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.
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Fast-food chains like Starbucks and Wendy's added more egg-filled breakfast items. In normal times, egg producers could meet the demand. But a bird flu outbreak that has forced them to slaughter their flocks is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. Some restaurants like Waffle House have added a surcharge to offset their costs.
William Falcon, CEO and Founder of Lightning AI, discusses the ongoing feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, and how everyday people can use AI in their lives.
U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum “will not go unanswered,” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed on Tuesday, adding that they will trigger toug
The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting down the agency that was created to protect consumers after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal. Russell Vought is the newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought directed the CFPB in a Saturday night email to stop work on proposed rules, to suspend the effective dates on any rules that were finalized but not yet effective, and to stop investigative work and not begin any new investigations. The agency has been a target of conservatives since President Barack Obama created it following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Jeff Benedict, author of 'The Dynasty,' weighs in on the Kansas City Chiefs being the next big dynasty, who he thinks will win Super Bowl LIX and more. Watch!
