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impact for the 17 Sustainable Development CEOs believe business is playing a critical at speed and scale across the globe.”
Goals,” said Jennifer Morgan, co-CEO of role in contributing to SDGs. “The time for The UN Global Compact Local Networks,
SAP. “By inspiring our global ecosystems increased commitment and action is now, located in more than 60 countries, will
and bringing together our respective areas and SDG Ambition is a bold and practical lead the initiative’s implementation. SDG
of expertise, we can empower businesses response to this timely and urgent call Ambition aims to engage more than 1,000
around the world to use ‘technology for to action,” said Julie Sweet, Accenture’s companies across industries in more than
good’ and provide the necessary tools chief executive officer. “We are proud to 40 countries to focus their sustainability
to accelerate achieving the world’s 2030 stand with the UN and SAP as partners efforts on high-impact strategies and
Agenda for Sustainable Development.” in unleashing the massive potential for business models.
According to recent research by Accenture innovation and disruptive technology to
and the UN Global Compact, just 21% of help address and solve critical issues

AT&T Banks on Fiber Build to Fuel its OTT Services

AT&T may have turned in dismal we expect to exit 2022 with about three
numbers for its fourth quarter video million more fiber customers than we
subscribers, but it’s banking on fiber- have today or a total of about seven
based broadband to fuel its OTT million. This will be a significant lift in
services. For the fourth quarter, AT&T market share compared to our traditional
lost 1.16 million video subscribers, performance in our legacy hybrid fiber
which included 945,000 premium copper-based footprint.” Stankey said
video subscribers from its DirecTV and fiber-based broadband services would
U-verse businesses and an additional increase the penetration of its HBO Max
219,000 OTT subscribers for its AT&T service, which is set to launch in May,
TV Now streaming video service. and its AT&T TV OTT service. After an
For the year, AT&T shed 3.43 million initial launch, AT&T TV is slated to be
premium subscribers and 665,000 available across the nation next month.
OTT subscribers. On the plus side, “When you’re able to put AT&T TV, a
AT&T added 191,000 fiber-to-the home software-based product with fiber, it’s
(FTTH) subscribers in the fourth quarter, a much more natural combination than
which was down from the 318,000 a satellite dish and fiber,” Stankey said.
in the previous quarter and from the “And so, as we start to roll out AT&T TV
259,00 in the same quarter a year ago. now in markets and we move in, we’re
AT&T finished out the year with 3.88 going to see much stronger performance
million fiber broadband customers on the fiber side.” AT&T’s fiber business
after closing out 2018 with 2.76 million. is part of its Entertainment Group, which
During a Wednesday morning earnings includes its video business. Using its the subscriber losses.” While AT&T added fiber-
call, AT&T’s John Stankey, the COO of broadband fiber, Stankey said AT&T based broadband subscribers in the fourth
AT&T and CEO of WarnerMedia, said is able to offer software-based video quarter, it lost 141,00 IP broadband customers,
the telco expects its fiber-to-the-home products with low acquisition costs, which included fiber and U-verse internet
subscribers will grow to seven million which will in turn lower its video churn subscribers. On the DSL side of broadband, AT&T
by 2022, which could include one or two going forward. With its fiber assets in lost 41,000 customers in the fourth quarter.
million more FTTH capable locations. hand, Stankey said that AT&T will “lean AT&T wrapped up the fourth quarter with 13.59
Last year, AT&T largely halted its fiber into video acquisition given the better million IP internet subscribers and 521,000 DSL
built out after meeting the FCC’s 2015 economics of our improved product customers. AT&T’s total number of broadband
conditions to add fiber as part of its deal portfolio including AT&T TV and HBO subscribers came in at 14.1 million, which was
to buy DirecTV. “We have four million Max.” “As we exit the year, our premium down slightly from the previous quarter’s total
fiber customers today and our recent video subscriber declines will be more of 14.3 million. Thanks in part to the additional
fiber expansion gives us 14 million in line with overall video industry fiber customers, broadband average revenue
locations to sell into,” said Stankey, trends,” Stankey said. “Looking at our per user (ARPU) came in at $51.35 in the fourth
according to a Seeking Alpha transcript. total premium video customer base, we quarter, compared to $51.25 in the third quarter
“Based on our fiber sales experience expect year-over-year improvements in and $48.83 in the same quarter a year ago.

30 FEBRUARY 2020