Charter Spectrum Starting To Map Out Mobile Network

Charter has been busy spending money on their new MVNO network Spectrum Mobile that launched back in 2018.

Over the past year Charter has spent approximately $500 million on 3.5GHz CBRS spectrum licenses in an FCC auction. They’ve also requested approval to test transmissions with it in almost a dozen cities where Charter won licenses from that auction.

Whose Towers Does Spectrum Use Now?

Spectrum Mobile is an MVNO or a mobile virtual network operator owned by Spectrum that uses a combination of Verizon Wireless towers and Spectrum’s own Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide. Charter estimates that approximately 80% of their mobile traffic is delivered to and from their Wi-Fi network. Even though Spectrum Mobile uses towers they don’t own and Wi-Fi hotspots to deliver service to their customers, Spectrum Mobile does work nationwide.

Expanding service to their own towers will not only provide a better experience for Spectrum Mobile customers but will also cut down on the costs of operating the network in the short term. All MVNO networks pay a wholesale access amount to whomever they are renting tower space from. The higher the usage, the more the MVNO has to payout. In this case, Charter’s push towards their own network could save money in the long run if their subscribers keep increasing. Charter Communication’s CEO Tom Rutledge has already announced that this new spectrum will be used to slowly move about a third of Spectrum Mobile’s traffic onto their own towers.

Spectrum Mobile Plans

Spectrum Mobile has three easy plans to choose from: Spectrum By The Gig, Unlimited and Unlimited Plus. Spectrum Mobile claims that their subscribers can save up to 40% when they switch from a traditional postpaid service from one of the big three wireless providers. It’s definitely possible to save only if you subscribe to the right plan for you based on how you will use your service.

Here is the breakdown of Spectrum Mobile wireless plans: