Cincinnati Bell says pending Charter/TWC merger gives it near-term advantage in consumer market

Cincinnati Bell isn't afraid of Charter Communications' proposed acquisition of Time Warner Cable, one of its main competitors in the Cincinnati market. In fact, the telecommunications company sees the disruption created by all of the consolidation in the cable industry as a potential competitive opportunity to further enhance its broadband speeds and reach.

Cincinnati Bell's CFO Leigh Fox said that the impending deal will give it more time to respond with a greater set of broadband services delivered over its growing fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. "When the Comcast deal was announced, we knew that Charter was going to be in Cincinnati," Fox said. "From a timing standpoint it probably delays things, which is a positive for us, but it's still going to be Charter and we need to be prepared for another good competitor and ultimately it gives us more time." Fox cited a social media post from one of its broadband users that noted the differences in approach between Cincinnati Bell and its cable competitors. While Cincinnati Bell is focused on building out higher speed fiber-based broadband, cable operators like Charter are investing their capital in buying one another.