Charter Moves to Dismiss AT&T-Led Lawsuit Over 'Fiber-Powered' Marketing Claims

Charter Communications filed a motion to dismiss an AT&T-led lawsuit alleging false advertising over its use of "fiber-powered" to describe hybrid fiber/coax networks, according to Light Reading. The motion was filed on October 23 in a Texas district court. Charter argued the term is not misleading and that AT&T failed to show consumers would interpret it as 100% fiber.

Charter's Defense Against AT&T's Claims

AT&T's complaint, filed in late August, focuses on Charter's use of "fiber broadband network" and "fiber-powered" to describe its widely deployed HFC network. AT&T argued that Charter is using that language to affix a "fiber halo" to its broadband marketing and that the terms cause "irreparable harm." AT&T has asked the court to declare that Charter engaged in unfair competition and to levy actual and "enhanced" financial damages.

Charter countered that AT&T failed to supply any facts showing consumers would read "fiber-powered" to mean exclusively fiber. "By failing to allege any facts that explain why reasonable consumers would conclude that 'fiber-powered' means 100% fiber, AT&T has not given the Court a basis to make that same inferential leap," Charter told the court. Charter also filed a proposed order to dismiss the complaint "with prejudice."

Charter, which markets services under the Spectrum brand, argued that "powered" is not a synonym for "100%" or "exclusively." The company pointed to a Cambridge Dictionary definition of "powered," including the example "Most computers are now powered by Intel chips," to show that fiber plays a critical role in delivering broadband without being the sole component.

AT&T's home broadband is led by fiber as the company aims to build fiber to 60 million homes and businesses by 2030, according to Light Reading. AT&T originally raised the issue with the National Advertising Division, which announced in March that Charter/Spectrum "voluntarily modified disclosures in connection with its 'fiber-powered' claims."

Charter's Scale and Recent Moves

Charter Communications is a U.S. broadband connectivity and cable company operating the Spectrum brand, delivering Internet, Mobile, TV and Voice subscriptions to roughly 31.7 million customer relationships across 41 states, according to akta.pro company records. The company reported $54.8 billion in 2025 annual revenue and has nearly 59 million homes and businesses passed across 41 states. Charter completed its merger with Cox Communications, and Nick Jeffery became Chief Operating Officer on September 1, 2026, assuming oversight of marketing, sales, field operations and customer operations across Spectrum's residential and business services in 41 states.

Earlier Charter Developments

In October 2026, Levin Law, P.A. announced it is investigating potential securities claims involving Charter Communications after its August 2026 acquisition of Liberty Broadband, according to FinancialContent Business Page. Charter also announced the departure of Adam Ray as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, effective October 12, 2026, according to MarketScreener. In October 2026, Charter COO Jeffery outlined plans for a "cable comeback" with a new management structure, according to Telecompaper.

Next Steps in the Case

The AT&T-Charter case is now back in the court's hands, and it is possible there will be more back-and-forth before the court determines next steps, according to Light Reading. The result could determine how extensively Charter and possibly other cable operators that primarily use HFC can reference fiber in their marketing and communications with customers.