Charter Opening WiFi Hotspots in Face of COVID-19

Charter said, citing the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, that it will open its WiFi hotspots across the country for public use, and will offer free Spectrum broadband service and WiFi access for 60 days to households with K-12 or college students that do not already have Spectrum broadband service at any level up to 100 Mbps.

The company will waive installation fees for those new student households. The company said it will partner with schools to get the word out.

It pointed out in announcing the move that it has no data caps to suspend.

There have been calls from Democratic legislators for free or at-cost broadband, waiving fees, and other moves in the face of the pandemic.

FCC chairman Ajit Pai also called on ISPs to offer lower-cost, higher-speed broadband.

Comcast has already said it is offering 60 days of free broadband to low-income households not currently Comcast customers, and with no contract.

NCTA-The Internet & Television Association has said its members are working on ways to help during the crisis given the critical nature of remote communications.

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.