communications

Sept. 23 (UPI) — The U.S. Secret Service announced it has disrupted a telecommunications network in New York that it said could have shut down telecom services in the tri-state area, as well as posed a threat to the United Nations General Assembly meetings this week.

The Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices in the area that were used to conduct multiple threats at senior U.S. government officials, which created a threat to the agency’s protective operations, a press release said.

The investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites. This could enable encrypted, anonymous communication and was capable of sending 30 million text messages per minute. Officials said the servers were so powerful they could have disabled cell phone towers and launched distributed denial of services attacks with the ability to block emergency communications like EMS and police dispatch. They found the devices in five locations within 35 miles of New York.

“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran in a statement. “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”

McCool said the investigation is ongoing, and agents are working to learn if the target was the U.N.

He said the Secret Service discovered the network while investigating a large number of threats to officials the service was protecting that grew earlier this year.

“Following multiple telecommunications-related imminent threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials this spring, the U.S. Secret Service began a protective intelligence investigation to determine the extent and impact these threats could have on protective operations,” he said.

Officials declined to name the officials who were threatened.

“Each SIM basically has the equivalent data of a cell phone. So we’re working through every call, every text, every search made on those SIM cards,” an official told CBS News. “Early analysis indicates that this network was used for communication between foreign governments and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement here in the U.S.”

Pandemic communications star Zoom Communications (ZM 9.98%) stock, um (I’m trying not to say “zoomed”), moved ahead quickly Friday morning, rising 8% through 9:50 a.m. ET after beating soundly on its fiscal Q2 2026 earnings report last night.

Analysts forecast Zoom would earn $1.38 per share, adjusted for one-time items, on sales of $1.2 billion. Zoom earned $1.53 instead, and sales were a bit ahead of $1.2 billion.

Image source: Getty Images.

Zoom Q2 earnings

The report wasn’t quite as good as that makes it sound. Sales grew less than 5% year over year, and Zoom’s earnings as calculated according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) weren’t quite as robust as the “adjusted” figure. GAAP profits were actually only $1.16 per share.

Still — and here I’m going to say it — those earnings zoomed 66% higher in comparison to last year’s Q2.

(For what it’s worth, the rise in adjusted earnings was only 10%).

Is Zoom stock a buy?

Commenting on the results, CEO Eric Yuan said “Zoom is at the forefront [of how] AI is transforming the way we work together,” essentially arguing that Zoom is an artificial intelligence stock — and the numbers back him up.

Zoom generated an incredible $508 million in Q2 free cash flow (FCF), up 39% year over year, and the company’s generated nearly $1 billion ($971.3 million, to be precise) in FCF so far this year. If Zoom can keep going at that rate, the company could conceivably rack up nearly $2 billion in cash profits this year, and at a market cap of only $24 billion, this would value the stock at barely 12 times FCF.

Whether Zoom’s growing at 66%, 39%, or even only 10%, that probably makes it a great growth stock buy.

The proposed merger, which would create the largest cable provider in the US, could face antitrust hurdles.

Charter Communications has agreed to buy its rival Cox Communications for $21.9bn in a deal that would unite the two of the largest cable and broadband operators in the United States as they battle streaming giants and mobile carriers for customers.

The deal, announced on Friday, comes more than a decade after the companies reportedly abandoned an earlier merger attempt. Since then, pressure has intensified on cable companies, with wireless carriers attracting broadband customers with aggressive plans, while millions ditch traditional pay-TV for streaming.

The companies said they expect to realise $500m in cost savings within three years of the deal’s expected close in mid-2026.

Under the cash-and-stock deal, Charter will take on about $12.6bn of Cox’s net debt and other obligations, giving the transaction an enterprise value of $34.5bn.

Cox Enterprises, the family-owned parent of Cox Communications, will own about 23 percent of the merged entity, with its CEO Alex Taylor serving as chairman.

The combined firm will rebrand as Cox Communications within a year of the deal’s close, with Charter’s Spectrum being the consumer-facing brand. It will keep its headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, while maintaining a big presence at Cox’s campus in Atlanta, Georgia.

The merger with Cox – one of the biggest deals globally this year – will aid Charter’s push to bundle broadband and mobile services, helping it fend off competition from carriers.

Analysts have said Charter’s strategy of combining internet, TV and mobile services into a single, customizable package has shown merit, but it needs scale as cable firms rely on leasing network access from major carriers to offer mobile plans.

“This combination will augment our ability to innovate and provide high-quality, competitively priced products,” said Charter CEO Chris Winfrey, who will head the combined company.

The Spectrum-owner has a market value of nearly $60bn.

On Wall Street, Charter’s stock rose on the news of the potential merger. As of 12:00pm ET (16:00 GMT) the stock is up 1.66 percent since the market opened.

Antitrust concerns 

The merger will be among the first major tests of M&A regulation under the administration of US President Donald Trump, as it would create the largest US cable TV and broadband provider with about 38 million subscribers, surpassing current market leader Comcast.

It will likely be reviewed by the US Department of Justice’s antitrust division. Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, who leads the division, has made it clear she intends to focus on mergers that decrease competition in ways that harm consumers or workers.

EMarketer analyst Ross Benes said the merged entity would be the largest US pay-TV operator, but the “ISP (internet service provider) side of the business is more consequential” for consumers, potentially positioning it as a regional monopoly.

Winfrey echoed Trump’s “America First” employment priorities and said the deal would bring Cox’s customer service jobs back from overseas, but he did not specify how many. Charter’s customer service teams are already based entirely in the US.

“This is the first big corporate move (in the same sector) to happen under the new Trump administration so … will set the tone for other potential moves or not,” said PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore.

Charter and Cox had also discussed a merger in 2013 before shelving the plan, according to media reports. But speculation had risen again in recent months after cable billionaire John Malone said in November Charter should be allowed to merge with rivals such as Cox, shortly after Charter agreed to buy his Liberty Broadband.

Liberty Broadband shareholders will receive direct interest in Charter under the terms of the deal with Cox.

May 16 (UPI) — Charter Communications, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States, announced a merger Friday with privately held Cox Communications in a multi-billion-dollar deal.

Once the merger is completed, the new entity will retain the name of Atlanta-based Cox, a subsidiary of parent company Cox Enterprises, a private firm founded in 1898 that also has dealings in the automotive industry. Cox acquired its first cable franchise in 1962.

The deal gives Cox Communications a value of approximately $34.5 billion.

Charter Communications’ stock climbed sharply on the Nasdaq Composite at market open Friday before retreating somewhat. The company’s shares were up $7.03 or 1.68% at 10:42 a.m. EDT.

Under the terms of the deal, Connecticut-based Charter is acquiring all of Cox’s commercial fiber and managed IT and cloud businesses. Cox will also get $4 billion worth of cash and approximately $17.9 billion worth of combined shares, giving the parent company an approximately 23% ownership stake in the new venture.

The new company will remain headquartered in Stamford, Conn., and also assume an existing $12 billion worth of Cox Communications’ debt.

Prior to the deal, Charter was the largest cable operator in the United States, reaching over 32 million subscribers in 41 states. It was also the fifth-largest provider of residential phone lines.

Charter’s Spectrum brand will survive the merger and will “become the consumer-facing brand within the communities Cox serves.”

In 2017, Charter announced a partnership with Comcast Communications to share information about wireless services, a year after its $78.7 billion purchase of Time Warner Cable.

“Cox and Charter have been innovators in connectivity and entertainment services — with decades of work and hundreds of billions of dollars invested to build, upgrade, and expand our complementary regional networks to provide high-quality internet, video, voice and mobile services,” Charter President and CEO Chris Winfrey said in a jointly-issued statement.

“This combination will augment our ability to innovate and provide high-quality, competitively priced products, delivered with outstanding customer service, to millions of homes and businesses.

“We will continue to deliver high-value products that save American families money, and we’ll onshore jobs from overseas to create new, good-paying careers for U.S. employees that come with great benefits, career training and advancement, and retirement and ownership opportunities.”

Winfrey will retain both executive titles upon completion of the deal.

“Our family has always believed that investing for the long-term and staying committed to the best interests of our customers, employees and communities is the best recipe for success,” Cox Enterprises Chairman and CEO Alex Taylor said in the companies’ statement.

“In Charter, we’ve found the right partner at the right time and in the right position to take this commitment to a higher level than ever before, delivering an incredible outcome for our customers, employees, suppliers and the local communities we serve.”