Charter Communications (NASDAQ:CHTR) announced the details of a new low-income broadband service that the company will begin offering within six months of the close of its pending merger with Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC) and acquisition of Bright House Networks. The offer will be fully implemented across Charter's footprint within three years of close, the company says.
The service - 30 Mbps downstream and 4 Mbps upstream for $14.99 a month - will be available to low-income seniors in addition to low-income families. Similar programs, such as Comcast's (NASDAQ:CMCSA) Internet Essentials, typically top out at 10 Mbps downstream, with most being considerably slower.
The service will be available to families with students who participate in the National School Lunch Program and to seniors who are 65 and older who receive Supplemental Security Income program benefits. Eligible customers will also be able to receive promotional video service and phone bundle offerings. The service comes with a modem at no extra cost and free self-install.
