Podcast
The Week with Roger
Hosted by Roger Entner · EN
Each week, join Roger Entner and the Recon Analytics team for an analysts perspective on the world of telecom.
30episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
This Week: The Upper C Band Auction and a Win for American Consumers
1w ago00:07:22Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss the FCC’s move to expedite the upcoming Upper C-band spectrum auction, its impact on various companies and industry segments, and why it may represent a win for American consumers.00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Upper C-band auction overview 02:23 Utility and applications of the spectrum 03:05 Comparison with previous auctions 03:38 Forecasts for Starlink's strategy 04:43 Accelerated timeline and implications for cable 06:04 Industry deleveraging trends 06:30 Historical outcomes of spectrum purchases 06:51 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, FCC, auction, spectrum, Upper C-band, Big Beautiful Bill, Verizon, FWA, EchoStar, Starlink, Elon Musk, urban, rural, cable, deleveraging
Transcribe →This Week: Germany's Hyper Scaler Infrastructure Slow Dance
2w ago00:11:51Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner examine insights from the Handelsblatt data center conference in Düsseldorf, covering the rapid expansion of data centers in Germany vs. the U.S., infrastructure and energy challenges ahead, and the implications for telecom networks.00:00 Episode intro00:25 Handelsblatt conference overview01:31 State of the German data center buildout02:44 State of the US buildout03:23 Shortages are on the horizon05:16 Electricity demands06:06 Repurposing German data center heat07:38 Cooling challenges08:39 Why expansion must continue despite challenges10:03 How data centers are reshaping telecom11:30 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Germany, Handelsblatt, Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile, data centers, electricity, AI, shortages, BEAD, memory, RAM, routers, cooling, GDPR, regulations
Transcribe →This Week: The Half-Connected America and the Case for Universal Offers
3w ago00:10:39Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss Roger's report, "The Half-Connected America," exploring why some people choose not to use broadband and what companies and policymakers can do to address the issue. 00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Who chooses not to connect? 03:00 Privacy and surveillance concerns 03:36 Lack of laptop subsidies hampers connectivity 05:00 Mobile-only internet users 05:37 Seniors and smartphone challenges 06:18 Wireless home internet options 06:55 Affordability for low-income consumers 07:36 Respecting consumer choices & AI integration importance 09:20 Laptop subsidies could bridge the gap 10:06 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, broadband, NTIA, Lifeline, surveillance, BEAD, fiber, smartphone, NPS, hotspots, copper, subsidies, AI, Chromebook, government, privacy
Transcribe →This Week: Verizon’s Simplicity Plan and Another Attempt to Eliminate Device Subsidies
4w ago00:12:05Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner evaluate the benefits of Verizon's new Simplicity Plan, discuss the evolving device upgrade landscape, and examine AT&T's announcement of its new CFO.00:00 Episode intro 00:24 Overview of Verizon's new plan 02:09 The rewards structure of the plan 03:27 Additional features and junk fee elimination 04:18 Device subsidies are being phased out 07:40 Increasing customer value without device upgrades 08:38 Verizon's new plan is a step in the right direction 09:53 AT&T announces new CFO 11:25 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Verizon, plans, Dan Schulman, rewards, T-Mobile, Ronan Dunne, Xfinity, internet, hotspots, devices, financing, Apple, upgrades, Samsung, net adds, Virgin Mobile, AT&T, Jennifer Biry, Pascal Desroches, John Stankey
Transcribe →This Week: 300th Episode with Craig Moffett on Convergence and Fiber Economics
Jun 1500:26:35Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner celebrate the 300th episode of the show by welcoming telecom legend Craig Moffett, co-founder of Moffett Nathanson, to discuss all things convergence, including the current state of fiber buildouts, evolving bundling strategies, and what market cycles may be signaling for the future.00:00 Episode intro01:00 Convergence and the state of the fiber buildout04:52 Density and overbuilding06:15 Diminishing buildout returns09:45 Data center demand and labor questions11:16 Aerial vs. buried deployment cost concerns13:43 Is bundling actually profitable?18:05 Fiber growth at the expense of wireless20:51 Broadband price compression may signal a coming crisis23:29 What will future buyouts look like?25:38 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Craig Moffett, convergence, fiber, FWA, cable, Starlink, BEAD, Cox, Charter, rural, buildout, density, data centers, Verizon, AT&T, Fios, bundling, ILEC, T-Mobile, copper, VoIP, buyouts
Transcribe →This Week: Verizon’s New Network Leader and the Growing AI Memory Crunch
Jun 800:07:54Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner examine the newest leadership shakeup at Verizon, as well as explore the escalating computer memory crunch and its potential ramifications for the telecom industry. 00:00 Episode intro 00:37 The latest Verizon leadership changes 02:37 International legal complications involved 03:17 The timing of the transition 03:46 Implications for the company 04:52 The systemic memory crisis is intensifying 06:47 Surging AI demand is driving profound changes 07:31 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Deutsche Telekom, Verizon, Abdu Mudesir, Joe Russo, Germany, Europe, network, NTIA, memory, shortages, RAM, supply chain, AI, routers, Apple, iPhone
Transcribe →This Week: 5 Gig Cable, BEAD Shakeups, and the Starlink Opportunity
Jun 100:09:22Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner examine the key domestic telecom developments of the week, including rural cable upgrades, recent BEAD turbulence, the buzz surrounding the Starlink IPO, and more. 00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Mediacom Next-Gen network upgrades 02:07 Cable is steadily improving its reputation 02:54 Speed and reliability are both crucial 03:59 Several BEAD providers are stepping back 05:03 Satellite may swoop in on the market 05:49 New research on consumer choice dynamics 07:29 Upcoming reports on Starlink's future 08:59 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Mediacom, spectrum, DOCSIS 4.0, cable, fiber, Comcast, Charter, FWA, BEAD, rural, satellite, Starlink, Leo, New Street Research, IPO
Transcribe →This Week: Modular Pricing, Network Strain, and California's Copper Standoff
May 2600:13:33Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner unveil insights from Fiber Connect 2026 on data centers and material shortages, and discuss AT&T's new Build-A-Plan rollout as well as their legal fight to sunset legacy copper networks in California. 00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Fiber Connect data center insights 02:51 AI video is driving network requirements 04:41 AT&T's new Build-A-Plan rollout and implications 07:40 Will the plan expand in the future? 08:27 AT&T sues California to sunset copper and DSL 11:00 Satellite has become a reliable backup 12:28 Regulators should embrace the future 13:16 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Fiber Connect, AI, network, data centers, BEAD, fiber, data, video, DOCSIS 4.0, AT&T, Build-A-Plan, Mint, multi-line, convergence, DSL, California, copper, FCC, satellite, Starlink, T-Mobile, regulation
Transcribe →This Week: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile Join Forces on Satellite Connectivity
May 1800:10:37Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss the new satellite joint venture agreement in principle between Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, exploring its massive implications for satellite providers and consumers alike.00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Details of the potential joint venture 02:23 Universal connectivity is on the horizon 03:36 Implications for Starlink 05:37 The U.S. may set the global standard 06:18 Are the coverage wars over? 08:22 Future satellite tech upgrades 09:23 Intent does not always materialize 10:13 Episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, D2D, device-to-device, spectrum, satellite, rural, dead zones, AST, Leo, Starlink, Elon Musk, coverage, urban, 5G, VoLTE, video
Transcribe →This Week: Promises, Promises, Promises - Price Locks and the Cost of Predictability
May 1100:14:28Tap to summarizeAnalysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner dive into the current state of carrier price locks as well as consumer sentiment, exploring the findings from Roger’s new report on the subject, "Promises, Promises, Promises."00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Overview of the price lock landscape 01:34 Verizon's price lock landscape 02:56 T-Mobile's price lock landscape 03:09 Carrier price plans are innumerable 04:41 AT&T's price lock landscape 05:22 Charter's price lock landscape 06:06 Comcast's price lock landscape 06:47 Consumers prefer straightforward pricing 07:58 Cable equipment fees as a pain point 09:22 Carrier strategies differ overall 10:07 AT&T OneConnect's pricing 10:54 Fiber vs. satellite 12:03 Carrier reporting frequency 13:14 Report overview and episode wrap-upTags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, price locks, AT&T, Verizon, churn, net adds, T-Mobile, data, Charter, cable, Comcast, inflation, Verizon FiOS, routers, AT&T OneConnect, fiber, FWA, satellite, Starlink, reporting
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