Charter Communications

Charter Communications. Charter Communications is a leading American telecommunications company that provides a range of services, including cable television, broadband internet, and telephone services, to over 26 million customers across the United States. The company was founded in 1993 by Paul Allen and Jerald Kent, and has since grown through various acquisitions, including the purchase of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks in 2016. Charter Communications is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and is led by Tom Rutledge, who serves as the company's president and chief executive officer, and John Bickham, who serves as the company's chief operating officer, with support from Chris Winfrey and David Ellen.

● History

Charter Communications was founded in 1993 by Paul Allen and Jerald Kent, with the goal of providing cable television services to small and medium-sized markets in the United States. The company grew rapidly through the 1990s, and by the early 2000s, it had become one of the largest cable television providers in the country, competing with Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon Communications. In 2009, Charter Communications filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but emerged from bankruptcy in 2009, with the support of Apollo Management, Oaktree Capital Management, and Crestview Partners. The company has since continued to grow, with the acquisition of Optimum West from Cablevision in 2013, and the purchase of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks in 2016, with the approval of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice.

● Services

Charter Communications provides a range of services to its customers, including cable television, broadband internet, and telephone services, with support from Ericsson, Cisco Systems, and Arris International. The company's cable television service offers a range of channels, including HBO, Showtime, and Starz, as well as local channels such as ABC, CBS, and NBC. Charter Communications' broadband internet service offers speeds of up to 940 megabits per second (Mbps), making it one of the fastest internet services available in the United States, competing with Google Fiber, AT&T Fiber, and Verizon Fios. The company's telephone service offers a range of features, including voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and unified communications solutions, with support from Avaya and Mitel.

● Controversies

Charter Communications has been involved in several controversies over the years, including a dispute with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the company's compliance with net neutrality rules, with support from Free Press (organization), Public Knowledge (organization), and Electronic Frontier Foundation. The company has also faced criticism for its handling of customer complaints, with some customers reporting difficulty in getting issues resolved, and has been involved in disputes with content providers such as Viacom and 21st Century Fox over carriage fees, with the support of National Cable & Telecommunications Association and American Cable Association. In 2017, Charter Communications was fined $18.8 million by the New York State Public Service Commission for failing to meet its obligations to expand its broadband internet service to rural areas of New York, with the support of New York State Department of Public Service and Empire State Development.

● Corporate affairs

Charter Communications is a publicly traded company, listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol CHTR, with support from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and J.P. Morgan Securities. The company is led by Tom Rutledge, who serves as the company's president and chief executive officer, and John Bickham, who serves as the company's chief operating officer, with support from Chris Winfrey and David Ellen. Charter Communications has a diverse board of directors, including Lance Conn, Eric Zinterhofer, and Craig Jacobson, with support from National Association of Corporate Directors and Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and has operations in over 40 states, with support from Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and Stamford Chamber of Commerce.

● Spectrum brands

Charter Communications operates under the Spectrum brand, which was introduced in 2014, with support from Interbrand, Landor Associates, and Siegel+Gale. The Spectrum brand offers a range of services, including cable television, broadband internet, and telephone services, with support from Ericsson, Cisco Systems, and Arris International. Charter Communications also operates several other brands, including Spectrum Business, which offers services to businesses, and Spectrum Enterprise, which offers services to large enterprises, with support from Forrester Research, Gartner, and IDC Research. The company has also launched several new services under the Spectrum brand, including Spectrum TV, which offers a range of live and on-demand channels, and Spectrum Internet, which offers fast and reliable internet service, with support from Akamai Technologies, Level 3 Communications, and Limelight Networks. Category:Telecommunications companies of the United States