CV_Fall_21_2

CORE COMMUNICATIONS Cox Communications has final - ized the acquisition of the commer- cial services segment of Charlotte, N.C.-based Segra, one of the largest privately held fiber infrastructure providers in the U.S. Segra’s existing management team will continue to lead the Segra enterprise and carrier organization following the acquisi- tion. Segra reportedly will retain its brand and operate as a stand-alone business within the Cox family of companies. Super-regional, fiber-based provider Segra serves commercial enterprise and carrier customers in nine states in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast with fiber optic infrastruc - ture and voice and data technology solutions. The investment represents one of the largest in Cox Commu- nications history and supports the company’s ongoing focus of strategic infrastructure investments and continued commitment to the business services market. “Cox has invested more than $15 billion in its communities through infrastructure upgrades in the last decade, and acquiring Segra’s commercial services business underscores our commitment to continue to make big bets in the business services space,” said Mark Greatrex, incoming president, Cox Communications. Cox Completes Acquisition of Segra’s Enterprise, Carrier Businesses SiFi Commits $2B to Open Access Fiber in 30 Cities SiFi Networks announced a plan to commit $2 billion, sourced from private investors, to build open-access fiber networks in cities across America, the company said at an in-person and virtual press conference at the Broadband Community Summit in September. Plans are to begin developing fiber networks in 30 cities by the end of 2022 and to pass more than 40,000 homes per month by early 2023. According to Ben Bawtree-Jobson, CEO of SiFi Networks, the company currently is working with more than 100 cities and has plans to expand FiberCity Aid, its program that decreases the network costs for ISPs providing service to low-income residents, in an effort to close the digital divide. Founded in 2012, SiFi Networks’ mission is to privately fund, build and operate citywide, open access, 100 percent fiber networks that are made available to ISPs, providing them with the ability to lease space on SiFi’s network and enter a market quickly and efficiently. ISPs would then be expected to concentrate on customer service and support, said the company. The company said that its open-access model gives “communities a much-needed choice against existing cable monopolies and duopolies whose networks have fallen far behind new technologies and skyrocketing consumer demand.” Open access networks allow multiple telecoms to use the same infra- structure to provide services. SiFi is currently developing or operat- ing in more than 40 cities across the United States, covering more than 1.5 million homes and businesses. The APG Group recently acquired 16.7 percent of SiFi Networks while also investing $500 million for joint ventures into SiFi’s open access model. “Prioritizing long-term competition should be first and foremost in the minds of lawmak - ers so their cities and towns are no longer hamstrung by large monopolies,” said Bawtree-Jobson. Earlier this year, SiFi Networks and East Hartford Mayor Marcia Leclerc announced that East Hartford, Conn., is building a $40 million all-fiber internet network. This will be both the first open access and first all-fiber network in the state of Connecticut, the company said. According to the most recent Open Vault Broadband Insight Report , the lowest-speed broadband tiers (<50 Mbps) have declined dramatically since 2019, when they comprised roughly a quarter of all subscribers. Today that number is just 10.5 percent, a decline of 58 percent. The same percentage (10.5 percent) of subscribers is now represented in the fastest tier of 1 Gbps or more, which has grown by 500 percent in the same time period. In 2019, more than half of subscribers (52.4 percent) were in tiers of 200 Mbps or less. Today, only 20 percent are. Broadband Speed Tier Acceleration Top 5 Crime Type Co parison Last Five Years Speed Tier Acceleration 2019-2021 Source: Open Vault 241,342 114,702 26,379 25,344 19,465 108,869 76,741 45,330 38,218 50,642 30,904 27,573 43,330 16,053 16,128 17,636 16,878 43,101 51,146 14,938 17,146 61,832 65,116 84,079 81,029 PHISING/VISHING/ SMISHING/PHARMING NON-PAYMENT/ NON-DELIVERY EXTORTION PERSONAL DATA BREACH IDENTITY THEFT June 2019 June 2020 June 2021 Where Deskless Workers Say Technology Could Benefit 1Gbps+ 500-900 Mbps 200-400 Mbps 100-200 Mbps 60-100 Mbps <50 Mbps 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 100% 2.1% 4.8% 10.5% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 3.0% 8.6% 33.9% 24.9% 27.5% 4.8% 13.2% 37.3% 18.2% 21.7% 4.7% 17.2% 47.5% 10.5% 9.6% 30 CHANNEL V ISION | Fall 2021