AT&T has seen broadband and wireless usage surge 29 percent in one month, as remote workers and families stay at homes to abide by restrictions that have been ordered across the country.
Maintaining a high level of service, however, has meant a full-court press for the telecommunications giant.
“So far, we’ve seen massive spikes in traffic, but our AT&T network has been able to withstand that,” Jeff McElfresh, CEO of AT&T Communications, told Cheddar’s Hope King on Friday. “I think the bigger question is, as this pandemic persists, our customers and our employees and citizens of the U.S. are going to have to learn a different way of working, a different way of learning, and that means service providers like AT&T have to be thoughtful in how we adjust our service models.”
In part, that means keeping a large portion of its workforce in the field to maintain service.
The company has sent roughly 90,000 workers home to work remotely. Another 100,000 remain in the field, visiting customers’ houses, businesses, and institutions such as hospitals.
“These are our heroes. These are the individuals who are installing mission-critical services into hospitals,” McElfresh said.
AT&T is also working closely with FEMA and the CDC to maintain service to critical infrastructure, he added.
Less than 40 percent of AT&T retail locations are up and running, which is one area where McElfresh said the company has felt the impact of the pandemic.
“Customers actually need these outlets in order to get service,” he said.
Nvidia on Wednesday became the first public company to reach a market capitalization of $5 trillion. The ravenous appetite for the Silicon Valley company’s chips is the main reason that the company’s stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
