 company when purchased. www.TechnicalPDF.com Cable TV Providers-Comcast, Charter, COX Communications, and Altice Comcast Corporation, Charter, Cox Communications, and Altice USA are the largest, second largest, third and fourth largest cable TV providers in the United States respectively. Charter operates under the Spectrum brand name. The first cable television station was started in 1948 in a mountainous area of rural Pennsylvania where high mountains blocked over the air television signals. Gradually, other providers started creating cable TV networks. Gradually, more communities added Community Antenna TV (CATV), as the first systems were known. These systems were made up of large antennas to which heavy coaxial cabling was connected. Because the systems were analog, they were susceptible to rain leaking into their systems and other impairments. Gradually, cable TV systems became digital with clearer signals and increased subscribers who wanted a wider choice of programs than those available on over-the-air broadcast TV. In the early 1950s there were 259 small providers, but by 1961 there were 288 systems in 36 states. Most of these early cable TV operators were gradually bought by larger operators, and became part of Comcast, Charter, or Altice USA. When Netherlands-located Altice purchased New York cable company Charter, it changed its name to Altice. Altice sells services in 21 states under the Optimum and SuddenLink brand names. All four large cable operators are experiencing large losses of cable TV customers due to competition from streaming services offered by Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, www.TechnicalPDF.com Disney, and over a hundred others. The largest cable companies are fighting back by expanding the scope of their offerings and by offering their own streaming services. For example, Comcast is in the process of upgrading its hybrid copper/fiber optical network with more fiber cabling directly to residences and businesses as well as bringing fiber closer in neighborhoods for the ability to offer the gig