Meet the executive behind AT&T’s $250 billion bid to become essential AI infrastructure

For generations, AT&T has occupied a familiar place in American business: the phone company, the network operator, the connective tissue behind much of daily communication. But in COO Jeff McElfresh’s telling, that description is no longer big enough. The company’s latest move, a sweeping $250 billion commitment through 2030 tied to fiber, 5G, resilience, public safety, workforce development, and AI era infrastructure, is meant to do more than reinforce its position in telecom. It is designed...