Comcast plans to cut jobs in its cable, broadband and wireless business, according to the Los Angeles Times and Ars Technica.

The company lost 144,000 home broadband customers in the third quarter, the outlets reported. That was up from a loss of 91,000 a year earlier, they said. Comcast now has 28.3 million home broadband customers in the US, Ars Technica reported.

Comcast expects a charge of more than $1 billion in the fourth quarter, the Los Angeles Times and Ars Technica reported. Chief financial officer Jason Armstrong said the charge was mostly tied to "transformation efforts," the Los Angeles Times reported.

"We don't look at it as a cost cutting exercise," Armstrong said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "This is the ability to simplify in order to move faster."

The layoffs will be spread through the part of Comcast that will remain after it spins off NBCUniversal next year, the Los Angeles Times reported. NBCUniversal workers are not expected to be cut in this round, it said, citing two people familiar with the matter.

Comcast faces more competition from wireless home internet and fiber providers, Ars Technica reported. Co-chief executive Mike Cavanagh said some rivals have "pockets of irrational pricing," Ars Technica said. Armstrong pointed to fiber offers of $30 to $40 a month, it reported.

Job cuts may hit the company's customer service staff, with AI agents taking on more work, Ars Technica reported.

Revenue in the broadband and wireless business fell 2.7% to nearly $19.7 billion, the Los Angeles Times reported. Comcast added 368,000 wireless lines, it said.

The media business grew, the Los Angeles Times reported. Its revenue rose 6.5% to $10.5 billion, helped by the film "The Odyssey," it said.

Comcast had about 179,000 workers at the end of last year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

What we know: Comcast plans job cuts and a charge of more than $1 billion.
What we don't: How many jobs Comcast will cut.