Page 37 - SAMENA Trends - September 2019

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AT&T and American Tower Sign New Agreement

AT&T and American Tower Corporation network builds. It ultimately helps us better “We look forward to this new phase of our
signed a new long-term agreement serve our customers and first responders long-standing relationship with AT&T,”
structured for mutual growth through a nationwide.” The new agreement aligns said Steve Vondran, President - U.S. Tower
simplified leasing process and expanded with AT&T’s commitment to provide its Division, American Tower Corporation.
site development services. The new customers, including FirstNet public safety “This agreement provides for an extended
agreement streamlines wireless network subscribers, with better speeds, reliability mutually rewarding strategic relationship,
deployments on American Tower’s U.S. and overall performance. This includes a and we’re excited to help AT&T deliver the
sites, enhancing AT&T’s deployment of focus on keeping up with booming mobile next generation of wireless technology
5G and other next generation technology data usage while improving capacity to consumers, businesses and first
across the U.S., including FirstNet, and coverage across the entire country, responders quickly and efficiently.”
public safety’s dedicated, nationwide especially in underserved rural areas.
communications platform. “This
comprehensive agreement is expected to
drive mutual value and growth through a
simplified leasing process designed to drive
efficiency and flexibility improvements
directly benefitting our speed in deploying
the latest technologies,” said JR Wilson,
Vice President of Tower Strategy and
Roaming, AT&T. “This is essential for
executing on both our 5G and FirstNet

AT&T Says Virtualization Provides ‘Stunning’ Cost Savings

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said that relevant for FierceTelecom readers as he Donovan chose to retire at this time. It’s
the company’s efforts to virtualize its led the charge on network virtualization possible that he felt he was not the “heir
network have provided “stunning” cost for AT&T and helped the telecom opera- apparent” to Stephenson. The two men are
savings. Speaking at the Goldman Sachs tor break away from the dreaded “vendor actually about the same age (in their late
Communacopia conference this morning lock in.” Donovan has worked closely with fifties). Shortly after Donovan announced
in New York, Stephenson said the biggest open source groups to completely trans- his retirement, AT&T said that John Stan-
cost AT&T has is the cost to run its net- form telco networking. Stephenson today key would assume Donovan’s role along
work and its IT shop. “That’s our biggest credited Donovan for this work. “This is with his existing responsibilities leading
element in our P&L,” he said. And he cred- a big deal because when you virtualize AT&T’s WarnerMedia unit. At the Goldman
ited the company’s efforts to virtualize these functions and then you create oper- Sachs conference today, Stephenson de-
75% of its core network functions as pay- ating systems that manage them and you fended AT&T’s choice of Stankey as the
ing off in big cost savings. “What it’s done put those operating systems in the open company’s president and chief operating
to our cost takeout has been stunning,” source community, that’s what we’ve been officer. Stankey will also continue to head
he said. “We are now roughly 17 quarters leading, that’s what John Donovan and his up AT&T’s WarnerMedia unit. Stephenson
where the cost of this has been going team have been leading.” He added that said today that he’s “been asked a thou-
down year-over-year 7% to 8%. That’s a open source and virtualization “inoculates” sand times” if Stankey is his heir apparent.
stunning development.” Stephenson also a telco from problems that could arise with “First of all, the board hasn’t informed me
gave a shout-out to AT&T Communica- a Chinese vendor or Chinese competitor I’m retiring yet,” joked Stephenson. “But I
tions CEO John Donovan, who recently who may try to dominate the global supply will say if Stankey is successful at running
announced his retirement effective Octo- chain. He said, “I think the global telecom this play over the next year, he’s in a pretty
ber 1. Donovan has been a very public face community owes [Donovan] a thank you for good position.”
for the company and has been particularly what he has led here.” It’s not known why

37 SEPTEMBER 2019