Spectrum owner Charter Communications to lay off Austin workers, outsource roles

Charter Communications, which owns and operates the Spectrum brand of internet, phone and TV services, plans to lay off 112 workers in Austin, including 88 network operations engineers.

The affected positions also include 21 managers and three directors of network engineering, according to a notice the telecommunications company filed with the state. The layoffs are expected to begin Sept. 8.

The company, which has reported declining customer counts and revenue, said in an email that the move is intended to keep it competitive. The roles involve remote network monitoring and are being outsourced. 

All affected employees are being offered comparable roles at the same location, which is at 13620 N. Ranch Road 620, for at least eight months. The layoffs do not affect employees who interact with customers, the company said. 

Federal law generally requires large employers to provide notice before certain plant closings or mass layoffs. Charter employs nearly 16,000 people in Texas and filed notice of the layoffs on July 8 with the Texas Workforce Commission.

Charter is facing a downturn in its business, reporting it lost 120,000 internet customers in the first quarter. First-quarter revenue of $13.6 billion fell 1% from a year ago, a decline primarily driven by lower residential video revenue.

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