Global internet speed is picking up. In 2017, world internet speeds increased more than 30%. Adriane Blum, Head of Communications at Ookla, a company specialized in broadband testing, network diagnostic applications, and data, was with us to discuss what's driving this improvement.
With the FCC rolling back net neutrality regulations, many questions about the future of the internet are beginning to surface. Internet speed is one of the factors that could potentially be impacted by the vote. Blum says the key takeaway is transparency of data, as we face new risks.
Despite improved global speed, Ookla says there were far too many countries and regions where internet speed decreased. Hurricane Maria put a dent in Puerto Rico's internet capabilities, contributing to the island's 39.8% drop in mobile download speed over the past year.
The last trading day of January ended one of the most rocky months for the markets in nearly two years. Dan Russo, Portfolio Manager and Director of Research, at Potomac Fund Management explains what happened in January, and what to expect for February.
Just ahead of Google parent company Alphabet reporting its fourth quarter earnings, investors are keeping an eye on revenue from its cloud services, which has been a major area of development recently as well as its ad revenue. Adam Lampe, CEO and Co-Founder of Mint Wealth Management explains why the cloud may be the future for Alphabet.
After weeks of bad news about Peloton, reports indicate that the at-home fitness giant might find itself getting acquired. Doug Astrop, managing partner at Exponential Investment Partners, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the possibility that Amazon, Nike, and Apple might be showing interest in buying the subscription-based business, whose shares have plummeted near 80 percent in the past year. "At some point everybody hits the limit on how many monthly fees they want to pay, how many subscriptions they want to have," said Astrop. "And you know, you've got Netflix, you got Amazon Prime, you got Spotify — I mean there's there's endless people who want you to pay a monthly fee. So, if you can be part of these bundles, it can really be advantageous for everybody."
Jarrod Loadholt, Partner at Ice Miller, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down the latest proposal by the SEC and explains how it could allow the agency to make major regulatory moves within the cryptocurrency space if approved.
Personal data platform Caden raised $3.1 million in pre-seed funding. Caden says its service allows users to have complete control over their data and earn a profit from it by sharing certain data with trusted brands, while never relinquishing ownership. The company also says its goal is to transform the internet and the use of personal data and make a better system for both consumers and brands. Caden founder and CEO John Roa joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Consolidation has been transforming the industry for at least the past two years, but much of the activity was happening in the background. That all changed in the past month.
