Comcast Shed 144,000 Residential Broadband Customers; Its Co-CEO Cited 'Pockets of Irrational Pricing'
Comcast lost 144,000 residential broadband customers in the third quarter of 2026, up from a loss of 91,000 in the same quarter a year earlier, the company said in its earnings report.
Comcast historically profited from a lack of competition in high-speed wired broadband. Ars Technica reports that the company now faces stronger competition from fixed wireless providers and from fiber providers in parts of its cable territory.
On the earnings call, co-CEO Mike Cavanagh said fixed wireless “remains aggressive and continues to take share,” and that fiber construction remains elevated, with “pockets of irrational pricing and promotional activity.”
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
“Irrational” is a revealing word from a company that historically benefited from the absence of price competition. In incumbent usage it usually means a price the incumbent would rather not have to match.
Though Cavanagh bundles pricing together with promotional activity, and those are not the same complaint — a cheap standing price and a cheap temporary promotion deserve separate verdicts before either gets called irrational.