Articles by Jeff Kagan

Streaming TV services now lead the current wave of growth, pushing cable and over-the-air TV closer to obsolescence Yes, there are still viewers who cling to traditional cable television. Some even prefer its ease and simplicity to the multiple remote controls and different streaming services. Still, cable TV growth peaked long ago and has been in ...

Artificial intelligence is already rewriting the rules of wireless and telecom -- powering predictive maintenance, streamlining network operations, and enabling more innovative services As AI scales, the disruption will be faster, deeper, and harder to reverse than any prior shift in the industry....

Over several decades as an industry analyst, I have followed the evolution of telecom, wireless, broadband, pay TV, and more. Today, a new transformation is taking shape. Artificial intelligence and 5G wireless -- both part of the broader telecom ecosystem -- are now converging to create intelligent, self-optimizing networks that are reshaping industries from telecommunications to health care...

I have loved the story of Ring doorbells ever since seeing CEO Jamie Siminoff on TV's "Shark Tank" several years ago. I also loved the story of SimpliSafe with CEO Chad Laurans. There are several other competitors, like Blink Home Security, which is owned by Amazon, and Nest, which was acquired by Google These companies, started by creative entrepr...

Streaming services -- like HBO Max from AT&T's WarnerMedia, Peacock from Comcast's NBCUniversal, Apple TV+, Disney+, and many others -- are clear examples of the change to a short-attention-span world. What does that mean for investors, workers, and consumers? Short-attention-span content seems new, with the arrival of all these competing streaming...

Microsoft once again is making a move in wireless with its new foldable smartphone called "Surface Duo." The company tried and failed to break into wireless several times over the last couple of decades before finally pulling the plug. Now it is back. Will the Surface Duo give Microsoft a chance to succeed in wireless at last?...

When word came out that Motorola was rereleasing its hit Razr smartphone, I was excited. Now that it has been delayed until the end of the year, the sizzle seems to be lessening a bit. Razr was hot more than a decade ago, but then it quickly faded away when the iPhone and Android stole the show. Motorola wants to give the Razr another shot at star...

After having countless conversations with iPhone users in the last few days, I've concluded that Apple will sell loads of these new devices -- but not as many as in the past. There are several reasons I'm expecting a downturn in iPhone sales Among the top reasons are lack of support for 5G, lack of innovation, and high prices....

X1 is a Comcast-branded pay-TV service that gives users more control over their television experience. The service recently gained new features that cater to businesses. I spoke with Christian Nascimento, vice president of product and premise services at Comcast, about what the announcement means for the changing cable television industry X1 for Bu...

Traditional cable TV providers will face a big competitive threat in the next decade from the Internet, IPTV, and 5G wireless. Cable TV typically lands at the bottom in customer satisfaction surveys. That means there is both plenty of room for improvement and plenty of room for new competitors and new technologies to jump in and quickly win When ca...

The T-Mobile-Sprint merger looked like it was pretty much a done deal a couple of weeks ago when the Department of Justice gave its approval. However, it now looks like there won't be a final answer until 2020. This will go down in history as one of the longest corporate merger attempts The delay will be the hardest on Sprint and Dish Network. Even...

I have been warning about online companies invading our privacy for years. Some very large companies now are under scrutiny by the U.S. government. As the pressure increases, Amazon seems to have come up with a creative solution. It has been offering to pay users US$10 for permission to track them. Interesting While $10 is practically nothing, thi...

Do you enjoy grocery shopping? Some shoppers love walking up and down the aisles, seeing what's new, looking for what's on sale, and getting new ideas. They often pick up things that weren't on their list. However, while many shoppers love that experience, others don't. They would rather run in and out as quickly as possible That's where online gro...

An artificial intelligence technology called "deepfake" may be the next big threat we face as a society Consider this video clip of Facebook CEO Marc Zuckerberg saying some outlandish things. You might think it is real -- but it's a deepfake. It's his image, and it sure sounds like him, but he never actually made that speech. You may feel duped. Yo...

The merger between T-Mobile and Sprint has been dragging on for quite a long time, but it finally may be in the home stretch. To get the deal approved, Sprint and T-Mobile might have to sell off some of their wireless assets to competitors. Many were surprised to see Dish Network's interest. What would this mean for the merger and for the wireless industry as a whole?...

I am a reluctant Costco shopper. My wife is one of the many customers who really love the chain. Me... not so much. Seriously -- someone should knock Costco's top officials on the head and wake them up to the need to focus on their customers. After all, it's the customers who make Costco successful. When my family owned lots of retail stores, I l...

Brand ID is key to every company's success and growth. Why then do so many senior executives at so many different companies screw it up? When you come up with a winning brand ID, it's OK to build on it and to change it for the better, but not for the worse Customers buy from you based on your brand ID. If that changes, then customers may change th...

Sprint's best shot at success is to merge with T-Mobile. Without the merger, I see the company continuing to struggle as a weak player in the competitive wireless battle. Then again, this is nothing new. Sprint has been limping along for decades, for many different reasons. If this merger fails, will Sprint carry on as before? As a wireless analys...

Influencer marketing continues to build steam, and more companies, large and small are getting involved. As powerful and as helpful as influencers can be, it's important to realize that not every influencer is right for every company. Selection of the right influencers to work with your company and your brand is an important key to success Let's f...

With 5G knocking on our door, a growing number of wireless competitors have been getting on their high-horses and trying to knock down the current leaders. All I have to say is, cut it out! No customer or investor is interested in all this meaningless industry-wide jibber-jabber. If you keep this up, you may pay a price when you do begin to offer 5G...