AT&T vs Charter Communications

T-Mobile Technician Cuts Cable to Thwart Salt Typhoon Hack

A T-Mobile technician literally cut a cable to stop the Chinese Salt Typhoon cyberespionage campaign, as reported by Bloomberg. In autumn 2024, Salt Typhoon infiltrated nine major US telecom companies, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, compromising routers and accessing metadata of millions of customers. T-Mobile's security team discovered an unusual router in its California data center that was communicating despite being offline. Tracing the signal, they found a manipulated router at another telecom company in Chicago, posing as a T-Mobile device. A technician drove to the site and cut the router's cable with scissors, successfully halting the attack. The router was later re-activated in an isolated test environment, but the attackers had already disappeared. T-Mobile's CIO Jeff Simon stated the hackers never accessed customer data, and the severed cable is now displayed in a frame as a memento of the incident.

• Salt Typhoon attacked 200+ targets across 80 countries in autumn 2024.
• Nine major US telecoms were hacked, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
• T-Mobile technician cut a router cable in Chicago to stop the attack.

AT&T, Crocs, Southwest Detail Cautious AI Agent Adoption

At Salesforce's Dreamforce event, executives from AT&T, Crocs, and Southwest Airlines shared their realistic approaches to deploying AI agents. They emphasized that while automation improves efficiency, human interaction remains critical, especially in sensitive areas like cancellations or 'right here, right now' customer issues. AT&T uses AI to cut phone upgrade times but reserves human intervention for cancellations. Southwest uses chatbots for servicing but relies on humans for empathetic support. Crocs uses an AI chatbot 'Rivet' but insists on keeping 'a human in the loop' and stresses the importance of a solid data foundation. The article also notes Salesforce's Agentforce adoption (about 20% of its customers) and highlights DE&PT's consumer survey showing decline in comfort with AI as autonomy increases. AI safety debates between Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Jensen Huang were also discussed, with contrasting views on regulation and safety.

• Salesforce's Agentforce is used by about 30,000 customers, roughly 20% of its 150,000 customer base.
• AT&T uses AI to reduce phone upgrade times from 30 to 10 minutes, but keeps humans for cancellations.
• Crocs has deployed an AI agent named Rivet for consumer chat and voice, and uses AI internally for developer tasks.

AT&T Blog Updates: New Posts on AI Networks, NYSE Milestone, and More

The AT&T blog page has been updated with new posts, including 'Why Enterprise Networks Need to Adapt for the AI Era' (Sept 10, 2026), 'AT&T: Built to Keep Up With What's Next' (Sept 09, 2026), 'AT&T and Mynd Immersive are Making a Change for Older Adults' (Sept 03, 2026), and '125 Years on the New York Stock Exchange: A legacy built for the future of connectivity' (Sept 03, 2026).

Charter COO Jeffery Bets on Cable Comeback with Streaming Bundles

Charter Communications' new COO, Nick Jeffery, argues that traditional cable TV can reverse its decline by bundling streaming services into its packages. The company, parent of Spectrum, is the largest U.S. cable operator, having completed a merger with Cox Communications to expand its footprint. Spectrum's strategy includes offering Disney+, Peacock, and Paramount+ in select tiers, which led to a rare subscriber gain in Q4 2025 and limited losses in Q2 2026. Jeffery, who previously led Frontier Communications, will oversee marketing, sales, and operations. The industry remains skeptical due to ongoing cord-cutting, but Spectrum's scale and hybrid video offerings may provide a competitive edge. The success of this 'great cable comeback' depends on customer acceptance of bundled entertainment packages.

• Charter Communications appointed Nick Jeffery as COO, effective this week.
• Spectrum's video strategy includes bundling Disney+, Peacock, and Paramount+ with cable packages.
• Charter reported 12.5 million video customers and 29.4 million internet connections as of June 30, 2026.

TV Executives' 2029 Predictions: Bundling, Sports, and FAST Rise

CNBC asked 10 media executives for predictions about TV in 2029, and many are already materializing. Key trends include further cable decline, with providers like Spectrum and Breezeline shifting to streaming; live sports remaining a valuable anchor, with Prime Video securing local NHL rights and DAZN partnering with the Orlando Magic; and streaming bundles becoming more common, as seen with Peacock joining YouTube Premium. Major consolidation deals, such as FOX's $22B acquisition of Roku and Paramount's proposed $111B merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, are advancing. Free ad-supported streaming (FAST) services like The Roku Channel and Pluto TV are gaining significant viewership. YouTube is increasingly acting as a TV platform, with record live audiences during the World Cup. Overall, the future points to fewer, larger platforms offering bundled content.

• CNBC published predictions from 10 media executives about TV in 2029, with many trends already emerging.
• Charter Communications' Spectrum is renaming TV packages and expanding streaming options starting September 16, 2026.
• Breezeline has stopped selling traditional TV service, offering DIRECTV streaming instead.

Micron Cheap Despite AI Rally; Low S&P 500 Valuation

Micron Technology’s shares have more than tripled year-to-date but trade at just above six times forward earnings, giving it the third-lowest valuation in the S&P 500 behind Charter Communications and General Motors. The article discusses whether the memory industry’s historic cyclicality still justifies Micron’s low multiple, noting the company’s new long-term customer agreements (including binding volume commitments, take-or-pay provisions and price floors) that Micron says generally extend through 2030 and could cover roughly half or more of revenue once completed. Nvidia’s CFO Colette Kress warned of "extreme pricing conditions in memory," which could benefit Micron as a major supplier of high-bandwidth memory for AI systems. Risks remain, including added supply (including competition from China) and contract resets, leaving debate over whether Micron deserves a valuation re-rating.

• Micron shares have more than tripled year-to-date.
• Micron trades at just above 6 times forward earnings, the third-lowest multiple in the S&P 500.
• Micron is one of three major suppliers of high-bandwidth memory used in AI systems.