Articles by Jeff Kagan

Comcast has grown from a small cable television company in the 1990s to the largest conglomerate in the space, all thanks to Brian Roberts and his father Ralph Roberts. It was a real bootstrapping, entrepreneurial, family-run company that did many great things over the years and helped to transform the industry. Has it now grown too large? Will Co...

There are currently two different realities we have to wrestle with if we are a customer of either AT&T or Verizon Wireless. Walk into any of their wireless stores, and they will happily tell you everything the wonderful and futuristic 4G phones can do. They'll sweep you off your feet with excitement, and you'll buy, buy, buy. However, when you ge...

I am writing a book that I may call "CEOs on the Future of Communications." The reason I'm telling this to you now is to invite you to participate in the process of writing it. The idea is simple: to provide a taste of what different tech leaders see as the future of the industry -- changes that will affect customers, investors, workers, partners ...

A few weeks ago I visited C Spire Wireless in Ridgeland, Miss. I didn't know what to expect. It's gone through quite a few changes recently; however, I have to say it was a delightful surprise. They were impressive and friendly. I met with the senior executives, they showed me around, we toured a retail store, they explained their strategy and ans...

This week I'll share my perspective on what AT&T Mobility is doing so right and so wrong. My Pick of the Week is some good news from Alcatel-Lucent -- finally -- and a problem that Ericsson is trying to understand. Every day, I get calls from reporters looking for comments on stories it are writing about AT&T. I'm sometimes asked whether I love or...

This week I'll share my perspective on what AT&T Mobility is doing so right and so wrong. My Pick of the Week is some good news from Alcatel-Lucent -- finally -- and a problem that Ericsson is trying to understand. Every day, I get calls from reporters looking for comments on stories it are writing about AT&T. I'm sometimes asked whether I love or...

What do Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook and Apple's iPad have in common? What about authors like Stephen King, Barbara Freethy, C.J. Lyons, Amanda Hocking and Michael Prescott? If you said they represent the changing book publishing industry, you would be right. The book business is going through a major transformation. Who will the winners and losers be among publishers, stores and authors? ...

Every day we hear about how AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless are running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to grab as much wireless spectrum as they can. We all remember the quality problems AT&T smartphone customers suffered. That same future is in store for every carrier and every customer unless we come up with a solution. ...

We've been hearing a lot about the cloud, but what is it exactly? Going forward, I will be writing about different companies and ideas and the cloud, but here I'll focus on this new area and how it will transform every company in every industry over the next several years. We are starting to see companies like Apple, Amazon and Barnes & Noble ente...

One look around last week's Consumer Electronics Show was all it took to see the automotive industry is really getting in-sync with the consumer electronics and wireless worlds. There is enormous opportunity, but there is also quite a bit of risk. Will these two industries work well together? Who and what will lead? The auto business has been ramp...

The retail space is changing. Twenty years ago we used to shop and buy in person at retail stores. Ten years ago, the Internet started a change Wave. We could buy online but were not ready yet. So we shopped online, but we still bought in person at stores. Now we have reversed this trend completely. Today we shop in retail stores to see and touch, but we buy online because prices are lower.

The CES we have grown to love is ending. Not sure CES realizes it yet. If you are like me, you both love and hate this time of year. Love it because this is the time of year when the Consumer Electronics Show comes to Las Vegas. Hate it for the same reason. We haven't even recovered from the holiday season....

Lately, I have been asked by reporters to compare AT&T and Verizon and predict what 2012 will look like for them and their competitors. At this point, all I can say is it's happy holidays at Verizon, but not so much at AT&T. What a difference a year makes. These two companies led the changes in the wireless industry over the last decade. They look...

Lately, I have been asked by reporters to compare AT&T and Verizon and predict what 2012 will look like for them and their competitors. At this point, all I can say is it's happy holidays at Verizon, but not so much at AT&T. What a difference a year makes. These two companies led the changes in the wireless industry over the last decade. They look...

Last week, I focused on companies to keep our eyes on in 2012. This week, I'll share my views on different technologies and their place on the Wave. Remember, some are growing and others are falling. There are key differences for investors, customers and workers 2012 is all about togetherness. Companies will be trying to lock in customers by gettin...

Over the last 25 years, I have had a ball as a tech analyst following who is hot and who is not and what is next. I look at companies and technologies. There was plenty to follow in 2011. What about 2012? Believe it or not, it may be even busier with winners and losers. At the end of every year, I look around the industry and try to call the winn...

Androids and iPhones are not the only things that are new in wireless. Networks like C Spire and U.S. Cellular are starting to market themselves very differently to customers. They're using rewards and loyalty programs, which may play a larger role in winning and keeping business going forward. Will Verizon, AT&T and Sprint follow? C Spire just e...

I recently discovered Intermap, a company that helps wireless networks solve a growing problem -- poor signal quality and strength. It has seen growth rates of 419 percent during the last year and, based on what I've seen so far, that may just be the beginning. ...

The starting gun has just been fired. The new Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet have entered the tablet space, preparded to compete with the Apple iPad. That means this new industry segment will quickly change and evolve into a completely new and different model. The problem is, no one is educating us as consumers and investors about this change. We have decisions and choices to make...

Apple's iPhone is showing up everywhere this year. Most major competitors have it, and Apple has also knocked on the doors of some of the Tier 2 players. In an interesting twist, C Spire said yes, and U.S. Cellular said no thanks. Why? I thought everyone wanted the iPhone -- but they have their reasons, and this could be good news for both. We all...