Significant Public Benefits for California in Charter Communications – Time Warner Cable – Bright House Networks Merger

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has unanimously approved Charter Communications’ acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, a corporate consolidation that will bring high-speed Internet access (broadband) to low-income communities in the nation’s most populous state and in its second largest city. The CPUC’s decision was the last remaining obstacle to approving the merger deal. New Charter will acquire 2 million customers in the Los Angeles Region, 1 million of whom are low-income and only 71 percent of whom have computer-enabled home broadband.

CPUC Commission Michael Picker outlined the conditions of the national merger, which include the agreement from New Charter to increase board diversity, appoint a chief diversity officer, expand minority programming and upgrade cable systems and VoIP service. Other national public benefits include a commitment to double its build-out program of broadband infrastructure from 1 million to 2 million households, offer service without data caps for 7 years, and develop a 4-year, low-income broadband program for eligible households. New Charter’s public benefits for California go even further, as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between New Charter and the California Emerging Technology Fund, which has been directed by the CPUC since 2006 to close the state’s Digital Divide. The 5-year partnership between New Charter and CETF comes out of a mutual desire to close the Digital Divide by accelerating broadband and adoption in California, particularly to low income and rural consumers. The MOU has been endorsed by a coalition of community-based organizations, including Radio Bilingue, California Legislative Black Caucus, California Latino Legislative Caucus and the Chicana/Latina Foundation.


Significant Public Benefits for California in Charter Communications – Time Warner Cable – Bright House Networks Merger