option available for remote monitoring, control, and tracking use cases.

STOCKHOLM – AT&T said it will use Ericsson’s Radio System portfolio of offerings to deploy the standalone version of 5G on its new C-band spectrum holdings.

Building on more than 20 years of collaboration, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) and AT&T today announced a five-year agreement to accelerate the expansion of AT&T 5G. This deal helps support deployment of the service provider’s recently acquired C-band spectrum and the launch of 5G Standalone (SA). AT&T is tapping into Ericsson’s leading network expertise as the company works toward its 5G network goals.

Ericsson will help AT&T to bring its 5G network to more consumers, businesses and first responders across key industries – including 5G use cases in sports and venues, entertainment, travel and transportation, business transformation and public safety.

AT&T’s network evolution is made possible in part by the Ericsson Radio System portfolio, which includes the Advanced Antenna System, Advanced RAN Coordination and Carrier Aggregation technologies.

These deployments will support future network enhancements like Cloud RAN, which offers communications services providers increased flexibility, faster delivery of services and greater scalability in networks.

The solution supports a centralized RAN architecture enabled by Ericsson Fronthaul Gateway, a new technology that will enable a more efficient transport of the fronthaul interface by converting it to packet (eCPRI).