The Federal Communications Commission on Friday granted approval for Charter Communications' $34.5 billion purchase of Cox Communications, authorizing a deal that merges two of the largest cable and broadband operators in the United States.
Under the terms communicated to regulators, Spectrum-owner Charter has pledged to deploy billions of dollars to upgrade network infrastructure and expand high-speed service availability. As part of the approvals process, Charter also committed to onshoring jobs tied to the transaction and agreed to extend its existing $20 per hour minimum starting wage to employees currently at Cox.
The transaction, first announced in March 2025, would create the largest U.S. cable television and broadband provider by subscriber count. The combined entity is expected to have roughly 38 million subscribers, a figure that would place it ahead of the present market leader in scale.
In addition to regulatory conditions tied to investment and employment commitments, the deal's approval was conditioned on Charter's public pledges regarding labor and capital allocation. Those promises were central to the FCC's decision to clear the transaction.
The announcement has prompted market interest in Charter's stock. Independent stock-screening services referenced in prior coverage evaluate Charter (ticker: CHTR) using a range of financial metrics and have highlighted the company in strategy listings at times. Those services note past winners from their methodologies, but the regulatory approval itself is the immediate development affecting industry structure and company prospects.
Sectors affected:
- Telecommunications - consolidation among cable and broadband providers
- Media - cable TV distribution and subscription dynamics
- Labor markets - wage commitments and onshoring of jobs
The FCC's decision formalizes regulatory sign-off after Charter's assurances on investment and employment. The commitments on network upgrades and labor standards were explicit components of the approval package and will be factors to monitor as integration proceeds.