The content team at Channel Partners Newsletter tracks stories of interest to the technology advisor and agent community. 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 Sept. 3.

How big is the need for speed in the broadband market?

An Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) panel of experts debates how much broadband speed matters to consumers, and what other factors may matter as much or more. Read the Fierce Network story.

Agentic AI and Digital Twins: Game-Changing Tech for Telcos

Operators are exploring a shift from traditional automation to agentic AI. By combining agentic AI with Digital Twins, operators can shift from reactive customer service systems to proactive interactions and goal-driven operations, helping to improve efficiency, enhance customer experience and drive sustainable revenue growth in a complex market environment. Combined with Digital Twins, agentic AI enables real-time, goal-driven decision making and orchestration across customer service and back-office workflows. This provides an opportunity for technical advisors to help drive digital transformation for telcos. Read the Developing Telecoms story.

Data Center Capital of the World Pushes Back

According to Synergy Research, Northern Virginia is home to more than 13% of global hyperscale data center capacity and 7% of the global co-location market. But now resistance to further growth is growing in those areas. Loudoun and Fairfax counties have taken action to make zoning ordinances less friendly to data centers, and residents of Prince William and Fauquier counties are fighting projects to build new centers. Other parts of the U.S. are following suit, as Data Center Watch reports $64 billion worth of data center projects have been impacted by local opposition. Read the story on Fierce Network.

Alibaba Gets AI Revenue Bounce

Driven by AI demand, Alibaba's cloud revenue increased 26% year-over-year in the second quarter. Alibaba’s cloud intelligence unit posted second quarter revenues of 33.4 billion Chinese yuan ($4.7 billion) and EBITA (earnings before interest, tax and amortization) of RMB2.95 billion ($410 million), also up 26%. In a filing, the Chinese cloud provider said compute, storage and other cloud services are increasing to support customers’ AI adoption. Read the Light Reading story.

Goldman Sachs Says Watch Telecom, Cable Companies in 2026

As mobile and wireline convergence accelerates and competition increases, Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Ng predicts 2026 will be a pivotal year for the U.S. telecom and cable sectors. He sees AT&T and T-Mobile as best positioned thanks to investments in spectrum and in modernizing their networks. He also gives Verizon a buy rating but assigns sell ratings to Charter Communications and Altice USA. Read the Seeking Alpha story.

T-Mobile Expands Business Slicing for 5G SA

T-Mobile has added business slicing as its latest 5G SA (Standalone) feature, enhancing network capabilities for enterprise customers. This development represents a significant advancement in network customization for business applications. Read the Fierce Network story.

Thoma Bravo Spends $2B on Verint, Expands CX Footprint

Thoma Bravo moved deeper into the customer experience (CX) channel by acquiring call center software vendor Verint for $2 billion. The private equity firm will combine Verint with Calabrio, which it already owns, to expand AI-based CX automation. Read the Channel Futures story.