Charter Gets Win as Appeals Court Upholds Rate Regulation Order

The Federal Communications Commission’s move to free cable giant Charter Communications Inc. from local rate regulations in areas in Massachusetts and Hawaii was upheld by the First Circuit.

Friday’s ruling is a victory for Charter and other cable operators, which argue that online streaming providers are competitors even if they aren’t traditional cable companies.

The unanimous ruling by a two-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirms the agency’s 2019 order, which concluded that Charter faces effective competition from streaming service AT&T TV NOW in 32 Massachusetts communities and Kauai, Hawaii, and cannot have its ...