Fixed wireless access 'another form of DSL,' Charter CEO says

Charter Communications CEO Chris Winfrey believes fixed wireless access (FWA) won't meet speed and bandwidth demands. In fact, Winfrey likens it to DSL – a product that had its moment but saw many customers flee to cable's higher-quality connections. The initial success of FWA "shows there's a nice, niche market for limited-bandwidth, limited-capacity, and limited-reliability product," Winfrey said. However, "As consumer bandwidth needs increase over time and as the network capacity of these mobile networks shrinks as a result of the utilization, I think [FWA] turns into really just another form of DSL, particularly when you take a look at the capabilities of our network and where we're going with high-split DOCSIS 4.0." Winfrey also said he doesn't buy the notion that FWA holds a clear price advantage in the market, believing that Charter has the upper hand when home broadband and mobile are bundled.