Century Link Merger with Level 3 Raises Stock Market Questions

The Connected Home is Proud to be an Authorized Representative for Century Link Phones and Century Link Internet Services

Today we are sharing some information on Century Links recent acquisition of Level 3 Communications. We are sure this will only build the long term value of Century Link, but we note that it may rock the boat in terms of Wall Street for a while.

In the case of the $34 billion merger between CenturyLink Inc. (NYSE: CTL) and Level 3 Communications Inc. (NYSE: LVLT), the deal may have done more than just pressure the acquirer. The initial read a few days after the deal’s announcement could suggest that CenturyLink and Level 3 just ruined their stock charts for some time ahead. Still, CenturyLink did announce later in the week that it is selling its data center business for $2.15 billion in a fresh news announcement.  Read more..

CenturyLink CEO Glen Post addresses shareholders during the company’s annual meeting at the company headquarters in Monroe last year.(Photo: FILE/USA TODAY NETWORK OF LOUISIANA)

CenturyLink, which last week announced a blockbuster deal to buy Level 3 Communications in a $34 billion deal, will help pay for it by selling its data centers and colocation business to a consortium led by BC Partners for $2.3 billion.thetowntalk.com

​But making CenturyLink, Inc. an even more interesting and timely stock to look at, is the fact that in trading on Thursday, shares of CTL entered into oversold territory, changing hands as low as $22.86 per share. We define oversold territory using the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which is a technical analysis indicator used to measure momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30.

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Is CTL Stock’s Dividend Yield Threatened?
Centurylink Inc (NYSE:CTL) stock has been in hot water for long time, despite paying a market-beating dividend yield. Income investors have been questioning how long this telecom giant will be able to sustain its payout when sales are shrinking.

But this week, CenturyLink surprised investors by announcing plans to buy Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE:LVLT) for about $34.0 billion in cash and stocks in an effort to grab a share of the heavy Internet traffic market for businesses. The acquisition, subject to regulatory approval, values Level 3 at $66.50 a share, offering a 42% premium over its stock price being traded before reports of the potential acquisition by CenturyLink. The equity value of the deal, excluding debt, is about $24.0 billion. (Source: “Centurylink To Acquire Level 3 Communications,” Centurylink Inc, October 31, 2016.)

Taking into consideration the immediate market reaction, it seems investors aren’t happy with this deal, as CTL stock plunged over 12% soon after the details of this acquisition surfaced. This happened despite CenturyLink’s statement that it expects to maintain its annual dividend of $2.16 per share.

What ever the near term future of Century Link’s stock price, we are confident that they will continue to offer good value to Minnesota Phone and Internet users.  If you are looking to add change or upgrade your phone or Internet service be sure to contact us at The Connected Home. 612-424-8483  

​We are your source for century link services.

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Is Broadsoft Competing With Their Customers?

Broadsoft announced the acquisition of VoIP Logic yesterday. When I looked over the web site of VoIP Logic all I could read from it is they provide a white label solution to others who want to be carriers. If that's the case, one of two directions are possible following the acquisition.

A) Broadsoft is going to deploy more tools to their customer base so they can do more, and take some pieces of the telephony stack away from others.

or

B) They are going to create an enterprise service in the cloud that any business could easily configure and cut out the service provider.

Given Broadsoft is working with telco giants like Verizon, it's likely that option A is the answer, but at the same time Broadsoft os assembling the pieces that takes them well beyond a switch and app server company, and more of a cloud communications hub that could sell businesses direct, much like Amazon has done with streaming, AWS and EC2..

 

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ESPN’s Numbers Are Down. It’s Time To Rethink Sports Broadcasting

ESPN's numbers are down. Again. This doesn't bode well for the sports leagues as more and more cable subscribers become cord-cutters. Add in the growing number of never corders and this spells trouble ahead for ESPN and parent Disney.

Maybe WWE with their online streaming network, and their ongoing quest to acquire all content that's wrestling, new and old is the right idea. And if you look at the sports leagues, starting with MLB and their MLB@BAT streaming service, the NFL's deal with Verizon and now Twitter, the future of sports rights will be OTT, not simply the usually broadcast rights deals that have been their staple and major source of revenue to franchises for many, many years.

This over the horizon look into the fate of ESPN is really more a harbinger of things to come for the leagues and college conferences who are paid collectively billions each year. ESPN won't be the only network to take a hit from declining subscriber numbers. So will the regional sports networks largely owned by Fox Sports. 

To address this the apps on your mobile device will be the new "channels" to market, and in turn, the tuning in will be managed by Apple and Google, not Comcast, Charter as we know it. It's also why you'll be seeing the mobile operators in the USA, now four, continue to move more into content, as evidenced by the AT&T desire to buy Time Warner.

The era of Content Direct is coming, and sports is going to be at the front of the line as cable churn increases on channels, and the data network demand increases. 

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James Tagg Leaves Truphone

After over 15 years, and ten years since it's formal launch on Nokia N series phones, founder James Tagg has left Truphone reports Telecompaper.

 

The departure, long in the planning, will allow the inventive founder to focus on new technologies. Tagg, who also invented the video touchscreen, came up with the idea of Truphone due to spotty coverage at The Farm in the Kent, England countryside.

He first made the Truphone service work on the Symbian OS for Nokia phones, and demo'd it at VON in 2005. Two years later at DEMO in San Diego, Tagg and co-founder Alistair Campbell demo'd the potential of Truphone's Mobile App on an iPhone, almost a year before Apple opened up the iPhone OS to allow third party apps. Truphone then became the first over the top app to release on iPhone and Android with actual inbound and outbound phone numbers.

Over the next decade Tagg spent most of his time working on the concept of simplifying and streamlining Global Roaming starting with the announcement of Truphone Local Anywhere. The service which debuted in 2009 initially offered phone numbers in the UK, USA and Australia, allowing global travelers in those countries to actually be local with their mobile devices on a single SIM. By 2014 the services was live in seven countries and working in over 60 countries with flat rate calling, texting and data services. During that time, Tagg and his team built a global network that allowed one hop, connectivity without the need for voice and data traffic to have to go back to a mobile network's HLR back home. 

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How to Find the Best High Speed Internet Company: Minnesota

​Get Free Help When Shopping for Internet and TV Bundles in Minneapolis, St Paul or elsewhere in Minnesota.

Getting straight information about your options when setting up a new internet and or TV connection can be difficult.  The companies of course all claim to offer the best service and often toss around technical jargon, few people actually understand.  It is nearly impossible to know who to believe. Complicating things is the simple fact that in many cases the best answer is that, “It depends.”

How will you and your family use the internet. Are you looking for TV as well as online access. Are you a Gamer, do you avidly follow sports or are you more interested in news and information or perhaps old movies. Will you be downloading a lot of music?

Thankfully, there is a place where you can get free unbiased advice on who are your best choice of internet companies in Minneapolis, St Paul and all of Minnesota.

The Connected Home has been working to help people understand their options and get the best deal on internet and TV Bundles. Minneapolis based, they serve the entire state of Minnesota and can help not only with high-speed internet, but also satellite TV, Internet Access, and Home Security offerings around the entire state of Minnesota.

The Connected Home is proud to partner with a variety of companies to offer you high-quality high-speed internet service at competitive rates. Give us a call to learn what company may best meet your needs. 612-424-8483  Read More:

Learn more about The Connected Home here: ​http://goo.gl/N1h7EK

Services offered include advice on

1. Internet in Minneapolis and across the State
2. TV Access – Cable and/or Satellite Options
3. Local Phone Service  (Yes, People still do use landlines)
4. Home Security
5. Bundles of all of the above

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Get Frontier Internet for Minnesota Homes and Cabins

The Connected Home can help you access Frontier Internet if it is available in your area.

The Connected Home represents many different ISPs as well as TV providers in Minnesota. Each provider has its own service area and as such, we often are limited by our customers location. 

So our first step is to determine which services are available at your address.  In Minnesota, many of our rural and suburban communities have access to Frontier Communications services. 

The Connected Home will help you get Frontier Internet Minnesota

Frontier offers phone, TV and internet access.

Among the benefits they offer are a no contract service. As they say in the promotional material, they are confident that you will love their service. No signature is needed.  Compare that to others vendors, some of whom need a two year commitment.

Speaking of two years, they also offer a price guarantee for a full two years. 

Plus they offer a free router, saving you the expense or even worse the rental charges some cable providers gouge their customers on.

And in terms of quality of service, they offer a dedicated connection. That results in more speed for you vs. shared connections that bog down when too many of your neighbors are online the same time you are.

Get a Frontier Landline

Many people have given up their landlines. but if and when you have an emergency, a landline can be a lifesaver. Frontier’s home phone service is reliable and can be used to connect to your security system. Better yet, the voice quality is clear, which makes it easier to hear, especially for persons with less than 100% hearing.

Inexpensive on its own, it is a true bargain when packaged with  internet service.
​

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Frontier Means Business

Frontier Means BusinessWhen you choose Frontier, you never have to worry about connecting with clients. You get Internet that’s reliably fast and phones with a steady, crystal-clear connection. Here’s more of what Frontier can offer your small business:

• Multiple Wi-Fi networks for private use or customers’
• Intuitive phone features, with up to 12 lines
• Private data lines on lightning-fast Internet
• Unlimited Cloud backup

Get a competitive advantage today with Frontier Internet.

Keep in touch with The Connected Home

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Amazon and Home Delivery -Winds of Change

So if you're an Amazon customer for a few years you likely have been noticing how many times a day a different delivery person shows up with your Amazon delivery. If you dig deep you'll see that the deliveries come via various delivery companies, some of whom are really giant logistics companies. Here in Southern California I've counted no less than five different delivery services who bring my Amazon orders, sometimes on-time, sometimes late, sometimes to my door, sometimes to the building office or sometimes in my mailbox. Let's first breakdown who delivers what (at least here)

• USPS-aka the Post Office. They deliver Amazon Fresh to the door (sometimes or to my building).
• USPS for Amazon Packages that are mailed or via FedEx Smartship and international shipments. Sometimes left in the building office. Sometimes in my mailbox or a key. Never to my door. No real clue a package is here except if I look at Amazon web site or receive an email and then need to hunt around for it.
• On Trac – Packages that usually are fulfilled via a local Amazon Distribution Center (later in the day) To my door when home, to the office when I'm not with a door sticker.
• Amazon Delivery - Packages that usually are fulfilled via a local Amazon Distribution Center-To my door when home or not regardless of signature required or not.
• Amazon Prime Now-an on demand delivery team ala Postmates or Uber
• FedEx-hardly ever.
• UPS-to my door. Signature always. If I'm not home, note on my door, package in left in building office.

Hands down the best experience today is UPS that I've seen over the past year but I see that being challenged by Amazon's own delivery team.

Today with all these companies in the mix Amazon has a consistency problem, and it's what I think they are trying to address more and more with their own Amazon Delivery team. I say that because having conversations with the delivery team from time to time reveals a lot about what's going on. You can see a more UPS like approach evolving, and it's obvious Amazon is learning.

But to grow, Amazon is going to need to create its own infrastructure, not only buy airplanes and drones. This makes companies like OnTrac, a regional delivery company in the western states, an endangered spices, as the level of consumer complaints never seems to quiet down (do a google search). In essence, Amazon could easily hire away executives and a labor force from UPS, OnTrac and FedEx, and create their own supply, logistics and delivery business.  What's more, since Amazon is all about data, they can build one massive "when and how" to deliver to you database better than anyone. If they link up with Uber or Lyft they could even begin to offer "personal" delivery using the micro distribution centers for on demand, something Amazon Prime Now is deploying.

To me, Amazon is a company that really disrupts markets. They know how to do it, and do it with consistency and end up doing it very well, with real world trials, not concepts simply on a white board. I see delivery as their next big frontier.

 

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