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 Sept. 16.
Calls for AI Slowdown Leave Enterprises in Shaky Position
The mounting calls for federal regulation of AI in the U.S. and debate over the need for a global AI slowdown have introduced uncertainty for enterprises unsure whether restrictions will hinder their use of open-weight models, especially those from China. Read the TechTarget story.
AI Makes a Mess of Tech Job Market
Skill requirements for AI-focused roles don’t match listed titles, according to an analysis of almost 50,000 job descriptions by tech talent company Andela. Among over 1,800 postings for AI engineer, ML engineer and other similar job titles, more than half conflated skill sets associated with at least two roles, including LLM orchestration, autonomous agent architecture and vector database design. Read the Channel Dive story.
AWS Can’t Restore Service to Bahrain, UAE Facilities After Iran Strikes
Amazon Web Services said it can’t restore access to cloud-computing facilities in Bahrain and parts of the United Arab Emirates, more than six months after the sites were damaged by drone strikes in the early days of the Iran war. The company said in an update posted to AWS’ health dashboard that the damage at multiple Bahrain-based sites exceeded what its services are designed to withstand. Read the CNBC story.
Agentic Orchestration is Looming AI Hurdle for Telcos
Telecom operators hustling to deploy agentic AI may soon find that the hard part isn’t building and deploying agents, but ensuring they don’t work at cross-purposes across network, customer care and IT environments. The key to doing this is shifting focus from mere automation to orchestration, Amdocs Group President of Technology and Head of Strategy Anthony Goonetilleke told Fierce. Read the Fierce Network story.
6G Becoming Big Multivendor Letdown
Outside urban hotspots, the 6GHz and even higher spectrum auctioned off for 6G services is unlikely to hold much value. Signals turn limp and lethargic as they ascend the frequency ladder, struggling to overcome the flimsiest barriers or travel far. Vendors think building even more advanced radios is the answer. But many operators would prefer to reuse the lowband spectrum originally assigned to older generations. Read the Light Reading story.
Charter’s CFO Says Cost Synergies From Cox to Exceed $1B
Charter has raised its cost synergy estimates related to the Cox Communications merger from $800M to more than $1B. However, both Charter and fellow cable operator Comcast face more competition than ever. Read the Fierce Network story.
Verizon 6G Venture Attracts Nvidia, AWS, Cisco, and More
Nine firms joined Verizon’s 6G Innovation Forum (6GIF) venture, which aims to drive innovation around 6G technologies. New members are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Nvidia, Intel, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Keysight Technologies, MediaTek, Rohde & Schwarz, and Viavi Solutions. Read the SDxCentral story.
More Than a Dozen U.S. States Weigh Data Center Moratoriums in Global Pushback
Governments on both sides of the Atlantic are pausing, auditing or rewriting the rules for hyperscale data center development, as local opposition to power and water demand hardens into formal policy. Read the Capacity Global story.
Telcos Struggle With Rip-and-Replace Deadlines
The FCC has repaid $3.08 billion to the U.S. Treasury that was loaned to fund the agency's "rip-and-replace" program, but telcos are still struggling to remove equipment from Huawei and ZTE from their networks. The day before the FCC announced the early loan repayment this month, the agency granted deadline extensions to four more service providers that could not meet their removal, replacement and disposal (RRD) terms, according to a public notice. Read the Light Reading story.
One-Third of AI-Replaced Workers Will be Rehired by 2029
Executives driving mass layoffs to pivot towards AI may be moving too fast, according to new research from Gartner. The consulting firm predicts that by 2029, 30% of employees laid off due to replacement by AI will need to be rehired, likely at a significantly higher cost. Gartner also said only 1% of job losses last year were driven by AI productivity gains. Read the Channel Dive story.