Broadband Pulse

PwC on how the new telecom M&A wave reflects an industry inflection point

Whether the focus is on enhancing a network foothold in additional markets, expanding an existing product line, or refocusing on serving a market segment such as fiber-based broadband, vendors and service providers actively pursued new M&A deals to meet these goals.  
PwC noted in its Media and telecommunications: US Deals 2026 outlook that in the second half of 2025, M&A activity “saw a marked uptick” that was “driven by more favorable financing conditions, strategic portfolio realignments, and a rejuvenated investor appetite for premium intellectual property.”
In 2025, AT&T, Charter, and Verizon announced three large deals. AT&T reached a deal to acquire Lumen’s consumer fiber assets, while Verizon acquired Frontier, and Charter is working to complete its merger with Cox Communications.
By acquiring Lumen’s mass-market fiber business for $5.75 billion, covering about 1 million existing and 7 million planned locations, AT&T puts itself on a path to reach  to reach 60M fiber locations by 2030. Likewise, Verizon’s acquisition of Frontier enables it to scale its fiber reach and create new converged service capabilities. Finally, Charter’s pending deal with Cox will create a larger provider with 69.5 million locations passed (57.2 million for Charter and 12.3 million for Cox).
In this new Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to Daniel Hays, principal, Consulting Solutions at PwC about the telecom M&A landscape.
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Semtech on solving the optical industry’s capacity problem

In this podcast, we spoke with Amit Thakar, vice president of signal integrity product marketing at Semtech, about the shift from DSP-based to linear optical architectures and other issues.
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

LightRiver on serving multi-generation, multi-layer networks

Since it was founded in 1998, LightRiver has made a name for itself in its ability to consult, commission, automate, and optimize multi-vendor, multi-generational and software-controlled networks. One of the company’s recent highlights is its Prism software product. Prism simplifies the complexities of multi-vendor, multi-generation networks, empowering stakeholders to streamline operations and make informed decisions for future success.
LightRiver won a 2026 Lightwave Innovation Review award for its Prism product, a customizable, user-friendly application for optimizing multi-vendor, multi-generation fiber optic networks.
One of Lightwave's Innovation Reviews judges said the platform could be beneficial in fiber-starved scenarios.”
In this latest Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked to two industry veterans about how to help service providers be proactive in managing their diverse networks: 
· Jim Brinksma, senior vice president of software solutions at white Light River
· Marcelo McAndrew, VP of Software Product Management at LightRiver
Key moments in this episode
0.00    Opening
0:03    Introduction of the guests
0:57    PacketLight’s multi-layer network approachHow PacketLight’s Prism software platform focuses on multi-vendor, multi-generation, and multi-layer networks.
1:42    Collecting network dataPrism can make the data it collects actionable, helping businesses save money, drive revenue, and reduce time to market.
2:47    Prism’s spectrum optimization featureLightRiver’s spectrum optimization helps service providers better utilize their resources today and in the future.
4:39    Prism’s spectrum capacity search This feature allows providers to visualize the optical spectrum and optimize it to maximize performance in an existing network.
5:36    Managing M&A How Prism can pull information from different APIs across network platforms and aggregate them into a single platform.
9:19    The quantum computing opportunity LightRiver sees 2026 as the year when the quantum opportunity starts to ramp.
11:18 Final Thoughts/ClosingJim Brinksma and Marcelo McAndrew share final thoughts and expectations for the OFC 2026 trade show with the Broadband Pulse.
Meet our guests
Jim Brinksma, senior vice president of software solutions at white Light RiverJim Brinksma has over 20 years of software experience spanning the Department of Defense (DoD), SaaS start-ups and operators, financial services, and telecommunications. In this role, he is responsible for driving the global expansion of LightRiver’s software automation and productivity solutions portfolio. Jim’s previous roles include Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Megaport, co-founder and CTO of InnovoEdge (acquired by Megaport), VP of Strategy and Business Development at Ciena BluePlanet, VP of Sales Engineering and Customer Operations at Ciena, VP of Network Products and Strategy at Goldman Sachs, and seven years of service in the United States Navy. Jim’s doctorate is from the University of Maryland. He also completed the Strategy and Innovation Program at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, the Non-Profit Board Leadership Program at Harvard Business School, and is a National Association of Corporate Directors’ Board Leadership Fellow.
And 
Marcelo McAndrew, VP of Software Product Management at LightRiverMarcelo has eight years of leading software teams to develop the next generation of products and services, spanning cybersecurity, blockchain, CDN, mobile & web applications, SaaS platforms, esports, multi-cloud, edge computing and more. Currently the VP of Product Management for Software Solutions at LightRiver, he is responsible for driving innovation, delivering next-generation products & services, developing strategic relationships with vendors, partners, research & development organizations, and achieving financial results.
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Welcome back Diamond Technology Reviews

Lightwave’s 21st Diamond Technology Reviews will again recognize innovation in broadband communications, video transmission, and related technologies, featuring a new wave of technologies to address the drive toward 10G and beyond networks.
As a new version of the DTR awards, we will not only likely see a crop of innovations in back office, fiber, software, testing, video distribution, Wi-Fi, and other areas, but we’re also going to refresh our lineup of judges.  
The Lightwave DTR program will follow the usual procedures: We will invite vendors serving the standard broadband and cable industry to submit information on products released or upgraded since last year’s SCTE Cable-Tec Expo (October 2025).
If you are a vendor interested in being considered for the DTR Innovation Reviews, we encourage you to submit an entry today!
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwaveonline.com/podcasts/broadband-pulse and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Lightwave OFC 2026 podcast show daily -- Day 3

In the third and final episode of the OFC 2026 show daily podcast, we're tracking key trends during the show. 
During the third day, we looked at various issues, including: 
Improving research workflows
AI’s role in the optical network
Corning’s new fiber, cable and connectivity solutions
Legrand’s Chroma Link fiber cabling solution
Semtech’s new copper and fiber data center innovations
OFC’s plenary sessions
Lightwave’s OFC 2026 coverage page
Tune in each day during OFC 2026 for more insights on the optical industry's key trade show. 
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Lightwave OFC 2026 podcast show daily -- Day 2

In the second episode of the OFC 2026 show daily podcast, we're tracking key trends during the show. 
During the second day, we looked at various issues, including: 
Rising data center CapEx
Ciena, Cisco and Nokia unveil new multi-rail optical solutions
Lightwave’s event: Scaling the AI Data Center: Optical Technologies Redefining Data Center Interconnection
Tune in each day during OFC 2026 for more insights on the optical industry's key trade show. 
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Show Daily 1 OFC 2026 news roundup

In the first episode of the OFC 2026 show daily podcast, we're tracking key trends during the show. 
During the first day, we looked at various issues, including: 
OIF and Ethernet Alliance's interoperability efforts
The new Optical Scale-up Consortium
Optica's Optica Executive Forum
Celebrating the 2026 Lightwave Innovation Reviews Honorees
Tune in each day during OFC 2026 for more insights on the optical industry's key trade show. 
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.

Broadcom raises the 400G/lane optical DSP stakes

Broadcom is taking on the 400-Gig-per-lane optical PAM-for-DSP challenge with its Taurus BCM 83640, optimized for 1.6-T transceiver solutions. 
The 400 gigabit-per-lane (400G/lane) optical PAM-4 DSP is the next-generation technology for high-speed data center connectivity, designed to double the throughput per optical lane compared to current 200G/lane solutions. This advancement is critical for AI infrastructure, enabling 1.6T and 3.2T optical transceivers and supporting future 204.8T switching capacities. 
In this latest Broadband Pulse podcast, we talked with two key members of Broadcom's optical networking team, leading the company's latest 400G/lane optical DSP efforts, as well as being a co-founder of the new Optical Scale-up Consortium: 
Natarajan Ramachandran, director, product marketing at Broadcom
And
Khushrow Machhi, senior director, product marketing at Broadcom
Key moments in this episode
0.00    Opening
0:03    Introducing our guests
0:59    OFC 2026 expectationsRamachandran and Machhi share their expectations for the OFC 2026 show.
6:44    400G/lane opticalHow 400G per lane technologies are the next evolution of the 200G per lane architectures.
9:34    Broadcom’s new Taurus BCM 83640 How Taurus supports 8 lanes of 200G traffic from a GPU, an XPU, or a switch and converts it into four lanes of 400G traffic.
11:31  Taurus’ support for optical modules from 1.6 T to 3.2THow the platform reflects the next generation of gearboxes and retimers.
13:10  Addressing customer expectationsTaurus will address the roadmap to 3.2T pluggables.
14:27  The importance of interoperability In addition to its active roles with the OIF and IEEE, Broadcom is a founding member of the new Optical Scale-up Consortium.
15:57  Final Thoughts/Closing
Meet our guests
Natarajan Ramachandran, director, product marketing at BroadcomBased in San Jose, Natarajan Ramachandran is a director of product marketing at Broadcom. He brings experience from previous roles at Broadcom, Biomorphic and Philips Semiconductors. He is responsible for Business Development, Product Management & Product Marketing for high-speed networking PHYs within the Semiconductor industry, focused on Datacom (Hyperscale/Cloud and Enterprise Data Centers), Telecom, and high-performance computing (AI/ML) markets. Ramachandran holds an MBA in Finance, Global Economics and Management at UCLA Anderson School of Management. He also holds an MS in electrical engineering, integrated circuits and systems from UCLA.
And Khushrow Machhi, senior director, product marketing at BroadcomMacchi oversees product marketing at Broadcom with a particular focus on optical networking technologies, including the datacom (Hyperscale/Cloud and Enterprise Data Centers), Telecom and High-Performance Computing (AI/ML) markets. Macchi has worked at Broadcom for over 24 years. Previously, he held positions at Level One Communications / Intel. He holds an MBA in marketing from San Diego University and a degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com and click on our podcast site at www.broadbandpulse.podbean.com/.
 

OVBI’s Trudeau on how upstream investments benefit fiber and DOCSIS broadband providers

Upstream traffic on DOCSIS and fiber-based broadband networks continues to rise. The OpenVault Broadband Insights (OVBI) fourth quarter report revealed that investments in higher-speed upstream network plant can pay dividends for fiber and DOCSIS broadband providers. One of the key findings in OVBI’s fourth quarter report was that fiber broadband users consumed more upstream bandwidth than those on a DOCSIS network. As a first-ever point-in-time comparison of fiber vs. DOCSIS subscribers in a selected broadband system, OVBI reports that subscribers on a fiber network with symmetrical 677 Mbps speeds consumed 93.0 GB of upstream bandwidth.
Fiber usage was 66% higher than the 56.0 GB used by subscribers on the same system’s DOCSIS networks, which were provisioned at an average upstream speed of 17.3 Mbps. The report noted that the “fiber comparison suggests that latent upstream demand already exists on DOCSIS networks and is likely to be activated as performance barriers are removed – resulting in rapid scaling of upstream consumption that further shifts.” Overall, OVBI found that upstream usage continued to outpace all other metrics in 2025. The year-end average of 55.86 across fiber and DOCSIS platforms represented a 21.7% year-over-year increase over the 45.9 record in 2024 and a 16.4% increase over 3Q25’s 47.98 GB.
In this podcast, The Broadband Pulse caught up with OpenVault CEO and founder Mark Trudeau about how broadband providers are seeing new upstream traffic growth.
Key moments in this episode
0.00    Opening
0:03    Introduction of the guest
0:30    State of the broadband marketTrudeau notes how it emphasizes solutions that help broadband providers operate networks optimally.
1:32    OVBI’s Q4 report findingsHow upstream bandwidth is outpacing downstream growth.
3:10    Upstream usage drivers A host of factors, including content creation, gaming, teleworking, and AI, are driving a rise in upstream traffic.
4:15    Fiber and DOCSIS  While fiber can offer symmetrical services immediately, cable needs to upgrade the upstream DOCSIS path to overcome capacity constraints.
6:0      DOCSIS upstream weaponsCable operators are leveraging split architectures, expanding spectrum and profile management to enhance upstream on their DOCSIS networks.
9:00    Cable’s fiber driveCable operators, particularly large ones, are deploying last-mile fiber on a case-by-case basis.
10:20 Network stress OVBI examines how steady percentage growth figures can mask progressively larger traffic volumes that place increased stress on provider networks.
11:34 Broadband usage patternsHow OVBI measures monthly average usage, average downstream usage, and medium usage.
14:23 Final Thoughts/Closing Mark Trudeau provides the Broadband Pulse with his final thoughts about OVBI’s latest broadband report.
Meet our guest
Mark Trudeau, founder and CEO of OpenVaultAs a self-proclaimed data geek, Mark is passionate about leveraging data to develop technologies that improve the world. Specifically, he has been instrumental in providing broadband operators with market data to anticipate residential and business broadband trends as well as tools that help service providers optimize network performance, increase revenue, and improve subscriber satisfaction. Growth has been a part of OpenVault’s story. In just the last two years, Trudeau has grown the company through the pandemic, including launching OVBI, an industry-renowned quarterly data report; securing strategic investment from key customers; acquiring a world-class research and development team; and being named twice among the industry’s Top 100 Power Players by Cablefax. 
Before founding OpenVault, Trudeau led numerous technology companies through tremendous growth, achieving success for customers and investors. Trudeau served as CEO of Ventraq, a private-equity-backed provider of software-based analytics solutions to the global telecom industry. He also helped to launch and build the wireless business at Omnipoint, the first GSM wireless provider in the New York metropolitan area. He grew up in upstate New York and attended Union College, where he was a multi-sport collegiate athlete, who supports the Red Sox and Dallas Cowboys. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his wife, Lauren. Together, they raised two children.
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts or broadbandpulse.podbean.com/ to stay on top of the latest episodes.

Blue Stream Fiber's Turiano on driving its AI strategy and innovation roadmap

Blue Stream Fiber, which traces its roots as a traditional cable operator once known as Advanced Cable Communications, has in recent years established itself as a key broadband player in Florida’s market, serving 385,000 residents and 500 communities.
In 2025, the service provider began expanding into the Houston market, marketing its broadband services to HOAs, condominium associations (COAs), developers, and builders. The company says Houston’s quick growth was a main catalyst for Blue Stream Fiber’s investments in the Houston area, which has one of the fastest-growing multi-family markets.  
As the company continues to scale operations and expand its presence across Florida and Texas, it recently announced a series of executive leadership promotions, which it said reflect Blue Stream Fiber’s focus on operational excellence, customer experience, and disciplined growth, reinforcing a strong leadership bench as the company enters its next phase of expansion.
In this episode, we talked with Josh Turiano at Blue Stream Fiber. Turiano was recently promoted to Chief Innovation and AI Officer, recognizing his role in driving Blue Stream Fiber's AI strategy and innovation roadmap.
Key Moments in This Episode
0.00 Opening
0:03 Introduction of the guest
0:32 Update on Blue Stream Fiber Turiano discusses Blue Stream Fiber’s transition from a cable operator to a fiber provider.
2:05 Blue Stream Fiber’s fiber expansion strategyHow the service provider works with communities to install fiber or upgrade existing HFC plant.
2:59 AI strategy Turiano talks about his new role and Blue Stream Fiber’s AI roadmap.
6:13 Customer responsivenessHow AI is enabling service providers to address customer issues proactively.
7:16 AI’s influence on business customers The provider can leverage similar metrics to stay ahead of business issues.
7:35 Network expansionBlue Stream Fiber is leveraging AI as part of its network expansion processes.
9:59 A local focusHow the service provider places value on its veteran employees’ knowledge.
11:58 Workforce developmentHow the fiber installation trade is becoming more accessible, and how AI will create new career options.
14:05 Final thoughts/closing
Meet our guest:Josh Turiano is the Chief Innovation and AI Officer at Blue Stream Fiber, where he drives Blue Stream Fiber’s AI strategy and innovation roadmap. His work on the company’s award-winning Metis AI platform has earned multiple industry honors, including Cablefax’s AI Team of the Year. Turiano has also played a central role in shaping the company’s network and technology foundation and previously held leadership roles at Atlantic Broadband.
About the Podcast In the Lightwave Broadband Pulse podcast, we address key issues affecting the optical and broadband industries. Join us every week for insights from industry leaders on these topics. Visit our website at www.lightwave.com/podcasts or broadbandpulse.podbean.com/ to stay on top of the latest episodes.