The combination, which must pass muster with antitrust authorities, would create one of the biggest TV and internet providers in the United States.

Charter Communications has offered to acquire Cox Communications, a $34.5 billion merger that would combine two of the top three cable companies in the U.S.

Charter Communications on Friday agreed to buy privately held rival Cox Communications for $21.9 billion, combining two of the largest U.S. cable and broadband operators in their battle with streaming giants and mobile carriers.

Charter Communications, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States, announced a merger Friday with privately held Cox Communications in a multi-billion-dollar deal.

The combination of two of America's largest cable companies could impact your broadband package. This is what we know so far.

The deal brings together two of the biggest cable companies in the country at a time when pay-TV firms are losing subscribers.

Charter Communications, the second-biggest cable operator in the US, has signed a deal to buy the third-largest cable company, Cox Communications, a combination that would vault Charter and its Spectrum brand past Comcast’s Xfinity to become the country’s largest broadband service.

The cable industry is fighting back against streaming services with the announcement that Charter Communications and Cox Communications will merge. Charter, more commonly known as Spectrum, will buy Cox Communications for around $34.

Charter Communications plans to buy Cox Communications for $21.9 billion. The deal will create a major player in the cable and broadband industries, competing with Comcast. It comes as cable operators see subscriptions diminish in both areas.

The proposed deal comes a decade after a merger between cable giants Comcast and TWC was scrapped amid regulatory scrutiny. On Friday, cable companies Charter Communications and Cox Communications announced that they’ve agreed to merge.