Spectrum Faces Continued Internet Customer Losses Amid Intensifying Competition
Charter Communications' Spectrum brand is experiencing a continued exodus of internet subscribers, losing over 400,000 customers in 2025 and an additional 172,000 in the second quarter of 2026. The customer losses are attributed to rising prices for its services, increased competition from fixed-wireless providers like Starlink, mobile broadband adoption, and aggressive promotions by rivals. Charter's CEO acknowledged these challenges during a July earnings call. Wolfe Research has downgraded Charter’s stock rating from neutral to underperform due to the intensifying competitive landscape in the broadband market. The firm set a $118 price target for Charter, 19% below its closing price on September 11. Analyst Peter Supino highlighted that satellite internet services like Starlink are becoming significant threats with faster speeds and potential future pricing cuts. Compared to competitors such as Comcast, Charter is expected to face steeper customer losses due to a larger rural footprint and more customers using sub-gig speed connections. The firm also expressed skepticism about the value of Charter's recent $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Communications.
Topics: Charter Communications competition internet customer loss Spectrum stock downgrade