The Week with Roger

Hosted by Roger Entner

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Episodes

200

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

Each week, join Roger Entner and the Recon Analytics team for an analysts perspective on the world of telecom.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 17, 202614 min

This Week: When Consumer Perception Does Not Match Network Reality

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner unpack the FCC’s latest developments, examine real-world data on internet providers including Optimum, and discuss ongoing customer service concerns. 00:00 Episode intro 00:24 New FCC nomination news 01:47 FCC's potential satellite expansion 02:42 Ranking internet provider speeds 03:47 Survey information difficulties 06:29 Do devices still matter? 08:04 Optimum's current metrics 10:29 Network status and customer retention 12:12 The state of customer service 13:41 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, FCC, Danielle Thumann, Brendan Carr, satellite, cable, fiber, FWA, DSL, devices, T-Mobile, AT&T, Apple, Qualcomm, Verizon, Android, network, Optimum, SFR, customer service

August 10, 202616 min

This Week: Starlink's Wireless Ambitions, the Data Center Boom, and Sampath to Zayo

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss the announcement of Sampath being named CEO at Zayo, their ongoing research into the immense scale of the data center buildout, as well as Starlink's prospects as a wireless operator. 00:00 Episode intro 00:24 Sampath named CEO at Zayo 01:07 Research on data center buildout insights 03:44 Starlink as a wireless operator 05:50 What spectrum will be used? 08:29 Network and satellite predictions 10:14 Scale of the potential network 13:52 Elon's track record and time horizon 16:06 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Sampath, Zayo, fiber, data centers, AI, Starlink, Elon Musk, data, T-Mobile, Grain, spectrum, Dish, FCC, rural, 5G, Grok, Tesla, SpaceX, X, cable, FWA

August 3, 202611 min

This Week: Verizon Promotes Alfonso Villanueva and the FirstNet Race Heats Up

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss the leadership changes at Verizon, changes in metric transparency and the shift to ARPA, and what AT&T's 5G standalone core means for the increasingly competitive first responder market. 00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Leadership changes at Verizon 02:00 Effects on company strategy and operations 03:00 ARPA and changes in reporting metrics 05:47 AT&T's 5G standalone core and its impact on first responders 07:55 Network live testing results 08:23 T-Priority and the competition 10:56 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Verizon, Alfonso Villanueva, Sampath, Dan Schulman, ARPA, metrics, Apple, AT&T, FirstNet, 5G, slicing, spectrum, first responders, T-Priority, T-Mobile

July 27, 202614 min

This Week: Q2 '26 Earnings - The Carriers Execute Their CEOs' Visions

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner break down Q2 earnings from the major players across telecom and cable, examining key numbers as well as industry-wide trends and developments shaping the market. 00:00 Episode intro 00:30 AT&T Q2 overview 02:46 AT&T's convergence strategy 04:18 Starlink's improving reliability 06:15 Comcast and Charter Q2 overview 07:05 Cable customer satisfaction and strategic outlook 08:01 T-Mobile Q2 overview 10:12 Verizon Q2 overview 11:57 Q2 telecom industry trends and outlook 12:40 Device subsidies and the future of wireless promotions 14:02 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, earnings, AT&T, fiber, net adds, transparency, FirstNet, convergence, FWA, AI, John Stankey, Charter, Starlink, Comcast, cable, T-Mobile, churn, broadband, Verizon, iPhone, devices

July 20, 202614 min

This Week: Carrier Repositioning Through Leadership Changes

Analysts Brett Clark and Roger Entner discuss leadership changes at T-Mobile and AT&T, cable's growing role in mobile, and Verizon's retail cost-cutting. 00:00 Episode intro 00:30 Leadership changes at T-Mobile 03:06 Chris Sambar's new role 03:51 T-Mobile for Business positioning 05:27 Mike Katz's impact 06:37 Cable's mobile growth 07:56 Verizon cost-cutting and layoffs 09:15 Retail strategy implications 10:46 Pascal Desroches leaving AT&T 12:31 Restoring investor trust 12:58 C-suite trust 14:04 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Brett Clark, Roger Entner, T-Mobile, Mike Katz, André Almeida, Chris Sambar, AT&T, FirstNet, T-Mobile for Business, Verizon, MVNO, cable, Charter, Dan Schulman, retail, gross adds, net adds, churn, Pascal Desroches, Jennifer Biry, John Stankey, convergence, investors

July 13, 20267 min

This Week: The Upper C Band Auction and a Win for American Consumers

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss the FCC’s move to expedite the upcoming Upper C-band spectrum auction, its impact on various companies and industry segments, and why it may represent a win for American consumers. 00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Upper C-band auction overview 02:23 Utility and applications of the spectrum 03:05 Comparison with previous auctions 03:38 Forecasts for Starlink's strategy 04:43 Accelerated timeline and implications for cable 06:04 Industry deleveraging trends 06:30 Historical outcomes of spectrum purchases 06:51 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, FCC, auction, spectrum, Upper C-band, Big Beautiful Bill, Verizon, FWA, EchoStar, Starlink, Elon Musk, urban, rural, cable, deleveraging

July 6, 202611 min

This Week: Germany's Hyper Scaler Infrastructure Slow Dance

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner examine insights from the Handelsblatt data center conference in Düsseldorf, covering the rapid expansion of data centers in Germany vs. the U.S., infrastructure and energy challenges ahead, and the implications for telecom networks. 00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Handelsblatt conference overview 01:31 State of the German data center buildout 02:44 State of the US buildout 03:23 Shortages are on the horizon 05:16 Electricity demands 06:06 Repurposing German data center heat 07:38 Cooling challenges 08:39 Why expansion must continue despite challenges 10:03 How data centers are reshaping telecom 11:30 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Germany, Handelsblatt, Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile, data centers, electricity, AI, shortages, BEAD, memory, RAM, routers, cooling, GDPR, regulations

June 29, 202610 min

This Week: The Half-Connected America and the Case for Universal Offers

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner discuss Roger's report, "The Half-Connected America," exploring why some people choose not to use broadband and what companies and policymakers can do to address the issue. 00:00 Episode intro 00:25 Who chooses not to connect? 03:00 Privacy and surveillance concerns 03:36 Lack of laptop subsidies hampers connectivity 05:00 Mobile-only internet users 05:37 Seniors and smartphone challenges 06:18 Wireless home internet options 06:55 Affordability for low-income consumers 07:36 Respecting consumer choices & AI integration importance 09:20 Laptop subsidies could bridge the gap 10:06 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, broadband, NTIA, Lifeline, surveillance, BEAD, fiber, smartphone, NPS, hotspots, copper, subsidies, AI, Chromebook, government, privacy

June 22, 202612 min

This Week: Verizon’s Simplicity Plan and Another Attempt to Eliminate Device Subsidies

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner evaluate the benefits of Verizon's new Simplicity Plan, discuss the evolving device upgrade landscape, and examine AT&T's announcement of its new CFO. 00:00 Episode intro 00:24 Overview of Verizon's new plan 02:09 The rewards structure of the plan 03:27 Additional features and junk fee elimination 04:18 Device subsidies are being phased out 07:40 Increasing customer value without device upgrades 08:38 Verizon's new plan is a step in the right direction 09:53 AT&T announces new CFO 11:25 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Verizon, plans, Dan Schulman, rewards, T-Mobile, Ronan Dunne, Xfinity, internet, hotspots, devices, financing, Apple, upgrades, Samsung, net adds, Virgin Mobile, AT&T, Jennifer Biry, Pascal Desroches, John Stankey

June 15, 202626 min

This Week: 300th Episode with Craig Moffett on Convergence and Fiber Economics

Analysts Don Kellogg and Roger Entner celebrate the 300th episode of the show by welcoming telecom legend Craig Moffett, co-founder of Moffett Nathanson, to discuss all things convergence, including the current state of fiber buildouts, evolving bundling strategies, and what market cycles may be signaling for the future. 00:00 Episode intro 01:00 Convergence and the state of the fiber buildout 04:52 Density and overbuilding 06:15 Diminishing buildout returns 09:45 Data center demand and labor questions 11:16 Aerial vs. buried deployment cost concerns 13:43 Is bundling actually profitable? 18:05 Fiber growth at the expense of wireless 20:51 Broadband price compression may signal a coming crisis 23:29 What will future buyouts look like? 25:38 Episode wrap-up Tags: telecom, telecommunications, wireless, prepaid, postpaid, cellular phone, Don Kellogg, Roger Entner, Craig Moffett, convergence, fiber, FWA, cable, Starlink, BEAD, Cox, Charter, rural, buildout, density, data centers, Verizon, AT&T, Fios, bundling, ILEC, T-Mobile, copper, VoIP, buyouts