Tech Analyst and Strategic Advisor Says Companies Must Prepare Now for the Next Major Communications Industry Transformation
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, July 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Industry Analyst and Strategic Advisor Jeff Kagan offers comment and analysis of this important topic on Schwab Network news program on Friday, July 24, 2026. He discusses the rapidly changing wireless, telecommunications, broadband, pay TV, and larger communications industries.
Kagan shared insights into the major changes and threats that are quickly reshaping the industry today, and the challenges facing companies, executives, boards of directors, workers, customers, and investors. These are the issues he addresses when advising CEOs, senior executives, Board of Directors, business leaders and investors navigating the next wave of technological and competitive change.
“The job of understanding where the industry is headed has never been more urgent or more challenging,” said Kagan. “The communications industry is going through another massive reinvention wave driven by new technologies, new competitors, new services, AI, satellite connectivity, and changing customer behavior.”
According to Kagan, networks and service providers including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, Altice, Cox, and many others have faced a difficult decade or two.
Companies must understand and take new, major steps to create new opportunities for growth.
In fact, in order to win, companies must bring customers, investors, workers and executives up to speed as well.
Kagan cautions that companies should no longer be measured using the same metrics and expectations that were used in the past.
“Everything is changing in every sector,” Kagan said. “Only some companies are leading. Traditional telephone and cable television have been losing market share for 25 years, while wireless, streaming, pay TV, broadband, and other emerging services have become important growth engines.”
Kagan points to the Comcast Xfinity decision to separate its cable communications business from NBCUniversal and Sky as an example of how companies are responding to changing market conditions. The separation is designed to create greater focus between businesses with different growth profiles.
“Even a mature business such as cable television, which has been losing market share and customers, can still have a healthy cash flow,” Kagan said. “However, fast-growing businesses and slower-growth businesses require different strategies, investment priorities, and measurements of success.”
Kagan expects to see more companies in the communications industry take similar steps as they evaluate their businesses and look for new opportunities for growth.
AI and Satellite Technology Will Reshape the Industry
Artificial Intelligence is another major force that Kagan believes will transform every telecommunications company in every sector in coming years. However, he says AI is only one of several major technologies that will reshape the industry.
Satellite technology, particularly satellite-to-device connectivity, could also create new competition across the communications sector.
Companies such as SpaceX, through Starlink, could become increasingly important competitors in the wireless and broadband markets. Unlike traditional wireless networks, satellite networks connect users through satellites in orbit.
Kagan says this raises important strategic questions for the future of communications and current leadership.
“Starlink connects users through satellites rather than traditional terrestrial wireless networks,” Kagan said. “If so, how will customers connect when they are inside their homes, offices, shopping centers, and other locations where direct access to the sky may be limited.”
Kagan also questions whether SpaceX will eventually acquire one of the major wireless carriers or build a new and different communications network of its own.
“Elon Musk has demonstrated that he is willing to take bold steps,” Kagan said. “The question is how far SpaceX and Starlink will go in competing directly with traditional wireless and broadband providers.”
The next important question is how are wireless networks preparing for this event?”
The broadband market is also undergoing major change. Traditionally, consumers and businesses obtained broadband service primarily from cable television, telephone companies and many smaller competitors.
Wireless carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, are increasingly expanding into wireless broadband, creating a significant new competitive threat to traditional broadband providers. This is setting up another competitive battleground starting in the consumer sector, then obviously spreading to the business side.
“As you can see, every sector of the communications industry is now in play,” Kagan said. “New technology, new competitors, artificial intelligence, satellite connectivity, and new ways of thinking will completely transform the industry over the next decade.”
Kagan says the next decade will determine which companies successfully adapt to the changing environment.
“An important question for every competitor, executive, employee, customer and investor is this. Which companies will win, which will lose, and which will simply not make it?” Kagan asks.
Kagan says we have seen this happen before. BlackBerry led the smartphone industry for years before being replaced by the iPhone and Android. Motorola was once a dominant leader before losing its position to BlackBerry. Cable TV used to be the leader until the past 25 years.
These examples offer important lessons for today’s senior executives.
“Every senior executive responsible for the growth and survival of a company must be focused on these changes today,” Kagan said. “The companies that succeed will be the ones that understand how the industry is changing and are willing to adapt before the market forces them to.”
To discuss these issues further, contact Jeff Kagan at jeff@jeffkagan.com.
About Jeff Kagan
Jeff Kagan is an Industry Analyst, Strategic Advisor, Tech Influencer, or TechFluencer, and Columnist who follows the companies and technologies transforming business and society, including artificial intelligence, wireless communications, telecommunications, broadband, pay TV, IoT, and related technology sectors.
As a well-known Tech Analyst, Kagan advises CEOs and senior leadership teams navigating the AI era. He has written thousands of columns and articles translating technology trends into practical business insights.
AT&T Executive Vice President of Public Relations (retired) Dick Martin highlighted Kagan’s industry influence in his book Tough Calls: AT&T and the Hard Lessons Learned from the Telecom Wars, writing: “Jeff Kagan has been described as the most widely quoted analyst in the telecommunications industry.”
Companies interested in speaking with Jeff Kagan are invited to send an email inquiry.
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