Charter Taking TN, LA All-Digital

Charter Communications (NASDAQ:CHTR) is planning an all-digital upgrade for its systems in Tennessee and Louisiana. The upgrade is scheduled to start Aug. 26 in Clarksville, TN, and run through the end of the year, with groups of customers transitioning to an all-digital network on a rolling basis. As part of the upgrade process, customers must acquire Charter-issued digital set-top boxes for each of their TV sets.

The upgrade in Tennessee and Louisiana is expected to provide access to more than 200 HD channels, better picture quality, VOD access, and faster Internet speeds. Once the all-digital upgrade is complete for all customers, Charter plans to double residential Internet speeds from 30 Mbps to 60 Mbps at no additional cost. The company plans to complete the upgrade across its 29-state footprint by the end of 2014.