Charter Nears Finish Line in Spectrum Switchover

Charter Communications, nearly a year after closing its purchase of Time Warner Cable, is nearing the finish line in its system-wide transition to the Spectrum brand, rolling out the moniker in Charlotte, N.C., and Upstate N.Y. this month.

Charter completed its $80 billion purchase of Time Warner Cable in May, 2016. Shortly after the company started rolling out its new brand – Charter Spectrum – in southern California and Texas in September and in New York City, Lincoln, Neb., and all former Bright House Networks markets in November.

The third phase of the transition began in January with the Midwest (Ohio, including Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus), Kentucky (including Lexington and Louisville), Wisconsin (including Green Bay and Milwaukee), Kansas City, Erie (Pa.) and some smaller systems in Indiana and West Virginia.

The fourth phase began with the Charlotte Spectrum rollout, on March 14, which will involve about 500,000 homes in that market. Upstate New York and New England will also make the switch to Spectrum this month.

After that, the only remaining former Time Warner Cable market left will be in Hawaii. Since its previous brand changes were spaced out by two months, logic would hold that Hawaii was due for a transition in May, but Charter hasn't finalized a date just yet.

As in other markets, the switchover is an opportunity for Charter to promote its high-speed Intent service, which has higher initial speeds, as well as other service features.