FCC Approves Charter’s Merger With Cox Enterprises

The FCC on Friday announced that it has given the greenlight to Charter Communications’ $34.5 billion merger with Cox Enterprises.

The merger will combine the cable, commercial fiber and cloud businesses of the companies. When the deal was announced last year, the companies said that the combination would have 38 million subscribers.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement, “By approving this deal, the FCC ensures big wins for Americans.  This deal means that jobs are coming back to America that had been shipped overseas.  It means that modern, high-speed networks will get built out in more communities across rural America.  And it means that customers will get access to lower priced plans.  On top of this, the deal enshrines protections against DEI discrimination.”

Carr’s reference to DEI was to companies’ diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Carr has made clear that he would try to block transactions from companies that continue DEI programs, as the Trump administration has accused such policies of promoting reverse discrimination.

Per the FCC, Charter also has committed to return Cox’s non-U.S. workforce back to the states, nd to extend a $20-per-hour minimum starting wage to Cox workers.

The combined company will take the Cox name and use the brand name Spectrum for the consumer market, the FCC said.

The Charter-Cox merger is still undergoing review by state regulators and also needs clearance from the Justice Department.