Pew Reveals Who Isn't Online and Why
n a blog post last week, Pew Research Center reported on the results of a recent poll on Internet usage. The poll revealed that 15 percent of Americans do not use the Internet, down from 48 percent in 2000. A 2013 poll cited in the blog post offered insight into the most common reason people choose not to adopt the Internet: It doesn’t seem relevant to their lives. You can see more of Pew’s research on broadband adoption here.
Setting the Record Straight on Set Top Boxes
Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) recently repeated a number of claimsabout the state of the marketplace for video devices and the presumed effects of last year’s STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 (STELAR) on retail set-top boxes. Regrettably, however, their claims misread the STELAR statute, the impact of changes that were supported on a bipartisan basis, and the state of the video device marketplace. It’s simply not accurate to say that “cable companies will no longer be required to make their services compatible with outside set-top boxes, like TiVo for example
An Update on Our Appeal of the FCC’s Title II Order
Today, NCTA and other petitioners filed our joint legal brief with the D.C. Circuit highlighting the reasons why the FCC’s February 2015 order to subject broadband Internet to public utility-style regulation under Title II of the Communications Act was unlawful. The filing is a must read for those who have been following net neutrality since the mid 2000’s (or more recently) and strongly rebukes the FCC’s rationale for their unnecessary action. “We are not appealing the FCC action because of net neutrality.” With the FCC’s Title II order now before the Court, it’s important to restate
The Future of Wi-Fi Depends on Unlicensed Spectrum
Today, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee is holding a hearing on wireless broadband and the future of spectrum policy. We expect the hearing to shed light on the incredible importance of unlicensed spectrum and how the future of gigabit Wi-Fi depends on good spectrum policy. Today, Wi-Fi is the most used broadband medium, handling more data than any other source – more than 5,500 petabytes of data per month in the United States. Making sure spectrum policy is keeping up with incredible Wi-Fi demand is critical to consumers, innovators, retailers and just about every
How Cable Gives Back
Cable’s reach goes far beyond the majority of industries in America. There are few industries that impact and connect so many people in the wide range of economic, age, and gender demographics than cable does. It only makes sense then for cable to use that influence to give back to the communities that helped it grow. Cable Impacts, the foundation formed by NCTA to underscore cable’s social responsibility, is taking strides to ensure that cable’s resources are leveraged into local communities, especially those that need them the most. One of Cable Impact’s goals is to highlight the many
On the Go? Watch TV Everywhere
With summer in full swing and millions of consumers heading off to their favorite vacation spot, watching your favorite TV shows is one routine that can now travel with you. That is if you are taking advantage of the TV Everywhere services that many popular networks and cable providers offer. TV Everywhere, for the uninitiated, is the ability to watch television on a web-connected device like a smartphone or a tablet outside of the home. No more being tied to the living room couch in order to watch your favorite TV show. Best of all, TV Everywhere is a complementary service as part of your
Wi-Fi and Mobile TV: A RomCom with a Happy Ending?
It’s predicted that in less than two years, the average person will own five Wi-Fi enabled devices and that 86 percent of all in-home broadband usage will be via a Wi-Fi connection. Many of us already have many more than five devices and live in homes where 100 percent of broadband usage is dependent on Wi-Fi. So it’s no surprise that the just-released 2015 ARRIS Consumer Entertainment Index offers some revealing data on not only changes in TV watching trends via Wi-Fi devices, but how consumers perceive how their home Wi-Fi is holding up under the added pressure of streaming video. The ARRIS
Drone Technology is Changing the Way We Watch Sports
It’s been a notable year for drones in professional sports as TV networks continue to expand the use of the technology. From golf tournaments to motorcycle races, these unmanned aircrafts are populating the skies of distinguished athletic competitions, giving sports coverage wings it didn’t have before. Back in January of this year, ESPN captured video footage from drones at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo. Then in the Spring, Fox Sports took to airborne coverage when the network tested propeller drones in Indianapolis during the Monster Energy AMA Supercross motorcycle series. NBC Sports
Broadband Investment is Making the Internet Infinite
Today’s House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on “Promoting Broadband Infrastructure Investment” is set to shed light on the incredible investment Internet providers have made in building our nationwide broadband network. Cable has put in over $230 billion into infrastructure since 1996 and it’s not just on maintenance and upkeep. That figure reflects the incredible advances we’ve made over the last twenty years in speed, access, and innovation. Take a look at the video below and see how cable is working hard and investing big into making the Internet infinite.
Why Does Cable Programming Do So Well at the Emmys?
As we mentioned last week, the 67th Primetime Emmy nominations were announced and cable shows are running away with the majority of nominations. This week, we take a closer look at what’s behind this dominance, and why some of the best storytelling and actors come from cable. Let’s start with the clear frontrunner, Game of Thrones, which leads the pack with 24 nominations. HBO didn’t have a hard time getting this one to take off. Fans of the book series tuned into their TVs in droves to watch the show, with viewership increasing every year since its television debut in 2011. Last season’s