Charter, Comcast Partnering for Wireless Opportunity

Cable giants Charter and Comcast are exploring a team-up in the wireless market.

The two companies have agreed to research “operational cooperation in their respective wireless businesses to accelerate and enhance each company’s ability to participate in the national wireless marketplace.”

Charter and Comcast said they will work together on technical standards, operating platforms, logistics and “emerging wireless technology platforms.”

They will spend a year working without any other national mobile network operators or making any industry-related “commercial transactions.” Both companies previously signed mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) reseller agreements with Verizon Wireless.

Charter CEO Tom Rutledge says the agreement with Charter helps Comcast capitalize on an opportunity in the wireless market.

“Within our footprint, our network is perfectly suited to provide the data-rich wireless services that customers are increasingly demanding,” he said. “By working with the team at Comcast, we can not only speed Charter’s entry into the marketplace, it will also enable us to provide more competition and drive costs down for consumers at a similar national scale as current wireless operators.

The companies plan to file an 8-K form with the SEC. Form 8-Ks are placeholders for any unscheduled changes at a company — such as resignations, acquisitions or bankruptcy.{ad}

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts says his company will soon launch Xfinity Mobile – its new wireless service – and hopes the agreement with Charter will improve cost and efficiency.

“Both of our companies have regional wireless businesses using the same 4G LTE network, and by working together our goal is to create even better experiences for our customers,” Roberts said.

A Comcast spokesperson told Channel Partners that the agreement is in a very early phase, making the channel implications unknown at the moment. Channel executives from both companies did not respond to Channel Partners by press time.