A new report from Point Topic provides an overview of the key trends in DSL and cable modem tariff benchmarks for 18 leading DSL and 16 cable modem operators around the world. The main body of the report analyses fluctuations in DSL prices since March 2000, cable modem prices since June 2003 and makes comparisons between both technologies where possible. Key highlights of this report include: DSL 'entry level' monthly rental prices registered an average 30 percent fall since March 2000, based on a review of monthly rentals offered by a leading set of 18 DSL operators. Monthly rentals for 'entry level' cable modem services fell on average by 21 percent between June 2003 and March 2005, compared to a modest 12 percent fall for DSL operators for the same period. A Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) analysis shows that Europe is becoming cheaper both for DSL and cable modem services than North America, with the Asia Pacific region the cheapest for DSL overall.
Enterprise AI budgets are flowing in two directions at once, and only one of them builds an asset the buyer actually controls. Gartner's latest forecast puts worldwide AI spending at $2.7 trillion in 2026, but the composition of that figure matters far more than the total. Executives who read only the headline will miss the tension between what they are buying and what they actually own. The Number Behind the Number Gartner projects 2026 AI spending is a 49.5 percent increase over 2025, with $3.6 trillion forecast for 2027. AI infrastructure accounts for $1.5 trillion of this year's total, more than half. Gartner's John-David Lovelock calls the data center buildout the largest infrastructure project humanity has undertaken, and describes demand as inelastic even as memory prices climb. Compute Concentration is a Sovereignty Issue Gartner expects hyperscalers and service providers buying AI-optimized servers to remain the largest single area of spending. For an enterprise, t...