600% Memory Price Surge Threatens Telcos' Broadband Router, Set-Top Box Supply

Telecom operators planning aggressive fiber and fixed wireless broadband rollouts in 2026 face a serious supply problem - DRAM and NAND memory prices for consumer applications have surged more than 600% over the past year as higher-margin AI server segments absorb available capacity, according to Counterpoint Research. Routers, gateways and set-top boxes have been hit hardest, far worse than smartphones; prices for "consumer memory" used in broadband equipment jumped nearly 7x over the l...