50%+ of Internet usage is accessed on a wi-fi connection. Wi-fi traffic is growing at 68%/year in the US. Cable MSOs are investing in nationwide wi-fi deployment, likely to be accelerated as consolidation rolls on and more consumers appreciate mobility. The 2.4GHz band is becoming congested in urban areas; freeing up the 5GHz band is now very important.
Comcast, Time Warner, Bright House, Cablevision, and Cox Communications in the US, and Shaw in Canada, have deployed 200,000+ public hotspots accessible to their respective cable modem subs. Charter has promised to build ~300,000 public hotspots if the deal with Time Warner goes through.
Charter also filed comments with the FCC in support of next year?s incentive auction of 600MHz broadcast TV spectrum and has supported increased spectrum availability for purchase.
