Altice Usa - ATUS STOCK NEWS

Lightpath announced its entry into the Phoenix market with a new 230-route mile, high-fiber count network, anchored by multiple hyperscaler customers. The network will feature underground, multi-conduit systems with capacity for 20,000 fibers, connecting 8 data center campuses and carrier hotel locations, with 30+ additional data centers near planned routes.

The network will connect data center ecosystems across Goodyear, Buckeye, Chandler, Glendale, Mesa, and Tempe. Construction has begun with priority routes targeted for Q2 2025 completion and full completion in 2026. The company will offer infrastructure services including dark fiber, conduit services, wavelengths up to 800 Gbps, Ethernet, and Internet.

Phoenix represents the fifth largest data center ecosystem globally with 1.6GW of operational capacity and an additional 1+GW planned by 2027. Lightpath previously announced $110 million of AI-related bookings in 2024 with a remaining demand pipeline of approximately $1 billion.

Optimum has announced plans to enable multi-gigabit internet speeds across 65% of its service footprint by 2028, doubling the current availability of approximately 30%. The company has reached a milestone of three million fiber passings, representing nearly one-third of its footprint.

The network enhancement initiative includes mid-split upgrades across the hybrid-coax network, enabling download speeds up to 2 Gbps, and continued fiber network expansion offering symmetrical speeds up to 8 Gbps. The company plans to add 175,000 passings in 2025, mostly fiber.

Currently, over 95% of Optimum's network supports 1 Gig internet speeds or higher. The company's fiber network was recently ranked by Ookla® for fastest and most reliable internet speeds in NY and NJ, and best gaming experience in NY, NJ, and CT.

Altice USA (ATUS) reported Q4 2024 results with total revenue of $2.2 billion (-2.9% YoY) and FY 2024 revenue of $9.0 billion (-3.1% YoY). The company posted a net loss of $54.1 million in Q4 and $102.9 million for FY 2024.

Key operational highlights include record fiber performance with 538k fiber customers (+58% YoY) and best mobile performance in 5 years with 460k lines (+43% YoY). The company reached 3 million fiber passings by year-end 2024.

Financial metrics show Adjusted EBITDA of $837.5 million (-7.3% YoY) with 37.5% margin in Q4, and Free Cash Flow of $49.9 million. The company maintained positive cash flow despite challenging macro conditions, while focusing on network expansion and multi-gig service rollout.

Lightpath has completed the acquisition of United Fiber and Data (UFD) assets and introduced LightCube Edge Data Centers. The acquisition includes a strategic 323-mile NYC-Ashburn route, 79 miles of metro fiber in New Jersey and New York City, and approximately 250 new commercial service locations in Manhattan, bringing their Manhattan service locations to over 1,500.

The NYC-Ashburn route offers the industry's lowest latency between New York City and Ashburn's data center ecosystem, with service options including dark fiber and wavelengths up to 800 Gbps. Currently, nearly 25% of the cable is under contract, representing a 3.5x increase since the transaction announcement.

The company plans to deploy LightCube edge data centers along the NYC-Ashburn route, upgrading four existing ILAs to support edge compute workloads and AI services. These modular facilities will support 864-count fiber cables with corresponding space and power capabilities.

Optimum has received top rankings from Ookla® Speedtest® for its 100% Fiber Internet network across multiple regions. The company secured first place for fastest and most reliable internet speeds, lowest latency, and best gaming experience in New York and New Jersey, while also leading in several categories in Connecticut.

The network, which offers up to 8 Gig symmetrical upload and download speeds, now reaches over 2.9 million passings and serves 500,000 residential customers. Optimum's fiber network provides 99.9% reliability, supporting data-intensive applications like gaming, graphic design, and video production.

Beyond fiber services, Optimum's hybrid-fiber coax network achieved top rankings for fastest internet speeds in several counties across Arizona, Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company also offers Optimum Stream, providing various TV packages including Entertainment TV, Extra TV, and Everything TV, integrating live TV with streaming apps through Google Play Store.

Lightpath, an all-fiber connectivity provider, has announced the creation of two distinct performance units to address growing AI-related infrastructure demands. The first unit, Major Infrastructure Solutions, led by EVP Tim Haverkate, will focus on high-capacity infrastructure between Data Centers and Cable Landing Stations, serving hyperscalers and wholesale clients. The second unit, Core Infrastructure and Networking Solutions, headed by newly appointed President Joe Harding, will continue serving Enterprise, Government, Education, Carrier, and Wireless customers with enterprise-class connectivity solutions.

This strategic reorganization aims to better align with emerging market trends, particularly the surge in AI-related network infrastructure demands. The Major Infrastructure unit will provide high-count fiber and conduit solutions, while the Core Infrastructure unit will focus on connecting customers to their digital destinations, including cloud providers and AI workloads.

Nexstar Media Group (NASDAQ: NXST) and Altice USA (NYSE: ATUS) have announced a comprehensive partnership agreement, resulting in the immediate restoration of all Nexstar programming to Optimum TV customers. The service restoration affects approximately two million viewers, who will now have access to NFL playoff games and local news content. While the companies expressed gratitude to their customers for their patience during the negotiation process, the specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Optimum has demanded MSG Networks refund customers approximately $125 million amid ongoing carriage negotiations and programming blackout affecting Knicks, Rangers, Islanders, and Devils games. The dispute centers on MSG Networks' pricing model, with Optimum claiming that nearly 50% of customers didn't watch MSG channels in 2024 yet were forced to pay.

The company criticizes MSG Networks for charging $30 per month for their Gotham Sports app, triple the $10 monthly value MSG Networks claims their content is worth. Optimum argues that MSG Networks is prioritizing profits over accessibility, highlighting the programmer's refusal of multiple negotiation attempts and potential connection to increasing the Sphere's share price.

Optimum continues to offer alternative viewing solutions, including assistance with Gotham Sports subscriptions and new video offerings starting at $30 per month for non-sports fans.

Lightpath, an all-fiber connectivity provider, reported significant AI-driven growth with nearly $110 million in digital infrastructure sales to hyperscalers in 2024. The company's AI-related infrastructure opportunities pipeline reached almost $1 billion by year-end.

The demand stems from major hyperscalers seeking substantial bandwidth for AI initiatives across more than 10 markets. Lightpath's network, spanning over 10,800 unique route miles across New York Metro, Boston Metro, and Miami Metro areas, is positioned to support high-bandwidth, low-latency AI deployments.

The company views this surge in AI-related connectivity demands as a generational opportunity to reshape fiber infrastructure in the US, anticipating continued growth in this sector.