dslreports logo
 story category
Charter Spectrum Promises Gigabit 'Virtually Everywhere' by 2019

While Charter had lagged behind its contemporaries in terms of network upgrades as it struggled with its latest bungled merger, the company now says it's accelerating its gigabit deployments. Speaking on the company's earnings call last week, Charter CEO Tom Rutledge, the nation's highest paid executive, stated the company would be offering gigabit broadband to "nearly everyone" across Charter's broadband footprint before the end of this year. Charter has already launched the service in Oahu and a handful of recently unveiled additional markets.

Click for full size
In most of these markets, users can get 1 Gbps (technically 940 Mbps if you're being picky) downstream, 35 Mbps upstream service for $105 per month, with pricing varying slightly depending on local competition. As per the company's Time Warner Cable Bright House merger conditions, it's prohibited from imposing usage caps for another six years.

"We plan to be 1 Gbps everywhere and marketing 1 Gbps everywhere this year, which is taking up a significant portion of our business to minimum speeds of 200 Mbps at the same price we were charging for 60 Mbps a year ago," Rutledge said. "And we plan to do that as quickly as we can, but because of the all-digital rollout and some of the other operational issues we have, we haven’t fully planned out [200 Mbps speed for] the whole country yet."

Rutledge all but admitted that the problems with integrating Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks delayed product launches last year, but insisted that's all in the rear-view mirror now.

“In 2016 and 2017, we delayed a number of new product launches through the integration, particularly at legacy Charter within our fundamental structured operating model and business rules now in place, we will more aggressively launch new products nationwide," said Rutledge.

The company's also hinting that it may expand into offering not only wireless phones, but 25 Mbps fixed wireless services. With telcos like AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink, Windstream and Frontier refusing to upgrade millions of the nation's under-served DSL customers, these users are ripe for the taking as companies like Comcast and Charter secure a bigger broadband monopoly than ever before across huge swaths of uncompetitive America.

Most recommended from 47 comments



Anon64282
@chtrptr.net

6 recommendations

Anon64282

Anon

sigh. more hate

"While Charter had lagged behind its contemporaries in terms of network upgrades as it struggled with its latest bungled merger"

sigh. rolls eyes. face palm

"Charter CEO Tom Rutledge, the nation's highest paid executive,"

Why is his pay relevant to the article?

"As per the company's Time Warner Cable Bright House merger conditions, it's prohibited from imposing usage caps for another six years."

Charter had eliminated caps 19 months before the merger got approval 7 months before they even tried to get TWC since Comcast was still seeking approval at the time. Even when they had then they rarely enforced them. So please. Don't act like the merger is what is keeping Charter cap free. They ALREADY were.

"The company's also hinting that it may expand into offering not only wireless phones, but 25 Mbps fixed wireless services. With telcos like AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink, Windstream and Frontier refusing to upgrade millions of the nation's under-served DSL customers, these users are ripe for the taking as companies like Comcast and Charter secure a bigger broadband monopoly than ever before across huge swaths of uncompetitive America."

Ok so complain these people in rural areas don't have options then complain that Charter and Comcast are evil monopolies when they dare to offer services in these areas. Hey maybe they should change their minds so they people have ZERO options. At least they won't have to deal with evil monopolies while they surf the web on dial-up.

rsa0
join:2003-01-25
Birmingham, AL

4 recommendations

rsa0

Member

Charter ! Promises ... !


And y'all , I have a bridge for sale !
Charter ! Hahahaha

And is not yet April ...

juilinsandar
Texas Gooner
Premium Member
join:2000-07-17
San Benito, TX

3 recommendations

juilinsandar

Premium Member

Hoping that AT&T will upgrade my area

AT&T is the only real competition to Charter in my town, but their max speed is 18mbps on my side of town and a dismal 384kbps on the other side of town where a friend of mine resides. Understandably he subscribes to Charter. I've got 6 more months to go with AT&T dsl, after which I'll probably switch to Charter, for an internet only plan, unless AT&T starts upgrading my town to something faster than what I currently have.

Cthen
Premium Member
join:2004-08-01
Detroit, MI

3 recommendations

Cthen

Premium Member

Why bother?

Why bother when just like Comcast already having gigabit, most of the customers won't be able to afford it. That why I'm wondering about all the complaints i'm reading here, why complain when you won't be able to afford it anyways?
Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO

3 recommendations

Lazlow

Member

Why no slower speeds?

While I understand a lot of people can use 200 Mbps speeds, a lot of us do NOT need them. For the foreseeable future I can easily manage on 30/5 Mbps. I can stream (even in 4k), browse, and download, just fine. How about offering us a reasonable speed (30/5 ish) at a reasonable price($30/month ish stand alone)? Most of the rest of the industrialized world can do greater than thirty for that amount. While I can see asking for more in rural areas, in urban areas (where service has existed for well over a decade), it makes little sense.
ham3843
join:2015-01-15
USA

2 recommendations

ham3843

Member

As Judge Judy likes to say......

THEY LIE!