CPUC Judge Proposes Approving Charter-Cox Merger
A CPUC commissioner filed an alternative decision that would still approve the deal, but impose fewer conditions
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2026 – A California Public Utilities Commission judge is recommending the agency approve Charter’s $34.5 billion acquisition of Cox Communications.
CPUC Administrative Law Judge Jamie Ormond, who has been overseeing the merger proceeding, is recommending the agency approve the deal and tack on low-income service commitments that go beyond what the companies already agreed to.
CPUC Commissioner Matthew Baker submitted his own alternate decision that would not modify the settlement agreements the companies reached with two consumer advocacy groups. It would add some additional commitments related to outage prevention and compensation, and honoring existing price locks.
The companies preferred Baker's verison.
“We appreciate that Commissioner Baker's proposed decision largely reflects the strong consumer commitments in our settlements with the Public Advocates Office and the California Emerging Technology Fund – two organizations with a proven record of protecting Californians,” a Charter spokesperson said in a statement. “As Verizon did in its Frontier transaction, we'll use California's established process to address any remaining concerns.”
Charter and Cox already reached deals with Cal Advocates, the CPUC’s own consumer advocacy office, and the nonprofit California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) in which they agreed to offer a $20 monthly plan for low-income residents and participate in California’s pilot affordability subsidy for five years.
Under the deals the combined company would also upgrade its California footprint to gigabit speeds within three years and, if California’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program plan is denied, seek grant funding to build to any BEAD-eligible locations within its footprint.
In Ormond’s proposed settlement, the low-income plan requirements would be in place for eight years. That’s something other consumer groups in the state had urged the CPUC to require if it approved the deal, fearing the settlements didn't go far enough.
The company would also be required to build out to any BEAD-eligible locations in its footprint, regardless of whether it secured grant funding, if the state’s BEAD plan falls through.
California is one of two states that has yet to secure federal approval under the broadband grant program. The head of the federal agency administrating the program said last week there were “mapping anomalies” in the state’s plan that the state was now working to address.
Ormond also tacked on a more specific deployment condition. The combined company would have to deploy fiber or DOCSIS 4.0 cable to 6,000 locations within three years.
The merger would create the largest ISP in the country, with more than 35 million subscribers and nearly 70 million passings.
The companies are looking to have the deal approved by the CPUC’s August 13 voting meeting. The proposed decision Thursday puts the deal on pace for that approval, and came two days before the companies had requested it.
The Justice Department has already cleared the transaction, but its approval expires on Sept. 15. If the CPUC were to approve the merger at its Sept. 3 meeting, that might not provide enough time for the companies to close the deal and formally combine, the companies say.
If the companies miss the DOJ’s window, they’d have to pay another $2.5 million filing fee and wait an extra 30 days for the deal to be reviewed again, something they’re trying to avoid.
