Charter has confirmed that the company's new wireless service will launch sometime in the first half of next year, and that the company hopes the service will go well beyond being just another boring MVNO. Like Comcast, Charter has an MVNO agreement in place with Verizon Wireless that will let it launch a heavily WiFi-focused voice service that uses the Verizon Wireless network as cellular backup. Comcast has already launched its own similar offering, and the two companies have joined forces in order to jointly research 5G technology and gain better leverage in handset negotiation deals.
Charter CEO Tom Rutledge says everything is on schedule for a launch in the first half of 2018.
“We're on track to launch our wireless service in 2018 using our MVNO agreement with Verizon,” Rutledge said on the company’s quarterly earnings call. “Our core operation agreement with Comcast has helped with that process. When offered as part of our bundle, we expect Spectrum branded wireless services to drive more sales of our core products and to create longer customer lives.”
Charter has indicated in filings with the FCC that what will begin as a fairly-ordinary MVNO may evolve into a more robust wireless network as Charter invests in its own mobile infrastructure using LTE small cells.
“The wireless component of Charter’s network is transitioning from a nomadic Wi-Fi network to one that that supports full mobility by incorporating Wi-Fi with multiple 4G and 5G access technologies to deliver a seamless connectivity experience,” Charter said in the filing. “In navigating this transition, Charter is emphasizing an ‘Inside-Out’ strategy, focusing first on wireless solutions inside the home and office, and then eventually expanding outdoors.”
Of course what you'll need to pay for the service remains unclear, but interested users shouldn't have long to wait.
