Charter Communications continues to invest in its forthcoming wireless service, on Monday announcing the hiring of industry veteran Danny Bowman to the newly created role of chief mobile officer.
Charter said Bowman will lead the company’s emerging mobile business, with service under the Spectrum Mobile brand slated to launch in coming months. He will report to Rich DiGeronimo, EVP of product and strategy at Charter, and be based out of the operator’s Stamford, Conn., headquarters.
“Danny possesses deep mobile expertise and will be an invaluable asset to Charter and its growing team of experienced professionals dedicated to successfully designing, developing, launching, and growing Spectrum Mobile,” DiGeronimo said in a statement. “As the chief mobile officer for the company, Danny and his team will run the mobile business and forge strong partnerships with key suppliers and leverage Charter’s superior network assets to deliver a transformative integrated mobile, wireless connectivity, and entertainment experience.”
Bowman joins Charter with more than 25 years of executive experience in the mobile communications industry. Most recently, Bowman was chief revenue officer at streaming entertainment provider LeEco North America, and prior to that served as chief sales and operations officer for Samsung Telecommunications of America. Bowman also held executive positions at Sprint, Nextel, and Cellular One.
On the company’s fourth quarter earnings call, Charter CEO Tom Rutledge said the operator was on track to launch its branded wireless service in the middle of 2018, which will utilize Verizon’s spectrum as part of an MVNO agreement.
Pricing for the mobile service had not been decided at that point, Rutledge acknowledged, though he praised Comcast for its Xfinity Mobile pricing model.
Charter has also conducted 5G tests as it looks to expand broadband coverage using fixed wireless services. In late January, the company said it was actively developing and testing 5G wireless connectivity in Orlando, Fla., Reno, Nev., Clarksville, Tenn., Columbus, Ohio, Bakersfield, Calif., and Grand Rapids, Mich.
When it comes to wireless, the cable operator described its strategy as an “inside-out” approach in comments filed earlier this year with the FCC.
“Charter is in the process of transitioning its wireless network from a nomadic WiFi network to one that supports full mobility by combining its existing WiFi assets with multiple 4G and 5G access technologies,” Charter wrote in response to an FCC notice for regulating 3.5 GHz spectrum. “In navigating this technological transition, Charter is concentrating on an ’Inside-Out‘ strategy, initially focusing on advanced wireless solutions inside the home and office, and eventually expanding outdoors.”
