Charter Says Broadband-only Customers Are Now Using 700 GB of Data Per Month

The average Charter Communications broadband-only customer is now using 700 gigabytes of data per month, according to Christopher Winfrey, the cable operator’s CFO. Winfrey said the high level of wireline broadband usage is the No. 1 reason wireless companies won’t be able to pry broadband marketshare from cable with fixed wireless products. “The average wireless customers uses only 10 gigs a month,” Winfrey said. “The difference in utilization rates is significant. I don’t think that current wireless networks are designed to handle that kind of traffic.” Winfrey also provided some additional insight into the company’s plans to expand its broadband network into parts of 24 states. it's $5 billion multi-year rural broadband expansion plans will begin later this year but the bulk of the deployment will occur in 2022. Winfrey said that the extension of its network into these additional markets comes with low risk but added that these types of rural buildouts can take longer to monetize than other projects. However, he added that once Charter can deliver better broadband services to a rural community it typically gets high penetration rates. He also said that the economics of this project aren’t that different than a cable merger and acquisition, it’s just in this case the company is building a network.