Across The Telecom Spectrum: 6 Moves That Made Waves In The Channel In October

Not-So-Slow-Moving Giants

Telecom heavyweights stole the spotlight in October with merger updates, new product releases and executive moves.

Here are six newsworthy items that happened in the telecom industry last month that solution providers should know about.

Google Fiber Loses Its Leader

Charles Barr, founder and president of Webpass, the high-speed wireless internet provider acquired by Google Fiber in 2016, has left Google for undisclosed reasons.

Google acquired Webpass in 2016 to help expand the reach of its fiber footprint. The acquisition would also give Google's wireless internet capabilities a boost with its combination of fiber and broadband-based wireless technology, the company said at the time.

Barr is the latest in a string of executives who have left Google's broadband team. Last October, Google Fiber halted its fiber expansion plans and cut 9 percent of its Google Access staff.

CenturyLink/Level 3 Merger Gains DoJ, FCC Approval

The Department of Justice approved CenturyLink's $34 billion acquisition of fellow telecom Level 3 communications on Oct. 3, and at the very end of the month, the two carriers received the final go-ahead from the Federal Communications Commission.

CenturyLink said in September it had expected the transaction to close by mid- to late October. The FCC said in its letter that CenturyLink "fulfilled their obligations to provide responsive information to the Commission in connection with its requests."

Verizon's Telematics Leader To Depart In 2018

Verizon Executive Vice President and President of Global Media Marni Walden said in October that she would be leaving the company.

Walden, a Verizon veteran, led the wireless division until 2015, when she then spearheaded the carrier's then-new media and telematics business unit. Walden said that as of Dec. 31, she'll shift into an advisory role and leave the company in February 2018.

Windstream Takes On DDoS Attacks With Mitigation Service

Telecom provider Windstream rolled out a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Mitigation Service, an offering that will help businesses identify attacks and protect their networks in real time.

Windstream said that its DDoS Mitigation Service uses a network of scrubbing centers that ingest and inspect attack traffic upstream from a customer’s network in order to alleviate attacks on internet circuits.

The latest mitigation service complements Windstream's existing portfolio of security services, according to the Little Rock, Ark.-based carrier.

Charter Communications To Build New HQ

Charter Communications, the No. 2 cable giant in the country, is building a brand-new home.

The cable company, which has been based in Stamford, Conn., since 2012, is planning for a new 15-story, 500,000-square-foot headquarters along the Long Island Sound.

The structure is slated to begin construction in 2018 and will be completed in 2019, according to Charter. The provider agreed to add more than 1,000 jobs in return for state tax incentives and loans.

Verizon Adds Capabilities To One Talk Service

Verizon gave its business communications portfolio a boost in October by adding new capabilities to One Talk, its year-old integrated wireline and wireless voice service.

One Talk now includes workspace collaboration capabilities for group chat and live meetings. The service also includes new administrative features, including call queueing and extension dialing between locations. One Talk has also been bolstered with enterprise-grade features, such as customizable policy management.

The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based carrier said the new features will help One Talk better address the needs of midmarket and enterprise customers. One Talk is available through the channel today.