Fierce

Cable operator Charter Communications is now offering customers across its 41-state footprint access to its $49.99 per month Spectrum One broadband and mobile service bundle. But in the background, the operator also moved to hike its standard pricing, which Spectrum One customers can expect to pay once their 12-month promotion wears off. Executives mentioned plans to hike broadband prices on Charter’s Q3 2022 earnings call, stating the move was a response to inflationary pressure.

Inflation is wreaking havoc on several broadband operators’ rural build plans, making financially tough projects even tougher. A number of operators with Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) commitments stated that the cost estimates for their builds have skyrocketed. Some are finding it difficult to find banks willing to lend them the money needed to complete their projects. That means those broadband providers without a hefty amount of cash on hand could be at risk of defaulting on their obligations.

Hexvarium is hoping to make it easier for service providers to understand the long-term costs and revenue associated with prospective broadband builds using a new software mapping tool. CEO Gerry Lawlor said that the tool will provide detailed data insights that have hitherto been lacking in the industry, and, ultimately help close the broadband gap. The company’s HexMAPP software breaks the entire US down into hexagonal blocks.