- Charter plans to ramp wireless backup with a new ‘Invincible’ Wi-Fi 7 router
- Like Comcast, Charter was tight-lipped on the amended Verizon MVNO contract
- The operator is optimistic it’ll finish DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades in 2027
Charter Communications introduced a new Wi-Fi 7 router, “Invincible WiFi,” that combines 5G cellular connectivity and battery backup to help mitigate network disruptions.
Set to launch in February, the product will allow customers to “seamlessly [switch]” on the same Service Set Identifier (SSID) during a storm or other service outage, said CEO Chris Winfrey on the company’s Q4 2025 earnings call. It pairs with Charter’s new Wi-Fi 7 extenders, which can expand coverage up to an additional 2,000 square feet per device.
The ”Invincible” router’s backup features sound a lot like the residential wireless backup that Winfrey previously hinted was coming. He said in December the service would be similar to what Charter has offered for businesses since 2020, though the forthcoming router isn’t a service per se.
But CCG Consulting President Doug Dawson expressed doubts about the quality of residential backup in a blog earlier this month.
“Speeds are going to be a lot slower than the broadband provided by Charter’s HFC network,” he wrote. He added it will only work for customers who can get a good cell signal from Charter – either in a Verizon coverage area or markets where Charter’s deployed its own Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) sites.
Speaking of CBRS deployment, Winfrey said the rollout is continuing at an “opportunistic pace.” Charter deployed CBRS to 23 markets in 2025 and the company expects to reach roughly 20 more this year.
Verizon MVNO update
Like Comcast, Winfrey touched upon the “modernized” mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreement Charter struck with Verizon but was tight-lipped on the exact changes.
“It’s long term, and, you know, the market evolves over time, and so it’s just natural that you have, you know, partners inside of a deal take a look and want clarity on certain things,” he said.
New Street Research’s Vikash Harlalka said in a note there probably wasn’t a “material change” to the MVNO cost structure, given Verizon has been clear it doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize its relationship with the cable companies. “But something has happened and it’s multi-year,” he wrote.
Charter renewed its Verizon contract amid supposed tension with wireless internet service providers (WISPs).
WISPA recently accused the operator of adopting a policy to not renew backhaul contracts with WISPs, which, if true, would make it difficult for small fixed wireless providers to connect their traffic to wireline infrastructure owned by Charter.
Charter on track to finish network upgrades in 2027
Charter has pushed back its DOCSIS 4.0 timeline a couple of times but looks like it’s now inching closer to the finish line.
“We’re Gig-capable everywhere, and by the end of this year, 50% of the current Spectrum network will be upgraded to symmetrical and multi-gig service, with significant work on the remaining 50% in flight and moving to completion in 2027,” Winfrey said.
The operator is pursuing an Extended Spectrum (ESD) DOCSIS 4.0 approach, which involves expanding the usable frequency range to 1.8 GHz to achieve multi-gig speeds.
Charter has some catching up to do with Comcast on cable upgrades. Comcast, which first commercially rolled out DOCSIS 4.0 in 2023 using full-duplex (FDX), said this week about 60% of its footprint has now “transitioned to mid-split spectrum and a virtualized architecture.” The FDX method essentially allows upstream and downstream traffic to flow on the standard 1.2GHz-sized pipe.
The numbers
Charter lost 119,000 broadband customers in Q4 2025, an improvement from 177,000 losses in Q4 2024. The company added 428,000 mobile lines, down from the 522,000 net adds in the year-ago quarter.
Consolidated revenue of $13.6 billion fell short of consensus expectations, dropping 2.3% YoY. Analysts at BNP Paribas noted broadband ARPU is expected to slow. “Ultimately, we still believe consensus numbers here have to come down,” they said.