mergers

State, Local Chambers Push FCC to Approve $34.5B Charter-Cox Merger

Supporters say the deal could expand broadband investment, onshore customer service jobs, and improve employee wages.

Jericho Casper

Nov 14, 2025 — 2 min read

Photo of Evan Umpir, general counsel and director of tax, transportation and legal affairs at Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, from the organization’s website.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2025 – State and local chambers of commerce are urging the Federal Communications Commission to approve Charter Communications’ proposed acquisition of Cox Communications.

In letters to the FCC publicized Thursday, state chambers from Tennessee, Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, and South Carolina, along with regional and local chambers in Northern Virginia, San Diego and Las Vegas, argued that the deal would not harm competition due to minimal overlap between Charter and Cox territories – less than 0.1 percent, according to some filings.

One outlier, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, declined to endorse the deal, saying the FCC should examine potential impacts on broadband expansion and local employment before deciding, in a filing submitted by Evan Umpir, the group’s general counsel.