Charter Communications, Inc. is a leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator with services available to an estimated 57 million homes and businesses in 41 states through its Spectrum brand. Over an advanced communications network, the company offer a full range of state-of-the-art residential and business services, including Spectrum Internet, TV, Mobile, and Voice.
For small and medium-sized companies, Spectrum Business delivers the same suite of broadband products and services...
Charter Communications, Inc. is a leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator with services available to an estimated 57 million homes and businesses in 41 states through its Spectrum brand. Over an advanced communications network, the company offer a full range of state-of-the-art residential and business services, including Spectrum Internet, TV, Mobile, and Voice.
For small and medium-sized companies, Spectrum Business delivers the same suite of broadband products and services coupled with special features and applications to enhance productivity, while for larger businesses and government entities, Spectrum Enterprise provides highly customized, fiber-based solutions. Spectrum Reach delivers tailored advertising and production for the modern media landscape. The company also distribute award-winning news coverage and sports programming to its customers through Spectrum Networks.
The company’s strategy is focused on utilizing its high bandwidth connectivity network to deliver high-quality, competitively priced products, with outstanding service, allowing it to increase both the number of customers it serves over its network and the number of products it sells to each customer. This combination also reduces the number of service transactions the company perform per relationship, yielding higher customer satisfaction and lower customer churn.
The company continues to evolve its connectivity network to offer symmetrical and multi-gigabit Internet speeds across its entire footprint and have launched symmetrical Internet service in eight markets and 2x1 Gbps service in two markets. Advanced WiFi, a managed WiFi service that provides customers an optimized home network while providing greater control of connected devices with enhanced security and privacy, is available to all Internet customers. Spectrum Mobile is available to all new and existing Internet customers and offers plans that include 5G access, do not require contracts and include taxes and fees in the price. The company continues to innovate its video product and recently transformed all of its affiliation agreements with major programmers. These new agreements give the company greater overall packaging flexibility and the ability to include the ad-supported versions of key programmer streaming applications within its video packages along with the ability to upgrade to ad-free versions and to sell those applications to customers a la carte for a seamless entertainment experience. Together with the company’s Xumo Stream Boxes (Xumo), to deliver utility and value for its customers.
The company’s network and product evolution plan continue to progress, with a clear path to delivering symmetrical and multi-gig speeds to its customers across its footprint, meeting the needs of today, and anticipating the growing demand for faster speeds for years to come. The company continues to expand the capacity of its hybrid fiber coaxial network using a number of technologies, including spectrum expansion, initially to 1.2 GHz and then to 1.8 GHz, changing the bandwidth allocation to a ‘high split’ to increase upstream speeds, Distributed Access Architecture (DAA), and DOCSIS 4.0 technology. Through this process, which the company expect to complete in 2027, it will transform its network to enable multi-gigabit data speeds to customers. Those faster speeds will be offered in conjunction with its Spectrum Mobile product and Advanced WiFi, providing customers seamless and convenient, ultra-fast converged connectivity in attractively priced packages.
The company also expect to participate in additional federal, state, and municipal grant programs over the coming years, including the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, if regulatory conditions are conducive to private investment. The company’s rural investments will allow it to offer a suite of broadband connectivity services, including fixed Internet, WiFi, and mobile to unserved areas in states where it operates.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the company lost 508,000 Internet customers while adding 2,117,000 mobile lines. The company’s Internet customer growth was challenged by the end of the FCC’s ACP, lower customer move rates and the competitive environment. While its retention programs for the customers impacted by the end of ACP subsidies have been successful in retaining the vast majority of ACP customers, the end of the ACP subsidy program has been disruptive to its business and resulted in customer losses during the year. In September, Spectrum launched a new brand platform, Life Unlimited, which emphasizes the power of Spectrum’s advanced network and cutting-edge connectivity products and services along with a new and simplified pricing and packaging strategy that better utilizes its seamless connectivity and entertainment products to offer lower promotional and persistent bundled pricing to drive growth. Additionally, Spectrum announced new customer commitments focused on reliable connectivity, transparency, exceptional service and a focus on always improving.
Products and Services
The company offer its customers subscription-based Internet, video, mobile and voice services, with prices and related charges based on the types of service selected, whether the services are sold as a ‘bundle’ or on an individual basis, and based on the equipment necessary to receive its services. Bundled services, including some combination of the company’s Internet, video, mobile and/or voice products are available to substantially all of its passings.
Residential Services
Connectivity Services
The company provide its customers with a suite of broadband connectivity services, including fixed Internet, WiFi, and mobile, which when bundled together provides its customers with a differentiated converged connectivity experience while saving consumers money.
The company offer Spectrum Internet products with speeds up to 1 Gbps across its entire footprint. Spectrum Internet bundled with its in-home Advanced WiFi allows multiple people within a single household to stream high definition (HD) video content while simultaneously using its Internet service for other purposes, including two-way video conferencing, gaming and virtual reality, among other things.
The company’s in-home WiFi product provides its Internet customers with high performance wireless routers and a managed WiFi service to maximize their wireless Internet experience. The company offer Advanced WiFi service across all of its footprint along with WiFi 6E routers capable of delivering speeds over 2 Gbps. In 2024, the company began offering WiFi 7 routers capable of delivering speeds over 10 Gbps. With Advanced WiFi, customers enjoy a cloud-optimized WiFi connection and have the ability to view and control their WiFi network through the company’s Spectrum app (My Spectrum App). The service enables parental control schedules and Spectrum Security Shield, which is automatically enabled and protects all devices in the home using network-based security. Customers also have the option to add Spectrum WiFi pods to Advanced WiFi. WiFi pods are small, discreet access points that plug into electrical outlets in the home, providing broader and more consistent WiFi coverage.
The company also offer the capabilities of the Advanced WiFi service to MDUs as Advanced Community WiFi (ACW). With ACW, tenants receive the same visibility and control over their apartment’s WiFi networks through the My Spectrum App, while building managers are able to see and manage the entire building’s network through a purpose-built property service portal. In 2024, the company began offering to MDUs and bulk single-family communities Spectrum Ready, which allows customers to set up Spectrum Internet with Advanced WiFi and video services in their home without ordering equipment or scheduling installation through permanent WiFi routers already installed in the property. New residents simply scan a QR code and confirm services through a new or existing Spectrum account.
The company’s Spectrum Mobile service is offered to customers subscribing to its Internet service and uses the customers’ private WiFi, its Spectrum Mobile network (comprised of out-of-home WiFi access points across its footprint combined with out-of-home WiFi access points from other networks with which it partner), as well as leveraging the cellular network of Verizon Communications Inc. (Verizon). The company leverage the Verizon cellular network to provide nationwide coverage, including unlimited calls, text and data using Verizon’s fourth generation and fifth generation (5G) service, including their 5G ultra-wide band services. Spectrum Mobile also uses Verizon’s international roaming partner network to ensure customers have coverage around the globe. Customers can use their Spectrum Mobile device to connect to their Spectrum WiFi, which increases speeds and provides a superior experience while in the home and on-the-go via the Spectrum Mobile network. In addition, the company continue to focus on improving the customer experience and integrating its mobile and fixed Internet products with enhancements, such as Spectrum Mobile Speed Boost (Speed Boost). Customers are eligible for Speed Boost if they have both Spectrum Mobile and Spectrum Internet, a DOCSIS 3.1 modem and an Advanced WiFi router. When connected on their Spectrum Mobile device through Advanced WiFi service, customers are now experiencing the fastest overall speeds up to 1 Gbps.
The company provides wireline voice communications services using voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology to transmit digital voice signals over its network. The company’s voice services include unlimited local and long distance calling to the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding and other features and offers international calling either by the minute, or through packages of minutes per month. The company also offer Call Guard, an advanced caller ID and robocall blocking solution, for its residential and SMB voice customers. Call Guard reduces customer frustration and improves security by blocking malicious calls while ensuring its customers continue to receive the legitimate automated calls they need from schools or healthcare providers.
Video Services
The company provide its customers with a choice of video programming services on a variety of platforms, including through a digital Spectrum Receiver or an Internet Protocol (IP) device. Video customers have access to a variety of programming packages with approximately 375 channels available in home and out of home allowing its customers to access the programming they want, when they want it, on any device. In 2024, the company began offering certain seamless entertainment applications, including, among others, Max, Disney+, ESPN+, Paramount+, ViX Premium and Tennis Channel Plus to customers in certain packages and reached agreements with several other programmers that will add Discovery+, Peacock, AMC+ and BET+ in certain packages in 2025. The company now have completed deals with every major programmer to deliver better flexibility and greater value to its customers by, including seamless entertainment applications with its Spectrum TV services at no additional cost.
The company’s video service also includes access to an interactive programming guide with parental controls, video on demand (VOD) and pay-per-view services. VOD service allows customers to select from approximately 100,000 titles at any time. VOD programming options may be accessed at no additional cost if the content is associated with a customer’s linear subscription, or for a fee on a transactional basis. VOD services are also offered on a subscription basis, included in a digital tier premium channel subscription, or for a monthly fee. Pay-per-view channels allow customers with a set-top box to pay on a per-event basis to view a single showing of a one-time special sporting event, music concert, or similar event on a commercial-free basis. The company also offers digital video recorder (DVR) service that enables customers to digitally record programming and to pause and rewind live programming on set-top boxes. The company’s cloud DVR service allows customers to schedule, record and watch their favorite programming anytime from the Spectrum TV app, as well as SpectrumTV.com.
The company continue to deploy its Xumo stream boxes to new video customers. Xumo combines a live TV experience with access to hundreds of content applications and features unified search and discovery along with a curated content offering based on the customer's interests and subscriptions. Combined with the company’s Spectrum TV app, Xumo is now its preferred go-to-market platform for new video sales.
Customers are increasingly accessing their subscription video content through the company’s highly rated Spectrum TV app via mobile devices and connected IP devices, such as Xumo, Apple TV, Roku and Samsung TV. Access to the Spectrum TV app is included in all Spectrum TV video plans. The Spectrum TV app allows users to stream content across a growing number of platforms, as well as access their full TV lineup and watch on demand content. It also supports DVR functionality through the company’s cloud DVR offering.
Commercial Services
The company offers scalable broadband communications solutions for businesses and carrier organizations of all sizes, selling Internet access, data networking, fiber connectivity to cellular towers and office buildings, video entertainment services and business telephone services.
Small and Medium Business (SMB)
Spectrum Business offers Internet, video, mobile and voice services to SMBs over the company’s hybrid fiber coaxial network. The company also offer Advanced WiFi service to SMBs, which leverages the residential platform features, including Security Shield, with features specific to small and medium-size business, such as a guest service set identifier (SSID). Spectrum Business includes a full range of video programming and offers Internet speeds up to 1 Gbps across the company’s entire footprint. Spectrum Business also includes a set of business services, including static IP and business WiFi, e-mail and security, and voice services through either a traditional voice offering or hosted voice solution. Spectrum Business Connect is an SMB communications solution that includes Spectrum Internet, voice and complementary mobility features allowing the company’s customers’ remote and office employees to stay more easily connected regardless of their location. The company also offer Wireless Internet Backup to its SMB customers which is designed to enhance and protect Internet service for SMBs in the event of a network disruption.
Enterprise
Spectrum Enterprise offers tailored connectivity, communications and managed service solutions over a high-capacity last-mile network with speeds up to 100 Gbps to larger businesses and government entities (local, state and federal), in addition to wholesale services to mobile and wireline carriers. The Spectrum Enterprise product portfolio includes connectivity services, such as Internet Access (fiber, coax and wireless delivered); Wide Area Network (WAN) services (Ethernet, Software Defined (SD)-WAN and cloud connectivity) that privately and securely connect geographically dispersed customer locations and cloud service providers; and Managed Service solutions which address a wide range of enterprise networking (e.g. routing, Local Area Network (LAN), WiFi) and security (e.g. firewall, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection) challenges. To meet the communications needs of these more sophisticated customers, Spectrum Enterprise also offers an array of voice trunking services and unified messaging, communications and collaboration products. The company offers Unified Communications services integrated with its connectivity and managed services to give customers more choices for enhancing their digital experience across locations and devices. In addition, Spectrum Enterprise offers a wide range of video solutions targeting unique needs of customers across multiple industries with a specific focus on hospitality, healthcare, government and education. Spectrum Enterprise serves businesses nationally by combining its large serviceable footprint with a robust portfolio of fiber lit buildings and a significant wholesale partner network.
Advertising Services
The company’s advertising sales division, Spectrum Reach, offers local, regional and national businesses the opportunity to advertise in individual and multiple service areas on cable television networks, various streaming services and numerous advanced advertising platforms. The company receive revenues from the sale of local advertising across various platforms for networks, such as TBS, CNN and ESPN. The company insert local advertising on up to 100 channels in over 90 markets and on multiple streaming services/free advertising-supported streaming television (FAST) channels, including Amazon, Xumo and others. The company’s large footprint provides opportunities for advertising customers to address broader regional audiences from a single provider and thus reach more customers with a single transaction. The company’s size also provides scale to invest in new technology to create more targeted and addressable advertising capabilities.
Available advertising time is generally sold by the company’s advertising sales force. In some service areas, the company has formed advertising interconnects or entered into representation agreements with other video distributors, including, among others, Verizon, DirecTV and Comcast, under which it sells advertising on behalf of those operators. In other service areas, the company enter into representation agreements under which another operator in the area will sell advertising on its behalf. These arrangements enable the company and its partners to represent and deliver commercials on their inventory across wider geographic areas, replicating the reach of local broadcast television stations to the extent possible. In addition, the company enter into interconnect agreements from time to time with other cable operators, which, on behalf of a number of video operators, sell advertising time to national and regional advertisers in individual or multiple service areas.
Additionally, the company sell the advertising inventory of its owned and operated local sports and news channels, of its regional sports networks that carry Los Angeles Lakers’ basketball games and other sports programming and of SportsNet LA, a regional sports network that carries Los Angeles Dodgers’ baseball games and other sports programming.
In conjunction with other multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), Spectrum Reach enables multi-channel cable networks (e.g. AMC, Univision) to deploy household addressability on their own inventory in the company’s footprint, charging them an enablement fee. The company’s fully deployed Audience App, which uses its proprietary set-top box viewership data (all anonymized and aggregated), allows it to create data-driven linear TV campaigns for local advertisers. Spectrum Reach also offers a programmatic sales platform allowing advertising agencies and advertisers to buy inventory in a fully automated way. Streaming TV, which is largely comprised of Spectrum TV app impressions, as well as those from numerous over-the-top streaming content providers, is part of the company’s suite of advanced advertising products available to the marketplace. Additionally, Spectrum Reach purchases third-party inventory in the company’s markets when needed. Spectrum Reach is also now employing multi-screen deterministic attribution services for television and streaming services that lets advertisers know the effectiveness of their advertising on Spectrum Reach’s platform.
Other Services
Regional Sports Networks
The company has an agreement with the Los Angeles Lakers for rights to distribute all locally available Los Angeles Lakers’ games through 2033. The company broadcast those games on its regional sports network, Spectrum SportsNet. American Media Productions, LLC (American Media Productions), an unaffiliated third party, owns SportsNet LA, a regional sports network carrying the Los Angeles Dodgers’ baseball games and other sports programming. In accordance with agreements with American Media Productions, the company acts as the network’s exclusive affiliate and advertising sales representative and have certain branding and programming rights with respect to the network. In addition, the company provides certain production and technical services to American Media Productions. The affiliate, advertising, production and programming agreements continue through 2038. The company owns 26.8% of Sterling Entertainment Enterprises, LLC (doing business as SportsNet New York), a New York City-based regional sports network that carries New York Mets’ baseball games, as well as other regional sports programming.
News Channels
The company owns and manages over 30 local news channels, including Spectrum News NY1 and Spectrum News SoCal, 24-hour news channels focused on New York City and Los Angeles, respectively. The company’s local news channels connect the diverse communities and neighborhoods it serves providing 24/7 news, weather and community content focused on hyperlocal stories that address the deeper needs and interests of its customers. Customers can also read, watch and listen to news stories by the company’s Spectrum News journalists and local partner publications on their mobile device on its Spectrum News application and certain smart TVs and streaming devices.
Community Solutions
Spectrum Community Solutions (SCS) delivers broadband connectivity solutions to apartments, single-family gated communities, off-campus student housing, senior residences and RV parks and marinas. Services offered by SCS include Internet speeds up to 2 Gbps, property-wide managed WiFi coverage, Spectrum Ready service and traditional and streaming video packages, as well as customized fiber and coaxial solutions for new construction and established communities. SCS also manages the company’s relationships with third-party resellers of Spectrum services to MDUs. In addition, SCS is responsible for the company’s non-bulk MDU salesforce covering sales within existing, serviceable MDU properties. The company’s SCS bulk customers are serviced by dedicated call centers.
Network Technology
The company’s network includes three key components: a national backbone, regional/metro networks and a ‘last-mile’ network. Both the company’s national backbone and regional/metro network components utilize a redundant IP ring/mesh fiber architecture. The national backbone component provides connectivity from regional demarcation points to nationally centralized content, connectivity and services. The regional/metro network components provide connectivity between the regional demarcation points and headends within a specific geographic area and enable the delivery of content and services between these network components.
The company’s last-mile network utilizes a hybrid fiber coaxial cable (HFC) architecture, which combines the use of fiber optic cable with coaxial cable. In most systems, the company deliver its signals via fiber optic cable from the headend to a group of nodes, and use coaxial cable to deliver the signal from individual nodes to the homes served by that node. The company designs standard allows spare fiber strands to each node to be utilized for additional residential traffic capacity, and enterprise customer needs as they arise. For the company’s Spectrum Enterprise customers, fiber optic cable is extended to the customer’s site. For most new buildouts, including for the company’s rural construction initiative, and MDU sites, it utilize a fiber deployment. This hybrid network design provides high capacity and signal quality with a cost-efficient path to increased speeds.
The company’s systems currently provide a two-way all-digital platform, leveraging DOCSIS 3.1 technology and bandwidth of 750 megahertz or greater, to virtually all of its passings. This bandwidth-rich network enables it to offer a large selection of HD channels and Spectrum Internet Gig across all of its footprint which enables it to provide fast, reliable and secure online connections, meeting current customer demands.
Through the company’s network evolution initiative, it is currently expanding its spectrum to 1.2 Ghz through a module upgrade in the hub, node and amplifier and using high splits and DAA to deliver multi-gig speed capabilities while using the current DOCSIS 3.1 customer premise equipment. When paired with the next generation of DOCSIS modem, DOCSIS 4.0, the company will be able to deliver even faster speeds. Next, the company will begin to deploy DOCSIS 4.0 technology in the network, and further increase its spectrum to 1.8 Ghz enabling even higher speed capabilities. This network evolution will also allow the company to extend fiber services to the home in a success based ‘Fiber on Demand’ manner.
The company plans to complement its wireline investments with planned WiFi upgrades for in-home routers. With nearly 500 million devices connected wirelessly to the company’s network in its customers' homes and businesses, it is unlocking its network investments for multi-gigabit speeds through the deployment of WiFi 7 routers that it launched in late 2024.
The company owns 210 Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) Priority Access Licenses (PALs). The company intends to use these licenses along with unlicensed CBRS spectrum to build its own 5G data-only mobile network on targeted 5G small cell sites leveraging its HFC network to provide power and data connectivity to the majority of the sites. These 5G small cells, combined with growing WiFi capabilities, increase speed and reliability along with improving its cost structure through offload of wireless data onto the company owned networks. The company continue to deploy 5G small cell sites in targeted areas of its footprint, as part of its broader multi-year 5G mobile network buildout, based on disciplined cost reduction targets.
Rural Construction Initiative
In 2024, the company continued its subsidized rural construction initiative in which it intends to expand its network to offer a suite of broadband connectivity services, including fixed Internet, WiFi and mobile to over 1.7 million passings in unserved areas in states where it operates. Newly served rural areas will also benefit from the company’s high-value Spectrum pricing and packaging structure, including its mobile and voice offerings, as well as its comprehensive selection of video products.
Competition
Internet Competition
The company’s residential Internet service faces competition across its footprint from fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), fixed wireless broadband, Internet delivered via satellite and DSL services. AT&T Inc. (AT&T), Frontier Communications Corporation (Frontier) and Verizon are its primary FTTH competitors. The company faces terrestrial broadband Internet (defined by the FCC as at least 100 Mbps) competition from three primary competitors, AT&T, Frontier and Verizon.
Video Competition
The company’s residential video service faces growing competition across its footprint from a number of other sources, including companies that deliver linear network programming, movies and television shows on demand and other video content over broadband Internet connections to televisions, computers, tablets and mobile devices. These competitors include virtual virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs), such as YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Sling TV, Philo and DirecTV Stream. Other online video business models and products have also developed, some offered by programmers, including subscription video on demand (SVOD) services, such as Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus; programmer streaming applications, such as Max, Disney+, Peacock and Paramount+; ad-supported free online video products, including YouTube and Pluto TV, some of which offer programming for free to consumers that it currently purchase for a fee; pay-per-view products, such as iTunes; and additional offerings from mobile providers, which continue to integrate and bundle video services and mobile products.
The company’s residential video service also faces competition from large telecommunications companies, primarily Verizon, which offer wireline video services in significant portions of its operating areas.
Mobile Competition
The company’s mobile service faces competition from national mobile network operators, including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile US, Inc. (T-Mobile).
Regional Competitors
In certain service areas, the company’s residential Internet, video and voice services compete with WOW, altafiber, Google Fiber and Astound Broadband.
Seasonality
The company’s business is subject to seasonal and cyclical variations. The company’s results are impacted by the seasonal nature of customers receiving its cable services in college and vacation service areas. The company’s revenue is subject to cyclical advertising patterns and changes in viewership levels. The company’s advertising revenue is generally higher in the second and fourth calendar quarters of each year (year ended December 31, 2024), due in part to increases in consumer advertising in the spring and in the period leading up to and including the holiday season.
Regulation and Legislation
The Communications Act and FCC regulations cover a variety of additional areas applicable to the company’s video services, including among other things: licensing of systems and facilities, including the grant of various spectrum licenses; equal employment opportunity obligations; customer service standards; technical standards; mandatory blackouts of certain network and syndicated programming; restrictions on political advertising; restrictions on advertising in children’s programming; ownership restrictions; posting of certain information on an Federal Communications Commission (FCC) public file website, including but not limited to political advertising records, equal employment opportunity practices, compliance with children’s programming requirements, policies for commercial leased access, system information, and channel carriage information, including disclosure of its ownership interests in channels it carries; emergency alert systems; inside wiring and contracts for MDU complexes; accessibility of content, including requirements governing video-description and closed-captioning; competitive availability of cable equipment; the provision of up to 15% of video channel capacity for commercial leased access by unaffiliated third parties; public, education and government entity access requirements; and disclosure of an aggregated monthly ‘all-in’ price on customer bills and advertising materials that include the price of video programming.
The FCC has never classified the VoIP wireline telephone services, the company offers as telecommunications services that are subject to traditional federal common carrier regulation, but instead has imposed some of these regulatory requirements on a case-by-case basis, such as requirements relating to 911 emergency services (E911), Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) (the statute governing law enforcement access to and surveillance of communications), Universal Service Fund contributions, customer privacy and Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) protections, number portability, network and/or 911 outage reporting, rural call completion, disability access, regulatory fees, back-up power, robocall mitigation and discontinuance of service.
The company’s VoIP telephone services are subject to certain state and local regulatory fees, such as E911 fees and contributions to state universal service funds. Additionally, to comply with RDOF program requirements, the company has chosen in the Rural Development Opportunity Fund (RDOF) areas to offer Lifeline VoIP telephone services subject to traditional federal and state common carrier regulations.
History
Charter Communications, Inc. was founded in 1993.
