Broadband losses deepen at major US providers
Charter, Comcast and Liberty Global all report accelerating declines in fixed-line subscribers and revenue.
Major US connectivity providers are losing fixed-line broadband customers at an accelerating pace, dragging down revenue and profit across the sector. Charter Communications (CHTR), Comcast (CMCSA) and Liberty Global (LBTYA) each reported sharper declines in residential broadband subscribers over the past year, signaling a structural shift in consumer demand.
Charter led the retreat, shedding 510,000 total customer relationships in the year to June 2026, leaving it with 31.5 million. Its residential broadband base contracted by 510,000 over the same period, and the company lost another 450,000 broadband customers in the prior twelve months. The erosion cut Charter’s revenue by $378 million in the first half of 2026 and shaved $370 million from Adjusted EBITDA.
Comcast’s domestic broadband customers fell by 711,000 in 2025, reducing its total customer relationships by nearly one million to 50.8 million. Liberty Global’s residential fixed broadband revenue slipped from €219.5 million in Q1 2024 to €218.4 million in Q1 2025, a rare year-over-year decline for the segment.
The synchronized downturn suggests competition from wireless substitution and fiber overbuilds is now outpacing new household formation, pressuring margins even as providers lean on price increases and cost cuts to defend cash flow.