Charter Communications’ $66bn acquisition of fellow US cablecos Time Warner Cable (TWC) and Bright House Networks is likely to result in a new wireless operator, harnessing huge numbers of WiFi hotspots and homespots to compete with Comcast’s similar strategy – and potentially to disrupt the mobile carriers. France’s Free Mobile is a clear example of how a wireline triple play provider can use the cost efficiencies of WiFi, backhauled by home and enterprise lines, to reduce the costs of a full quad play and undercut the MNOs. In justifying its approval of the Charter deal, US regulator FCC acknowledged that the combined entity was likely to pursue a wireless plan, by expanding public WiFi and possibly through an MVNO deal.…