Charter gets FCC permission to buy Cox and become largest ISP in the US
3 hours ago
- #broadband-expansion
- #telecom-merger
- #FCC-approval
- Charter Communications, operator of Spectrum, gets FCC approval to buy Cox, potentially surpassing Comcast as the largest U.S. home Internet provider.
- Charter currently has 29.7 million Internet customers; acquiring Cox adds 5.9 million, pending DOJ and state approvals.
- Opponents argue the $34.5B deal could reduce competition and raise prices, but FCC dismissed concerns due to minimal overlap in service areas.
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr prioritized ending DEI programs; Charter committed to anti-DEI safeguards and expanding rural broadband access.
- FCC rejected a 2025 petition from advocacy groups, stating no evidence of harm to competition or pricing.