Consumers Deserve Consistent Privacy Protections on the Internet
In a vibrant, fast-changing Internet economy, companies should be transparent about their data practices, provide consumers with choices on how their data is used, and work hard to keep data secure. Consumers also deserve consistent privacy protections across the Internet for the information they deem private and sensitive, no matter how or with whom they share it. Protections should be based on the type of information collected, not the type of business holding it. And privacy norms should apply uniformly so that consumers do not have to guess about their privacy protection depending on the
How El Rey is Diversifying Television, On and Off the Screen
Have you ever seen Lucha Underground? At a quick glance, you might mistake it for the WWE, but if you take a closer look you’ll come to realize the show stands for a lot more than just wrestling—it’s a mix of cultures, passionate personalities, multiple storylines complete with a bilingual fan base. Taking after the “lucha libre” wrestling style of Mexico while also combining elements of America pro wrestling, the show very much sums up what the mantra of its network, El Rey, is all about. Born three years ago and founded by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, El Rey reaches over 40 million households
Who Has the Fastest Internet in the World?
The results from the latest Akamai State of the Internet report are in and once again, 10 U.S. states rank among the top 20 fastest Internet territories around the globe. Delaware cracked the top five with an average peak speed of 88.3 Mbps, next to Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Akamai's report from the last quarter of 2015 found that U.S. average connection speeds reached 14.2 mbps, which is a 29 percent increase year-over-year, while the average peak connection went up 25 percent and hit 61.5 mbps. Overall, the findings show that people in the U.S. are experiencing faster Internet
The State of My Industry: Telling the Story of a Live Democracy
Originally posted on LinkedIn Pulse on March 23, 2016 A year ago, I wrote about the state of my industry and proudly reported that while we faced challenges, we were fast at work changing stereotypes, meeting the needs of digital consumers, and playing a central role in the Internet revolution. These things are still true, but much has changed in the last year. Today, we’re working to re-define our relationship with the people who rely on us for entertainment, for business, and for information. We’re no longer allowing ourselves to be defined by the terminologies and memes of the past, but
NTIA Data: Internet Usage Is Up Among Unexpected Demographic Groups
Americans are making strides in Internet usage among groups of people who have historically been known for their offline status. According to the latest data from 2015 released yesterday by the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, senior citizens increased their Internet usage from 51 to 56 percent between 2013-2015, while children saw an even larger spike, jumping from 56 to 66 percent during the same time period. The digital divide is also shrinking, albeit slowly, for groups of Americans with education up to a high school diploma. African Americans, Hispanics, and
HBO Initiative Makes Hollywood Careers Tangible for D.C. Locals
The start of March was an exciting time in the nation’s capital for many Veep fans and Julia Louise-Dreyfus aficionados. The HBO Emmy-award winning series was in the District for a week-long shoot, and fans took to Twitter and local blogs to share stories of their celebrity sightings. But the show’s stint in D.C. added an additional layer of excitement for the city as several locals were afforded the opportunity to work on set through the network’s Production Assistant Trainee Program as part of a larger program, HBO & Cinemax Community Impact Program. The initiative is one that continues to
Are You Enjoying March Madness the Right Way?
You’ve broken out the brackets and dialed the trash talk to eleven because as of yesterday, you’re in full March Madness swing. In years long past all of this meant rushing home or out to the bar to catch big games. More recently, it’s meant loading up your DVR with piles of games and zooming through them as quickly as possible before going to bed. But this year, streaming TV users will be able to watch in whole new ways. First, there’s the all new NCAA March Madness Live app built by the NCAA, Turner Sports, and CBS, which is available on all of the major streaming platforms. NCAA says, “NCAA
Is SXSW Becoming an Un-Digital Experience?
We’ve reached a point in conference and event culture where we no longer need to declare full digital integration. It’s assumed there will be a hashtag, it’s assumed there will be an app, and it’s assumed there will be a live stream. Rightfully so as these pieces have long since transitioned from novelty, to accent, and finally to necessity. But where does that leave SXSW, an event that purportedly sits on the cutting edge of connected technology? An event aimed at serving the creators and connectors of the 21st century? The answer is right back to the beginning. SXSW can no longer be the home
CEO Rocco Commisso on Mediacom’s 20-Year Success
Twenty years ago, Mediacom founder Rocco Commisso had a vision: to build a company that would provide customers in smaller markets and rural communities with the same level of cable and telecommunications services that their counterparts in the big cities enjoyed. Fast forward through two decades, 22 acquisitions, the Internet surge, and 600,000 miles of fiber, and Mediacom, the nation’s 8th largest cable operator, now serves over 1.3 million customers in 1,500 communities across 22 states, primarily in the Midwestern and Southeastern regions of the United States. Today, the company Commisso
Why We Go to SXSW
Once again, NCTA is attending SXSW. We go because we know that one of our most important roles is to find better, more effective ways to tell the story of America’s Internet and television innovators. SXSW is a unique convergence of creative and professional ideas that, in many ways, sets the tone for how the entire digital industry talks about itself. More than that, SXSW establishes how technology industries like ours contribute to the larger conversation of innovation, art, technology, and entertainment. This is a conversation we can’t miss. America’s ISPs have played a crucial role in