Charter Offers Freebies To Win More Customers

Charter Communications, Inc CHTR offered a free wireless phone line to some new and existing customers as the fight between cable companies, and their telecom rivals gained momentum.
Wireless customers who purchase a new mobile line for $30 a month will get a second line for free.
Charter already offered Spectrum One, a $50-a-month plan that includes internet access and one mobile line.
Also Read: Wireless Carriers T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T And Broadband-Internet Providers Comcast, Charter Compete For Customers
Charter lowered the cost of its mobile service to $30 a month from $45 as part of the promotion, Bloomberg reports.
The leading cable TV provider will tout the new pricing in a media campaign starting this week.
Charter, whose broadband growth collapsed at the hands of wireless home internet and fiber services, hoped the low-cost wireless offer would help stem some of the customer losses it's seeing in its 41-state territory.
The promotion coincided with Charter sending out notifications to broadband customers that they would see a $5 rate increase on their following bills. Those price increases apply to internet-only customers in most markets.
The report noted Charter and Comcast Corp CMCSA each added more than 300,000 mobile subscribers last quarter thanks to their wireless service.
Charter executives said on an earnings call that packaging mobile and broadband promotions like Spectrum One is a way to revive broadband growth.
"Spectrum One has the opportunity to drive incremental internet growth," said Chris Winfrey, chief operating officer, who will take over as CEO when Tom Rutledge steps down in December.
The Spectrum One bundle will compete directly with T-Mobile US, Inc's TMUS $50 wireless home internet and mobile phone package.
In June, Verizon Communications Inc VZ cut the price of its entry-level broadband service to $25 a month for wireless customers on top-tier plans.
Telecom groups pushed European regulators to consider a price for the companies that send traffic along their networks to help fund mammoth upgrades to their infrastructure.
Price Action: CHTR shares closed lower by 0.17% at $367.62 on Monday.

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