Publication Type: Statement
Date: 6/9/2010CONTACT: Rob Stoddard/Brian Dietz, 202-222-2350
[BACKGROUND: A group of leading broadband and high-tech companies joined Adjunct Professor Dale Hatfield of the University of Colorado at Boulder today in announcing initial plans for a voluntary Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG or TAG). The BITAG announcement can be found online.]
“Today’s announcement is an important and encouraging recognition that all companies participating in the Internet ecosystem should come together with a common purpose – to continue providing consumers with a great Internet experience. The Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG) creates a strong foundation for an inter-industry forum to allow technical and engineering experts to discuss technical issues and best practices related to matters that affect the consumer broadband Internet experience. We congratulate all of the companies and Dale Hatfield for the work they’ve done so far, and look forward to learning more about and supporting the BITAG as it is developed further.”
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NCTA is the principal trade association for the U.S. cable industry, representing cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks. The cable industry is the nation’s largest broadband provider of high-speed Internet access, serving more than 40 million customers, after investing more than $160 billion to build a two-way interactive network with fiber optic technology. Cable companies also provide state-of-the-art digital telephone service to more than 20 million American consumers.