AT&T becomes Official Connectivity Provider for US Open

The FAA awarded AT&T a $74.3 million task order for network planning in its air traffic control overhaul, part of a potential multi-billion-dollar, 15-year FENS project. The initiative aims to upgrade telecommunications infrastructure across 4,500 FAA facilities to support NextGen air traffic operations and improve cybersecurity and data exchange.

The FAA is moving toward a long-term network services agreement with AT&T for its FAA Enterprise Network Services (FENS). According to the FAA, an Aug. 11 undefinitized contract includes a $74.3 million task order for early planning and development, tied to a December 2028 air traffic control system target. The eventual IDIQ contract is expected to total multi-billions over up to 15 years.

SpaceX outlined plans for Starlink to compete with T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T, prompting shares to fall Wednesday and rebound Thursday. T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan said the threat is exaggerated. FCC approval of SpaceX deals totaling $19.6B for 65 MHz EchoStar spectrum could expand capacity. SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell said terrestrial buildout is intended. SPXC shares rose to $114.92.

AT&T (NYSE:T) completed a $23 billion acquisition of wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar (NASDAQ:ECHO) on July 28, adding about 50 MHz of low-band and mid-band spectrum across more than 400 markets. AT&T said the spectrum supports 5G capacity and uplink performance. In Q2, revenue rose to $31.6B and diluted EPS was $0.66. AT&T reiterated fiber targets to 40M locations by end-2026.

AT&T said it is expanding its 5G network after completing a $23 billion spectrum acquisition from EchoStar, adding 30 MHz of 3.45 GHz mid-band and about 20 MHz of 600 MHz low-band spectrum. AT&T selected Ericsson to supply 600 MHz dual-band radios and deploy 8RX uplink tech. The company reported up to 2x faster speeds and 10% fewer dropped calls, and raised Q2 2026 capex to $5.7 billion.

A House Select Committee on China report says US telecoms connected their networks to data centers and infrastructure that may link to China Telecom, China Mobile International, and China Unicom, creating exposure to Salt Typhoon hacking. AT&T, Verizon, Lumen confirmed breaches; T-Mobile reported suspicious activity. The FCC is drafting bans on Chinese-made data center components.