- Cable is getting hit with competition from mobile, fixed wireless and satellite
- It's trying to retain customers with lower prices
- Now, Charter is accused of fighting fixed wireless by withholding backhaul services
A few years ago, it was unclear who would win the war between cable operators and wireless providers. Cable was beginning to offer mobile subscriptions as part of its bundles, achieving great subscription uptake. Meanwhile, wireless providers offered fixed wireless access (FWA) to a mass audience, and complemented wireless offerings with more fiber.
As we kick off 2026, it’s very clear who the winners and losers are. Wireless is winning, and cable has fallen on hard times.
"With no relief for cable, we lower estimates and explore the bear case," according to a note today from Wolfe Research analyst Peter Supino. Cable faces "intense broadband competition from telcos pressing fiber and FWA. Satellite's impact should be palpable in 2026," he said.
Competitive intensity is rising for cable, and its biggest risk through 2027 comes from lowered average revenue per user (ARPU) as they sacrifice price to defend their footprints, he said.
Cable is becoming more defensive, prioritizing retention over price, Supino said.
But perhaps cable is also going on the offensive.
WISPA cries foul
On January 20, representatives of the Wireless Internet Service Provider’s Association (WISPA) met with a policy advisor to FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, to discuss a concern about Charter Communications.
In a letter to the FCC, WISPA wrote, “Charter has apparently adopted an internal policy to not renew contracts for upstream wholesale services with wireless internet service providers and to not enter into any new contracts for those services with WISPs.”
If this is true, small WISPs might find it challenging to connect their wireless traffic to nearby cable and fiber infrastructure owned by Charter, making it hard to backhaul their traffic to the broader internet.
“In rural areas where there are no or few other options for these services, Charter’s internal policy could have the effect of cutting off internet service to the communities WISPA’s members serve or increasing costs resulting from a reduction in competition for upstream wholesale services,” wrote WISPA.
The member organization also noted that the new policy could be applied more broadly following the proposed merger between Charter and Cox Communications, which is expected to close in mid-2026.
WISPA's letter added, "Given the public interest benefits of preserving connections between rural broadband providers and the internet, the Commission should be aware of and monitor marketplace activities that could threaten access to the internet in rural communities."
Fierce Network reached out to Charter for a comment about WISPA’s concerns, and Charter declined to comment.