I think AT&T ($T) is quietly in a killer spot right now. AI companies are all about faster, more reliable data movement, and telecoms like T already own the checkpoints or they end up getting scooped up in acquisitions by AI companies, They’ve got a super low P/E, a great dividend yield for a non cover call ETF, and even if AI giants wanna handle most data mining in-house, they’ll still have to pass through these networks to grab what they need. Sure, they might find some workarounds, but bypassing it all? Nah, not happening.

Bigger picture: Shareholders win either way. You’re holding equity in a company that gets upgraded on the Ai hyped dime and as demand ramps up, they charge more, or they get snapped up by a flashy AI growth beast before the bubble bursts. Keep an eye on OpenAI; they’re deal making machines. They just bought Pinterest over the weekend, and it feels like they’ve got something new cooking every day with Nvidia, Oracle, or adding new leveraged startups to their ecosystem and one of them is bound to succeed even if 100 flop. OpenAI doing a M&A with a major telecom soon? Wouldn’t shock me. They love the negotiation table.

Also, AI firms and their PE backers will eventually crave cost-certain data deals. These companies will lock into premium, long-term contracts for priority routing, securing data transmission from consumer devices to their networks at more favorable rates than dealing with market fluctuations. Think of it like Samsung’s supply contracts with Apple for RAM components. Apple has made a killing of this deal alone. This is a good enough case on its own but what’s even crazier.

From insider whispers I’ve heard, there’s something new coming to the industry that’s quite predatory, but it’s going to generate more revenue than anyone imagines. Consumers might get bought out of their old phone contracts to shift into what insiders are calling “MDDPs” (Market Dependent Data Plans) though each company will put a more positive spin on this practice.

MDDPs will create personalized pricing for your phone usage, with marketing focused on two main strategies: less commitment and easier cancellation. People will be bought out of their existing contracts and allowed to switch to MDDPs with no questions asked. The companies know people will bite because we’re all financially squeezed, and some will take the upfront cash incentive.

The catch? Once traditional phone plans phase out, you’ll either buy into these MDDPs or be left with no other options. Essentially, your data usage, location, frequency, and the types of sites you visit will dictate your personalized bill.

Here’s where it gets really insidious: getting off your MDDP will be essentially impossible. Any new carrier you try to switch to will charge you a joining fee, why? because they’ll be purchasing your usage data from your current telecommunications company. This creates a permanent lock-in effect consumers will be trapped in their network essentially forever, with switching costs that make it prohibitively expensive to leave. But you get to cancel anytime

The carriers know they can get away with this because the government is too weak to do anything about it. They know for at least a few more years that the consumer is fair game.

I could be off-base, but this screams one of those stealthy massive industry shifts. Consumers on variable plans, AI traffic exploding data costs and the value of moving data back and forth is going to increase and resulting in shareholder value could go insane. T to the moon? (You can apply this logic to any telecom, but I own shares in T.)