Charter: Targeting To Be More Than Just Another MVNO

Charter Communications has once again declared its intention of debuting its own wireless service some time within the first six months of 2018, and the cable giant is planning to become more than just a standard mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Similar to what its competitor Comcast had done, Charter had struck an MVNO partnership with the number one carrier in the United States, Verizon Wireless, about six years ago. Comcast, however, had already managed to take full advantage of its MVNO deal in order to launch its own wireless service offering, Xfinity Mobile, earlier this year.

Comcast may have done it earlier, but Charter Communications is confident that it can catch up with its rival. As explained by Tom Rutledge, the chief executive officer of Charter, the debut of its wireless service should allow the company to start offering bundles that make full use of its Spectrum branded wireless services.

In launching its mobile brand, Charter Communications is planning to adopt an inside out tactic, basically starting out as an MVNO that offers Wi-Fi first service. As the brand continues to expand, Charter will then work to establish its own wireless infrastructure. The cable giant recently submitted a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In this filing, Charter said that the mobile aspect of its network is properly shifting from a nomadic type of Wi-Fi network into one that comes with support for full mobility, specifically marrying Wi-Fi based technology with various 4G and 5G access technologies. At the outset, the initial focus will be in providing wireless service for the home and office facilities. As the brand’s capabilities increase, it will then work on expanding to outdoor settings.

Charter Communications is planning to fully exploit the 3.5 GigaHertz spectrum for both licensed and unlicensed use. As a matter of fact, the company is already requesting the FCC to release the spectrum as soon as possible. On top of that, the cable giant also told the agency to set up rules around the spectrum so that licenses can be limited to county size, geographically speaking.

Looking ahead, Charter Communications is planning to utilize 5G technologies in speeding up the roll out of its fixed wireless services. By using 5G tech, it can deploy its fixed wireless services more efficiently compared to traditional cable network roll outs. Lastly, Charter is also targeting to achieve symmetrical 10 gigabyte network speeds by way of both wireless and fixed line solutions.