The FCC Set-Top Box Mandate is Not Only Unnecessary but Legally Unsustainable
Twenty years ago, watching TV meant sitting at home in front of a television set, probably in the living room. It came through a box sitting next to the TV, and if you wanted to watch TV in a different room that it meant setting up a different box and a different connection. Today, apps, tablets, smartphones, streaming services, TV Everywhere technology, and near-ubiquitous Wi-Fi have given consumers more choices than ever as to where, when, and how they watch TV. These innovations have come from all kinds of service providers and tech companies, all of which are innovating rapidly and to
The Expanding Consolidation of the Consumer Internet
Today the consumer Internet takes up over 50 percent of traffic in North America, coming from just 35hyper-giant websites. Take a look at the graphic below and you’ll see how quickly the Internet has consolidated. And that the top five are pretty unsurprising. [Click to Enlarge]
Calling All Entertainment and Technology Rising Stars, We Need YOU!
The roles of technology, entertainment, innovation, and influence are changing every day. INTX, the Internet and Television Expo, is the hub of that change and come May 16th in Boston, INTX will serve as the platform for the most exciting new ideas in these spaces. But we can’t do it alone. And we certainly can’t do it without the full breadth of intelligence and experience from across industries, disciplines, and perhaps most importantly, generations. That's why we’re offering a new program at INXT this year called INTXgen. Designed specifically for younger professionals within NCTA member
White House May Think Weighing in on Boxes is Good Politics, but It's Bad Government
This morning, the White House published a blog on an ongoing FCC proceeding discussing the future of TV technology and weighing in on what kind of set top box you should have in your home. We are disappointed that White House political advisers are choosing to inject politics and inflammatory rhetoric into a regulatory proceeding by what is supposed to be an independent agency. Consumers and regulated companies have the right to expect decisions affecting their businesses are made based on sound analysis of the record and not the political interests of the executive branch. To see the White
The FCC’s War on Investment Targets Business Data Services
Another month, another FCC initiative to regulate companies that build networks for the benefit of those that don’t. But rather than wade into the details of Chairman Wheeler’s plan to penalize cable operators for bringing new services, fresh competition, and billions in investment to the market for business data services, we offer the following hypothetical: Imagine a town with a single hotel, say a large Marriott. After years of having a single option for hotel rooms, Kimpton comes to town and builds a new “boutique” hotel – smaller than the Marriott but with modern amenities and cheaper
Keeping Human Connections Real and Authentic in the Digital Age
Most of us are guilty of it. We pull out our phones in mid-conversation with someone else, or make sure it’s at a reachable distance even as we get ready for bed at night. We’ve come to live off of our phones and personal devices because of the great information and instant connections that they bring us, but are we letting ourselves lose face-to-face time with others as a result? At an event earlier this month hosted by Common Sense on raising kids in a digitally connected world, renowned author Sherry Turkle told a crowd of educators, parents, and professionals in Washington, D.C., that
Discovery VR is Celebrating the Story that is Earth
Discovery has long been known for telling the story of all that is Earth. And while that core story hasn’t changed, the way the network is telling or will tell that story in the future will only get more intimate, personal, complimentary, and exciting. Launched last August, Discovery VR features content that not only plays off some of Discovery’s on-air programming, but that also spans several of Discovery’s linear and web-native networks and content that is independent of Discovery as well. Audiences can dive under water in the Bahamas and swim with sharks from the angle of a diver, up close
Who's Building the Next Gigabit City?
The gigabit trend in the technology space has been hard to ignore as of late, and Comcast, Cox, Brighthouse, Suddenlink, Mediacom, GCI, and Midcontinent, among others, are leading the charge. More and more providers are deploying gigabit services, some even offering 2-gigabit connections, and reaching customers nationwide. But why do we need gigabit services, and how would this Internet speed improve our quality of life anyway? The answer to this came about in several different ways at the Gigabit Cities Live conference, hosted by Light Reading, earlier this week in Charlotte, N.C.. While we
Pivot TV: The Network Inspiring Millennials to Social Action
Earlier this year, a documentary called Codegirl aired on Pivot TV and showed the experiences of young girls around the world in their quest to design life-changing mobile apps. The program, however, seemed to serve a dual purpose. One was of course to inform viewers of the various social issues impacting different regions of the globe. The other was to mobilize the younger generation, particularly women, to effect social change around them through the pursuit of careers in what is usually a male-dominated STEM field. And therein lies what makes Pivot a network unique among the rest: the call
Take a Swim in the ‘Lobstah’ Tank at INTX
If you like taking a dive in the Shark Tank every week with Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner and fellow investors and hearing the latest innovative products from budding entrepreneurs, then you will want to give the Lobstah Tank a try. (That’s right, it’s Lobstah, not Lobster!) Coming to Boston in May, and produced in partnership with Streetwise Media’s BostInno, the Lobstah Tank is part of the INTX: The Internet & Television Expo this year, taking place at the Boston Convention & Exposition Center May 16-18. Companies in the greater New England area with an interesting idea and pitch are encouraged