Charter Communications, Inc. released its first-quarter 2026 financial and operational results on April 24, 2026, revealing a net loss of 120,000 residential and commercial broadband subscribers. This figure represents a significant acceleration in customer attrition compared to the same period in the previous year and exceeded the average analyst forecast of a 75,000-subscriber loss. The company ended the quarter with approximately 30.2 million total Internet customers.
The decline in the broadband segment was primarily attributed to the continued expansion of fixed wireless access (FWA) services from mobile network operators and the aggressive rollout of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure by regional competitors. Charter executives noted that the competitive environment remains challenging, particularly in mature markets where high-speed alternatives are increasingly available. Additionally, a growing segment of the consumer base is opting for mobile-only data solutions, bypassing traditional wireline home internet services.
In the video segment, Charter reported a net loss of 415,000 customers, continuing the long-term trend of cord-cutting as consumers migrate to streaming platforms. The company’s total video subscriber base fell to 12.8 million. Conversely, the Spectrum Mobile division showed continued growth, adding 540,000 mobile lines during the quarter. This brought Charter’s total mobile lines to approximately 10.3 million, reflecting the company’s strategy to bundle wireless services with its existing wireline footprint.
Financially, Charter reported first-quarter revenue of $13.8 billion, a 0.5% increase year-over-year, driven largely by mobile service revenue and higher average revenue per broadband user, which offset the volume losses. Capital expenditures for the quarter totaled $2.4 billion, with a significant portion allocated to the company’s multi-year network evolution initiative. This project involves upgrading the existing hybrid fiber-coaxial network to DOCSIS 4.0 standards to enable symmetrical multi-gigabit speeds.
During the earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Chris Winfrey stated that while the broadband environment is currently characterized by low move rates and high competition, the company remains focused on its network expansion in rural areas through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The company’s rural construction initiative added 105,000 new subsidized passings during the quarter, bringing the total to 1.4 million passings since the program's inception. Winfrey emphasized that the integration of mobile and fixed-line services remains the core of Charter’s long-term retention strategy. The company also confirmed that it is on track with its network upgrade schedule, aiming to cover the majority of its footprint with enhanced capabilities by the end of 2026.