The content team at Channel Partners 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. All links are valid as of Nov. 4.

Tech Distribution Channel Cashes in on AI Infrastructure Boom

The technology distribution market in North America grew nearly 30% year over year to $28.9 billion, according to an IDC report. Enterprise infrastructure, networking gear, semiconductors and other hardware components accounted for two-thirds of a $6.5 billion surge, the analyst firm found. Read the Channel Dive story.

AT&T and Verizon Normalize Layoffs as 8,000 Jobs Disappeared in Q3

Together, AT&T and Verizon now employ fewer people than AT&T alone did in 2020, but cuts so far seem to have had little to do with AI. Verizon has cut its headcount to 93,300 – down from 97,600 in June. AT&T eliminated 3,700 jobs over the same three-month period. It means the two big U.S. telcos combined have slashed 8,000 jobs, nearly 4% of the total, in a single quarter. They now combine for roughly 220,500 employees, more than 140,000 fewer than in 2020. Read the Light Reading story.

Why Boost Mobile Isn't SpaceX's Shortcut to an MVNO

Analysts say SpaceX can't use a reported Boost Mobile deal to inherit EchoStar's Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) deals with AT&T and T-Mobile. Change-of-control provisions require MVNO approval, meaning SpaceX can't easily bypass carrier resistance. Prying open such a backdoor appears to be on SpaceX's agenda, according to a Washington Post story claiming SpaceX's Elon Musk and EchoStar's Charlie Ergen have been discussing a deal that might provide a workaround to an MVNO agreement as SpaceX continues to face stiff resistance from AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. Read the Light Reading story.

Cable Operators Look Beyond Cost Cutting to Make AI Pay

Cable operators have spent years talking about squeezing more efficiency out of their networks. Now Comcast and Optimum are testing whether AI can help them turn those networks into new sources of revenue. Read the Fierce Network story.

Verizon Ramps up AI-RAN Activity with Ericsson rApp

Verizon will carry out a nationwide Ericsson Intelligent Controller (EIC) deployment as part of its ongoing journey towards AI-enabled RAN automation. EIC is the part of the Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP) that handles the execution of AI-native RAN automation applications (rApps). Read the Telecoms story.

EchoStar Lost 182K Wireless Customers in Q3

EchoStar’s wireless business – comprised mostly of Boost Mobile – reported 182,000 net customer losses for Q3 2026, continuing a losing streak even as reports surfaced that SpaceX might be in the market to acquire the floundering mobile business and/or assets. EchoStar ended the quarter with nearly 7.2 million wireless subscribers, which is about 4% fewer than it had at the end of Q3 2025, according to its 10-Q SEC filing. Read the Fierce Network story.

Broadcom Kills VMware Telco Cloud Platform Standalone License Option

Broadcom is ending sales of its standalone VMware Telco Cloud Platform licensing SKU, driving integrations of its telecom management offering into its VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) platform. The move mimics the vendor’s ongoing focus on VMware’s halo VCF offering. The legacy Telco Cloud Platform standalone SKU reached “end of availability” on Nov. 2, with new platform purchases being part of a VCF license and subsequent agreement parameters. Read the SDxCentral story.

AI Data Center Boom Set for Upheaval After U.S. Election Rout

U.S. election results threaten to slow the infrastructure buildout and hamper the pace of AI rollouts, with policymakers potentially turning up the heat on increasingly unpopular data center projects. Read the Bloomberg story.