The content team at Channel Partners Newsletter tracks stories of interest to the technology advisor and wider channel communities. Anyone selling communication and connectivity solutions will want to stay abreast of these developing stories or catch up on ones they have missed. We are tracking—with the help of ChatGPT along with AI tools our parent Informa has developed—a roundup based on story traffic, mentions, impressions, reposts, and social media engagement. All links are valid as of Nov. 12.

Verizon Sells $11 Billion of Bonds for Frontier Deal

Verizon sold $11 billion of investment-grade corporate bonds to fund its acquisition of Frontier Communications, joining a surge in jumbo debt sales in recent weeks as borrowers seek to take advantage of relatively easy market conditions. Verizon issued the debt in five parts, according to a Bloomberg source. The longest portion of the deal, a 40-year bond, yields 1.3 percentage points above Treasuries after initial price discussions of 1.6 percentage points, the source added. Read the Bloomberg story and another on Fierce Network.

Cisco Partners Prepare for Top Tier Status

Cisco’s two-tiered channel structure will roll out next year but some service providers got an early jump on qualifying. The networking and security provider signaled a shift last year, investing $80 million in partner support and training as part of the Cisco 360 Partner Program. Last week, the company introduced new financial incentives while partners wait for the complete program to roll out next year. Read the story on Channel Dive.

Tech and Telecom Layoffs by Company

With US layoffs at more than 1 million for 2025, Fierce Network looked at what this means for telecom and tech employees. It came up with a rundown of where cuts have happened and how tech giants are thinking about headcount moving forward. Read the Fierce Network story.

Zayo’s 622-Mile Fiber Route Links Western Data Centers

Denver-based infrastructure provider Zayo completed a 622-mile long-haul fiber route that will offer access to low-latency connections for data centers in the western U.S. The Umatilla-Prineville-Reno (UPR) long-haul fiber route will interconnect with Zayo’s existing 19.5 million fiber miles and 1,700 linked data centers throughout the US. The company said the route will deliver new access to underserved regions in Oregon, California, and Nevada. The route offers an alternative to the 290-mile I-5 fiber corridor, which runs along Interstate 5 through California and Washington. Read the Data Center Knowledge story.

FCC Commish Says US Must Lead on 6G Via Spectrum, Standards

When it comes to preparing for the near future of 6G, the US must respond to the lessons of the 5G era through early investment and international coordination, according to FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty. In a conversation with Nokia VP of North American government affairs Glenn Reynolds before the 6G Summit, Trusty said the US needs broad spectrum availability and robust investment to lead the way on the next wireless evolution. Read the LightReading story.

Microsoft Connects Data Centers to Build First AI Super Factory

Microsoft opened its second Fairwater AI super factory data center in October. The Atlanta data center joins a dedicated network of sites functioning as an AI super factory to accelerate AI breakthroughs and train new models on a scale that has previously been impossible. It shares the same architecture and design as the company’s recently announced investment in Wisconsin. These densely packed buildings with sophisticated silicon and cooling techniques use almost no water. Read the Microsoft blog.

Zoom Calls on Channel to Push Phone Solutions

Zoom dropped a not-so-subtle hint to its sales-only partners: start adding more value or get left behind. The cloud communications provider introduced a points-based system to reward the value added resellers, technology advisors and managed service providers that engage with customers across the product life cycle through its new Zoom Up Partner Program. With its big push into contact centers and Zoom Phone, the company needs partners who can implement and support these more complex solutions, Zoom Head of Global Channel GTM Nick Tidd said. Read the Channel Dive story.