Internet, phone, and cable TV giant Spectrum, which is operated by Charter Communications, has struggled to retain customers over the past year amid price hikes and increased competition. As the company’s customer losses mount, it is shifting gears, resulting in a concerning workforce change.
In 2025, Spectrum lost about 284,000 cable TV customers and roughly 403,000 internet customers, according to calculations based on its latest earnings report. Its revenue for the year also dipped by 0.6% year over year.
The customer losses follow the company’s recent price increases for its cable TV and internet plans. For example, in July, Spectrum raised monthly rates by $2 on a few of its older internet plans and by $5 on its Spectrum Select TV packages.
Price hikes were a risky move, since Spectrum was already losing cable TV customers amid the nationwide cord-cutting trend. This trend took off in the early 2010s and involves consumers canceling cable TV services and subscribing to streaming platforms to save money.
A survey from Pew Research Center last year even found that 83% of Americans use streaming platforms, while only 36% are subscribed to cable or satellite TV services.
Also, fixed wireless internet (or 5G home internet), which is usually more affordable than traditional wired internet, has become a major threat to Spectrum and other cable companies.
This service is offered by phone carriers such as T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T, and they have gained hundreds of thousands of fixed wireless internet customers in recent months.
As it tries to keep customers from fleeing, Spectrum’s parent company recently made an eyebrow-raising workforce change.
In a WARN notice filed on March 18, Charter Communications revealed its plan to close its Spectrum call center facility in Appleton, Wis., a change that took effect on March 21.
The closure resulted in 313 Spectrum employees losing their jobs, affecting positions across customer service, tech support, and management.
Related: Spectrum owner seals billion-dollar acquisition as customers flee
In a statement to Wisconsin Public Radio on March 19, the company said tasks at its Appleton call center will be moved to its other U.S. centers.
“Employees have the option to relocate and transition in their current role to one of our select technical repair locations or apply to another role with the company for which they are qualified, including our Fond du Lac call center,” read the statement.
The latest round of Spectrum job cuts comes after the company reportedly laid off 1,200 employees in October to streamline operations. The cuts affected 1% of the company’s workforce, only impacting corporate employees and those who work in back-office functions nationwide.
