Building a Better Framework for Business Data Services Regulation
Today, NCTA submitted to the FCC a new model for smart, targeted regulation of Business Data Services (BDS) that draws from the voluminous record in the current proceeding and accomplishes the Commission’s stated goal of preserving and enhancing competition where it exists and regulating rates where it does not. This new framework is far superior to the “regulate everything” approach that Verizon and INCOMPAS have sought to advance. That proposal and the expansive new regulation it advocates “lacks support in economic theory, in regulatory experience, and in the record on BDS” according to a
How GCI Internet is Transforming a Rural School District in Alaska
Dan Walker remembers the dialup modem that he used to have on his desk during his early years as a teacher in the Lower Kuskokwim School District, or LKSD, in Alaska about 25 years ago. It was right around the time when schools in the state were starting to get internet access. Now in his second year as superintendent of the district and as a nationally-recognized education technology leader for his work in LKSD, he can proudly share how far they’ve come with technology and internet speed. LKSD serves 22 remote villages spread over a remote area the size of West Virginia. Over 4,200 students
‘Woman of the Year’ Scripps Executive Kathleen Finch Offers Advice for Aspiring Women Leaders in Cable
In less than two weeks, the annual WICT Leadership Conference will kick off Diversity Week in New York City and recognize women leaders who are not only achieving professional success in the cable industry, but who also lend themselves as mentors and role models to aspiring professionals in the business. This year, WICT’s highest honor, the Woman of the Year award, goes to Kathleen Finch, chief programming, content and brand officer at Scripps Networks Interactive. As we await to celebrate Finch’s award during the WICT Touchstones Luncheon, along with the Woman to Watch honorees Laura Gentile
What Generates the Most Internet Traffic in Your Household?
If you live in the average internet household in North America, you likely have multiple connected devices at your fingertips, which you use for a variety of purposes when going online. A new report released by Sandvinegives us a glimpse into our internet usages and patterns inside the home, and how they might differ based on the device we are using. The 2016 Global Internet Phenomena: Inside the Connected Home report found that North American households on average have seven internet connected devices, with the Windows PC (above mobile devices, game consoles, set-top boxes and SmartTVs)
How Satisfied are Americans with Their Home Internet?
A new survey on home internet provider satisfaction reveals the vast majority of Americans are satisfied with the quality, price, speed, and reliability of their wireline broadband. The internet entertains, informs, and connects. It builds businesses, it improves healthcare, and it drives creativity. In other words, it’s a very busy platform and it has grown exponentially over the last 25 years to better serve the billions of people who use it every day. So, in an effort to better quantify exactly how well America’s ISPs are doing at delivering the internet, we commissioned an independent
Comcast Celebrates Five Years of Connecting Families with Internet Essentials
It all started five years ago this very month in Chicago when Comcast connected the first low-income families to the internet through the launch of the Internet Essentials program. Fast forward to 2016, and Internet Essentials has spread to many cities across the United States and brought 750,000 low-income households on board, according to their five-year progress report released last week. That’s three million more individuals armed with the power of the internet and its ability to improve lives and open up new economic opportunities. A survey of Internet Essentials customers reports that 95
A History of Speed as the World Wide Web Turns 25
This week marks the 25th birthday of the World Wide Web. Though there had been networks of computers within research institutions and defense agencies, access was restricted. But on August 23, 1991 CERN opened its network to the public, establishing the World Wide Web. Since then, the internet has grown up quite a bit. In 2016, residential cable connection speeds are topping out at 2 Gbps. To understand how large that growth is, we’ve put together a handy graph that helps put these internet speeds into perspective. For more information, be sure to check out our pages on America’s Internet
The Surprising (and Not-So Surprising) Results of a New Streaming TV Survey
NCTA commissioned a new poll from Morning Consult which revealed many more Americans are watching TV on devices other than a television. The poll asked key questions on programming preferences, device usage, and the importance of watching live TV. 36 percent of poll respondents say they have never used a device to watch TV other than a television, leaving a full 61 percent who say they use a device like a computer, tablet, or smartphone to watch TV at least once a month. We’re pleased to see so many people taking advantage of non-traditional TV devices. It’s a sign that TV Everywhere efforts
How Did You Watch the Rio Olympics?
The results are in from the 2016 Summer Olympics, and aside from the remarkable achievements of the many American athletes who dazzled audiences around the world, NBCUniversal also snagged a few victories of its own with its coverage of the competition in Rio. According to Nielsen, 78 percent of U.S. TV homes tuned into NBC Olympics Rio Games coverage. This year’s coverage also earned the silver medal for garnering the second-highest primetime average audience on record for any non-domestic Olympic Summer Games. NBC’s Olympics coverage, which spanned 15 days of the competition, reached an
The Data is in and U.S. Internet Continues to Get Faster
For the first time, US broadband download speeds are averaging over 50 Mbps. Ookla, the world-trusted independent source for broadband speed data, released a report earlier this month revealing a huge fixed broadband speed jump. This represents more than a 40 percent increase from this time last year. The three fastest ISPs, as evaluated by Ookla, were XFINITY, Cox, and Spectrum (the ISP formed by the merger of Charter, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House). According to Ookla, broadband speeds are ranked “based on top 10 percent performance which is determined using the 90th percentile of the