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Every fall, Spirit Halloween transforms vacant retail spaces into seasonal stores across North America. In 2026, the company announced plans to operate more than 1,550 locations, supported by tens of thousands of seasonal employees.

Then, shortly after Halloween, most of those locations close.

It's an unusual business model, but one that offers important lessons about market selection, operational efficiency, preparation and expansion.

For independent telecom dealers, the similarities are worth examining. Opening another retail location, entering a new market or expanding a sales team can create new revenue opportunities. But expansion also brings expenses, operational responsibilities and potential risks.

And unlike Spirit Halloween, Authorized Dealers must consider something particularly important before expanding: territorial authorization.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

How Spirit Halloween Operates More Than 1,550 Stores

Spirit Halloween has built a seasonal retail model around opening a large number of temporary locations during a relatively short selling period.

Rather than maintaining every storefront throughout the year, the company leases retail spaces, prepares them for the Halloween season and closes most locations after the holiday.

That approach requires significant coordination across real estate, staffing, inventory, logistics and store operations.

Why Temporary Retail Locations Make Financial Sense

Traditional retail stores carry ongoing expenses, including rent, utilities, staffing and maintenance.

Spirit Halloween's seasonal approach concentrates much of its physical retail activity around the period when demand for Halloween merchandise is highest.

Short-term leasing arrangements can reduce the need to maintain year-round storefronts, although temporary stores still involve substantial setup, staffing and operating costs.

The broader lesson is to match the business model to customer demand rather than assuming every location needs the same operating structure.

Successful Expansion Starts Months Before Opening

Spirit Halloween's stores may operate for only a few months, but preparing for that season is a year-round process.

The company must identify suitable properties, negotiate leases, coordinate inventory, recruit employees and prepare store operations before the selling season begins.

Telecom dealers face a similar challenge when opening additional offices.

The location may be new, but the planning, recruiting, training and operational processes should already be established before the doors open.

Market Selection Matters More Than Store Count

Opening more locations can increase sales opportunities, but the number of stores alone doesn't establish whether expansion is financially successful.

A location must have sufficient demand, manageable expenses and the right operational support.

For telecom dealers, market evaluation should include customer demand, service availability, local competition, staffing requirements and the costs associated with operating an additional office.

Expansion should be based on a realistic business opportunity, not simply the desire to increase the number of locations.

Telecom Dealers Must Obtain Territory Approval

One of the biggest differences between general retail expansion and Authorized Dealer expansion is territorial authorization.

Telecommunications providers may establish specific rules governing where dealers can market, sell and operate.

Selling outside an approved territory can result in serious consequences, including escalations, commission losses and potential risks to Authorized Dealer status.

Before investing in a new location or beginning sales in another market, dealers should contact their RS&I Area Sales Manager to confirm availability and obtain the required approvals.

RS&I Offers Expansion Incentives for Qualifying Dealers

RS&I offers financial incentives to qualifying Authorized Dealers interested in establishing additional offices in approved markets.

These incentives can help support eligible expansion efforts, but they are not a substitute for evaluating the underlying business opportunity.

Dealers should first discuss the proposed market with their Area Sales Manager, confirm territorial authorization and review any available program requirements before committing resources.

Repeatable Processes Make Growth More Manageable

One of Spirit Halloween's strengths is its ability to repeat a complex store-opening process across a large number of locations.

That requires standardized systems for recruiting, training, merchandising and operations.

Telecom dealers can apply a similar principle.

A repeatable process for hiring sales representatives, training employees, managing leads, following provider requirements and monitoring performance makes additional locations easier to manage.

The objective isn't simply to open another office. It's to build an operation that can perform consistently.

Expansion Creates Additional Management Responsibilities

Every new location introduces additional costs and operational complexity.

Owners may need to manage more employees, coordinate inventory or equipment, supervise sales activity, maintain compliance and monitor location-level profitability.

A business that performs well with one office may need stronger management systems before it can operate several successfully.

Growth should be supported by the resources necessary to sustain it.

A Bigger Business Isn't Always a More Profitable Business

Store count is an easy metric to notice, but it doesn't tell the entire story.

A telecom dealer operating five offices isn't necessarily more successful than one operating two.

The more important questions involve sales productivity, operating expenses, profitability and the return generated by each location.

Expanding too quickly can weaken an otherwise healthy business. Expanding carefully into the right markets can create meaningful opportunities.

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AT&T spent more than a decade building a major wireless business in Mexico. Through acquisitions, network investments and years of competition, the company established an operation serving nearly 25 million subscribers.

Now AT&T has agreed to sell that business.

The October 13, 2026, announcement outlines a transaction with Grupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings valued at $2 billion in cash, plus additional contractual and contingent benefits.

That raises an interesting question: Why would a telecommunications company sell a business with such a large customer base?

The answer involves more than subscriber counts. It reflects the economics of competing in a challenging market and AT&T's broader decision to focus investment on expanding fiber and wireless connectivity in the United States.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why AT&T Entered Mexico in the First Place

AT&T entered the Mexican wireless market in 2014 through its acquisition of Iusacell, followed by its purchase of Nextel Mexico in 2015.

Those acquisitions gave the company an established customer base and infrastructure it could use to build a larger wireless operation.

The strategy offered an opportunity to expand beyond the United States and compete in another major North American telecommunications market.

Building a Large Subscriber Base Takes Investment

AT&T invested billions of dollars into its Mexican operations over the following decade.

Expanding network coverage, improving service, acquiring customers and competing with established providers all required significant resources.

The company succeeded in building a wireless operation serving nearly 25 million subscribers.

But subscriber growth and financial performance aren't necessarily the same thing.

Why Nearly 25 Million Subscribers Weren't Enough

A large customer base can generate substantial revenue, but profitability depends on operating expenses, pricing, capital investment and competitive conditions.

AT&T Mexico faced a challenging market with strong established competitors, including Telcel.

Building and maintaining a modern wireless network requires ongoing investment, even when customer growth is strong.

Those economics help explain why a company might decide that a large operation no longer represents the best use of its capital.

What the $2 Billion Sale Includes

AT&T's agreement with Grupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings calls for $2 billion in cash, along with additional contractual and contingent benefits.

The transaction represents a major change in AT&T's international operations and gives the buyers an established wireless business with a significant subscriber base.

As announced, the transaction remains subject to applicable closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Until those requirements are satisfied and the transaction closes, AT&T Mexico remains part of AT&T.

AT&T Is Refocusing on the United States

The Mexico sale fits into a broader strategy centered on domestic fiber and wireless connectivity.

AT&T has outlined plans to reach more than 60 million fiber locations by the end of 2030.

That expansion involves acquisitions, construction partnerships, major supply agreements and new infrastructure financing arrangements.

Rather than continuing to invest in every market where it operates, AT&T is concentrating resources on the opportunities it believes best support its long-term strategy.

Fiber Is Becoming Central to AT&T's Growth Strategy

AT&T's fiber expansion isn't limited to building new infrastructure within its traditional wireline territory.

The company completed its acquisition of substantially all of Lumen's Mass Markets fiber business and announced a new fiber joint venture involving Gigapower, Forged Fiber 37, Global Infrastructure Partners and CPP Investments.

These moves support expansion into additional markets and demonstrate how AT&T is using multiple approaches to grow its fiber footprint.

For dealers, that means the geography of AT&T Fiber opportunities may continue changing.

Why Fiber and Wireless Convergence Matters

AT&T's strategy increasingly emphasizes the relationship between home internet and wireless connectivity.

A customer who can obtain both services from the same provider may see advantages in convenience, account management and available service combinations.

For AT&T, offering fiber and wireless together can create opportunities to deepen customer relationships and improve retention.

The combination also gives sales organizations more ways to address a customer's overall connectivity needs.

What the Buyers Could Do With AT&T Mexico

Grupo Televisa and Fintech Holdings are acquiring an established wireless operation rather than building a network and customer base from the beginning.

That creates opportunities to explore operating efficiencies, distribution strategies and potential service combinations.

However, the buyers will still face challenges involving competition, network investment and profitability.

The transaction's longer-term impact on the Mexican wireless market will depend on regulatory approval, closing and the strategies implemented afterward.

What This Means for Authorized Dealers

For Authorized Dealers, AT&T's shift toward U.S. fiber and wireless expansion creates several practical considerations.

As the company's network grows, previously unserviceable locations may become eligible for fiber service.

Dealers can revisit past customer inquiries, verify current availability and identify opportunities to serve customers looking for wireless, home internet or both.

The key is to stay informed about changes in the service footprint rather than relying on outdated assumptions about where AT&T Fiber is available.

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When a hurricane knocks out electricity, communications networks face challenges that go far beyond damaged cell towers.

Power outages, flooding, fallen trees, blocked roads and damaged fiber connections can all disrupt the infrastructure that keeps wireless customers connected. Even towers that survive the storm may lose service when commercial power or the connections supporting them fail.

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on October 9, 2026, as a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Hundreds of thousands of customers experienced power outages as emergency crews began assessing damage and restoring critical infrastructure.

Just one day earlier, SpaceX's agreement to acquire nationwide 800 MHz spectrum had brought renewed attention to satellite-to-phone connectivity and the future of wireless competition.

The timing highlighted an important question: Could satellite connectivity help keep people connected when terrestrial networks are damaged or unavailable?

 

 

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

What Happens to Cellular Networks During a Hurricane?

Wireless service depends on multiple layers of infrastructure.

Cell towers and antennas connect devices to the network, but those sites also need electricity and connections to the broader telecommunications system.

When hurricanes damage power lines, flood equipment sites or interrupt backhaul connections, customers can lose coverage even if nearby towers remain standing.

Restoring service often requires repairing several interconnected systems.

Why Power Outages Can Cause Wireless Outages

Commercial electricity is one of the most important dependencies for cellular networks.

Carriers use backup batteries and generators to help keep sites operating during power interruptions. However, backup power has limitations, especially when outages last for extended periods or crews cannot safely reach equipment.

Hurricane Isaias demonstrated how widespread power disruption can complicate recovery efforts across multiple communities.

How Wireless Carriers Restore Service After Storms

Network restoration involves more than repairing damaged towers.

Carriers may deploy generators, reposition portable network equipment, reroute traffic and adjust network configurations to preserve available capacity.

Technicians also have to coordinate with utility companies and emergency responders while navigating flooded roads, debris and other hazards.

Restoration priorities often include emergency communications and the areas experiencing the greatest service disruption.

T-Mobile's T-Satellite Shows Another Connectivity Option

During Hurricane Isaias, T-Mobile reported that more than 16,000 people used T-Satellite to exchange over 38,000 text messages in a single day.

The company also reported thousands of automated network adjustments as it worked to maintain service.

Those figures illustrate how satellite connectivity can provide another communication option when terrestrial coverage is unavailable.

However, the ability to send satellite messages should not be confused with having the full capabilities of a traditional cellular network.

SpaceX's Spectrum Agreement Could Expand Starlink Mobile

SpaceX's October 8 agreement to acquire nationwide 800 MHz spectrum represents another step in its broader mobile connectivity ambitions.

The deal, reportedly valued at approximately $8 billion, could provide additional spectrum resources for satellite-to-device services, subject to regulatory approval and technical implementation.

Spectrum is a critical ingredient in wireless communications, but acquiring it doesn't automatically create a nationwide replacement for existing cellular networks.

Building a competitive service also requires compatible devices, satellite capacity, reliable performance, network integration and commercial distribution.

Why Satellite-to-Phone Connectivity Matters

Traditional cellular networks work best where sufficient infrastructure can be deployed and maintained.

That leaves challenges in remote communities, wilderness areas, offshore locations and certain stretches of highway.

Satellite networks can potentially provide coverage in some of those locations without requiring a nearby terrestrial cell tower.

During disasters, that additional connectivity path could also become valuable when conventional networks are damaged.

Satellite Connectivity Still Has Limitations

Satellite-to-phone technology is advancing, but customers need realistic expectations.

Available capabilities can depend on the provider, compatible device, location, service plan and network conditions.

Some services focus on messaging, while broader voice and data capabilities are developing. Satellite connections may also face limitations related to capacity, obstructions, indoor reception and other environmental conditions.

A satellite connection should not automatically be presented as a complete substitute for traditional wireless service.

Could SpaceX Compete With Traditional Wireless Carriers?

SpaceX's expansion into mobile connectivity raises questions about how the wireless competitive landscape could change.

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile already operate extensive terrestrial networks, support millions of customer relationships and have significant retail, service and distribution operations.

SpaceX brings satellite infrastructure, launch capabilities and a different approach to expanding geographic reach.

The long-term competitive outcome remains uncertain, but satellite connectivity could influence how wireless coverage and network resilience are marketed.

Traditional Wireless Carriers Are Also Investing in Satellite

Satellite connectivity isn't exclusively a SpaceX strategy.

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile have announced a joint venture intended to help expand direct-to-device satellite connectivity and improve integration between satellite and terrestrial wireless networks.

That collaboration demonstrates how the industry is exploring satellite as an additional layer of connectivity rather than treating it solely as a replacement for cellular networks.

What Authorized Dealers Need to Understand

As satellite services receive more attention, customers are likely to ask increasingly specific questions.

Can their existing phone connect to a satellite? Will messaging work during a major storm? Can they make regular calls? Does satellite connectivity work indoors? Is the service included in their wireless plan?

Those questions create opportunities for more informed conversations.

Dealers don't need to be satellite engineers, but they do need to understand the differences between currently available services and capabilities that are still being developed.

Accurate expectations are particularly important when customers are making decisions about emergency communications.

 

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Building a fiber network that reaches more than 60 million locations requires far more than installing cable. It takes years of planning, construction crews, permits, equipment, access to capital, and the ability to coordinate enormous infrastructure projects across multiple markets.

AT&T has been assembling several of those pieces through a series of major agreements and acquisitions.

The company completed its $5.75 billion acquisition of substantially all of Lumen's Mass Markets fiber business, announced a multi-year agreement with Corning worth more than $3 billion, and reached an agreement with Global Infrastructure Partners and CPP Investments to establish a new fiber infrastructure joint venture.

Each development addresses a different challenge in building a national fiber network. Together, they help explain how AT&T intends to expand its footprint while changing the economics of who builds, owns, funds, and operates the infrastructure.

For Authorized Dealers, the implications extend beyond construction. As the fiber footprint expands into additional markets, new opportunities can emerge in places where AT&T Fiber wasn't previously available.

 

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

AT&T's Ambition Goes Beyond Traditional Fiber Expansion

AT&T is pursuing a fiber footprint exceeding 60 million locations by the end of 2030.

Reaching that scale requires a combination of organic network construction, acquisitions, partnerships, and new financing structures. No single agreement can accomplish the entire expansion.

Understanding how those pieces fit together provides a clearer picture of where the company is investing and why.

The Lumen Acquisition Adds More Than Customers

In February 2026, AT&T completed its $5.75 billion acquisition of substantially all of Lumen's Mass Markets fiber business.

The transaction brought more than one million fiber subscribers and more than four million fiber locations across 11 states.

It also provided additional fiber construction capabilities, which can support future expansion. Instead of beginning every market from scratch, AT&T acquired an existing customer base, network footprint, and operational resources.

Corning Supplies the Physical Foundation

Fiber expansion depends on the availability of enormous quantities of specialized materials.

AT&T's multi-year agreement with Corning, valued at more than $3 billion, helps secure fiber and cable for its continued network construction.

The agreement illustrates a basic reality of telecommunications infrastructure: ambitious coverage targets require dependable manufacturing and supply chains long before customers can purchase service.

The New Joint Venture Brings Infrastructure Investors Into the Picture

AT&T, Global Infrastructure Partners, and CPP Investments have agreed to create a fiber joint venture combining Gigapower and Forged Fiber 37.

Under the announced structure, AT&T will own 50% of the new company, while GIP and CPP Investments will collectively own the remaining 50%.

The joint venture is intended to operate as a wholesale commercial open-access fiber provider, helping AT&T expand beyond its traditional wireline territory while sharing the capital requirements with infrastructure investors.

What Open-Access Fiber Actually Means

In a traditional vertically integrated model, the same company may build the network, own the infrastructure, and sell internet service to customers.

Open-access fiber separates some of those responsibilities.

A network company builds and operates the physical fiber infrastructure, while internet service providers can use that network to deliver services to customers under commercial agreements.

That means the company providing a customer's internet service doesn't necessarily have to own the fiber carrying the connection.

Why Infrastructure Investors Want Fiber Networks

Fiber infrastructure requires substantial upfront investment, but well-positioned networks can support long-term demand for broadband connectivity.

That makes fiber potentially attractive to investors seeking exposure to essential infrastructure.

By partnering with investors, telecommunications companies can share the cost of network expansion while continuing to focus on service delivery, customer acquisition, and other parts of their businesses.

A Capital-Light Approach Can Expand AT&T's Reach

AT&T describes the new joint venture as a capital-light approach to expanding beyond its traditional service areas.

Rather than funding every new network entirely through its own balance sheet, AT&T can work with partners that invest in and operate the infrastructure.

That structure can create opportunities to enter markets where the economics of a fully company-owned build might otherwise be more difficult.

The Network and the Service Are Becoming Separate Businesses

One of the most important trends in telecommunications is the growing distinction between owning infrastructure and owning the customer relationship.

The company manufacturing the fiber, the investors financing construction, the organization operating the network, and the provider selling internet service may all be different businesses.

We've seen versions of this model in wireless, where carriers use tower infrastructure they don't necessarily own. Fiber has different economics and operating requirements, but the broader principle is similar.

A provider can serve customers without owning every piece of infrastructure involved.

What AT&T's Expansion Means for Authorized Dealers

For Authorized Dealers, network expansion creates potential sales opportunities, but availability must be verified at the address level.

Acquisitions, joint ventures, and open-access networks can introduce AT&T Fiber into markets outside its historical footprint.

That makes it important for dealers to stay informed about coverage changes rather than relying entirely on where service was available previously.

Today's Infrastructure Investment Creates Tomorrow's Customers

Fiber networks don't generate customer relationships simply by being built.

Once locations become serviceable, providers still need to acquire subscribers, explain available products, and help customers make purchasing decisions.

That's where the network expansion story connects directly to the sales channel.

The infrastructure being financed and constructed today creates the markets where providers and Authorized Dealers will compete for customers tomorrow.

 

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AT&T. Verizon. T-Mobile.

Three companies that spend billions of dollars competing for wireless customers are now working together on something that could help shape the next generation of mobile connectivity.

The carriers have entered into a joint venture focused on direct-to-device satellite connectivity. The goal is to help satellite and terrestrial wireless networks work together more effectively, expanding coverage into places where building traditional cellular infrastructure can be difficult or uneconomical.

At first, competitors collaborating might seem unusual. But cooperation has always existed underneath the competition in telecommunications. Carriers have relied on roaming agreements, network interconnection, technical standards and shared infrastructure for decades.

Now that cooperation is extending beyond the terrestrial network.

It's going to space.

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What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Why Wireless Competitors Sometimes Work Together

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile compete aggressively for customers, but that doesn't mean their networks exist entirely independently.

Wireless carriers have a long history of cooperation through roaming agreements, interconnection and common technical standards. Those arrangements help customers remain connected even when they're outside their carrier's primary network footprint.

Satellite connectivity introduces a new version of the same challenge.

The New Joint Venture Is Focused on Direct-to-Device Satellite

The AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile joint venture is designed to help expand direct-to-device satellite connectivity across the United States.

Instead of requiring a traditional satellite phone or dedicated terminal, direct-to-device technology aims to connect compatible mobile devices through satellites when terrestrial coverage isn't available.

The carriers plan to coordinate limited spectrum resources and establish common technical specifications that can make integration between satellite and terrestrial wireless networks easier.

The Goal Is to Reduce Wireless Dead Zones

Modern cellular networks cover enormous portions of the country, but universal terrestrial coverage is difficult.

Remote highways, rural communities, offshore locations, wilderness areas and other sparsely populated regions can be expensive to cover with traditional cellular infrastructure.

Satellite changes that equation.

It doesn't necessarily need to replace a terrestrial network. It can provide another connectivity layer in places where building towers and other infrastructure doesn't make economic sense.

Starlink Is Changing the Competitive Landscape

SpaceX is pushing Starlink beyond traditional satellite broadband through its Direct to Cell technology.

That matters to wireless carriers because satellite connectivity is beginning to overlap with services historically provided through terrestrial mobile networks.

As those capabilities improve, the distinction between a satellite company and a wireless company becomes less obvious.

Satellite Doesn't Have to Replace Cellular to Matter

It's easy to frame new technologies as replacement stories.

Satellite versus cellular. Wireless versus fiber. Fiber versus cable.

But connectivity increasingly doesn't work that way.

Satellite can become extremely valuable without replacing terrestrial wireless. It simply needs to solve problems the existing network struggles to solve efficiently.

That makes satellite potentially complementary and competitive at the same time.

Disasters Highlight the Value of Multiple Networks

Coverage isn't only a rural issue.

Natural disasters and other emergencies can damage terrestrial infrastructure or interrupt traditional connectivity. A satellite layer provides another potential path when towers, fiber connections or other infrastructure are unavailable.

The larger the role connectivity plays in everyday life, the more valuable network resilience becomes.

Fiber, Wireless and Satellite Solve Different Problems

Each technology has strengths.

Fiber provides capacity.

Fiber networks can move enormous amounts of data efficiently and form a critical part of the infrastructure connecting homes, businesses, wireless networks, data centers and other systems.

Terrestrial wireless provides mobility.

Cellular networks allow customers and devices to stay connected while moving across large geographic areas.

Satellite provides reach.

Satellite networks can extend connectivity beyond locations that terrestrial infrastructure can economically cover.

The future may not require choosing one.

It may depend on combining all three.

The Customer May Eventually Stop Caring Which Network Is Working

One of the most interesting possibilities is a future where the underlying network becomes increasingly invisible to the customer.

A device could primarily use terrestrial wireless, rely on fiber somewhere deeper in the network and switch to satellite when terrestrial coverage disappears.

The customer doesn't necessarily need to understand that architecture.

They simply need the connection to work.

Dealers Can Ask a Better Question

For Authorized Dealers, convergence creates an opportunity to rethink the customer conversation.

“Who's your wireless provider?” is useful, but it only tells you part of the story.

A potentially more valuable question is:

“Where does your connectivity stop working?”

That question can uncover remote locations, traveling employees, coverage gaps, backup requirements and other problems that aren't obvious when the conversation starts with a specific product.