Comcast and Charter Losing Broadband Customers

It’s big news that both Comcast and Charter lost broadband customers in the second quarter of 2022. Both companies have steadily gained customers every quarter over the last decade. Comcast blames the customer loss on two factors. One is the end of the pandemic, which implies that households are now dropping broadband since the pandemic has cooled. Comcast also blamed the drop on the fact that fewer people than normal moved into new homes and apartments during the second quarter. Charter blames the loss of customers on the change in the federal subsidy for low-income homes from the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program into the Affordable Connectivity Program. There was something that both companies conspicuously didn’t claim – that the customer losses are due to competition. The fact that the two biggest internet service providers lost customers is a bellwether event that shows that the broadband market is now up for grabs. Who will be the big winners that fill the void if Comcast and Charter are not grabbing most of the new customers each quarter?

[Doug Dawson is president of CCG Consulting.]