New NTIA Data Shows More Internet Users Than Ever Before
As America continues to tackle the ambitious task to connect every corner of the country to the internet, the nation’s broadband leaders continue to be hard at work, extending their networks and upgrading speeds in communities of all sizes across the country. While the first few states have had their BEAD plans approved by NTIA, those projects are still a year or so away, as federal funds aren’t expected to be sent to projects until 2025. However, the ongoing hard work to bring next-generation networks to far-out communities moves forward, with new data from NTIA showing positive results for
Industry Stats: Broadband Continues to Expand Coast to Coast
As America works to connect every community to robust broadband—including the upcoming distribution of more than $40 billion in federal funds for building new networks—cable providers continue to do what they have always done: build superfast networks to reach as many Americans as possible.
‘Bad River’: Comcast Chronicles a Native Community’s Fight for Sovereignty
Comcast NBCUniversal's Black Experience partnered with acclaimed filmmaker Mary Mazzio and NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill to produce “Bad River”, a documentary that chronicles the troubled history and present struggle of the Bad River Ojibwe, a Native community in northern Wisconsin. A David vs. Goliath battle The film follows the Bad River Ojibwe as they contest a 70-year-old pipeline on the brink of rupture into Lake Superior, the largest freshwater resource in North America and approximately 20% of the entire world's freshwater supply. For the Bad River Ojibwe, a pipeline rupture would
NAMIC Vision Awards Celebrate Diversity on Screen
Earlier this month, NAMIC announced the winners of the 30th annual NAMIC Vision Awards, honoring original programming that best reflects the increasingly diverse, multi-ethnic, and multicultural viewing audience. For 44 years, NAMIC has been the premier organization that educates, advocates, and empowers for multi-ethnic diversity in the communications industry. This year, OWN, Disney+, CNN, ESPN, Nat Geo WILD, and Peacock were among the Vision Award winners, for programming ranging from documentary series to an animated children’s show. OWN The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), founded by Oprah
Every Mile of Fiber Has a Story: Delivering Rural Broadband Nationwide
Connecting rural and far-out communities to broadband networks is no small task. The United States is home to a wide variety of geographies, from vast, arid deserts to swampy marshes, and from tundra to wide open plains, no two infrastructure projects are the same. Cable ISPs have been working diligently over the years to extend service to every American, whether they live on a remote island in Alaska or have suffered the devastating effects of a hurricane in Florida. To tell the stories of all the feats of engineering and hard work happening around the country, NCTA.com has a new interactive
Walter Kaitz Foundation Partners With Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Foundation
The Walter Kaitz Foundation announced a new partnership with the Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab last month. Spearheaded by Hillman Grad, the media company founded by Emmy award winning writer, producer, and creator, Lena Waithe, this program provides a six-month intensive development opportunity for a diverse range of actors, writers, and producers. Renewed commitment to developing diverse talent "Amplifying the voices of underrepresented artists and creating pathways for their success is foundational to the work we do at Hillman Grad. The generous support of the Walter Kaitz Foundation will
Broadband Stats: America Needs a Dynamic Spectrum Approach
As federal stakeholders develop national spectrum policies, the importance of unlicensed and shared-licensed technologies should be a key goal. Cable’s mobile services, enabled by multiple approaches to spectrum sharing, are saving consumers billions of dollars monthly. And, for the U.S. to maintain its standing as a global technology leader, a dynamic spectrum approach is critical.
Comcast Launches ASL Interpreting Services at Xfinity Stores
Last week, Comcast announced the launch of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services at eight Xfinity store locations in the National Capital Region, with plans to expand the offering nationwide over the course of this year. Accessible tech The service, which uses video conference technology to connect customers requiring ASL support to an interpreter, was piloted last year at select stores. The service will allow the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing to interact with any Xfinity associate, greatly expanding the customer service opportunities to the community. “We’re thrilled to be able to
Setting the Record Straight on Spectrum Priorities
As the debate over spectrum policy continues, the incumbent mobile industry continues to malign and inhibit the growth of technologies and spectrum uses that promote competition, innovation, wireless access, and consumer savings. A further new line of attack argues that spectrum design decisions should be based on which industry has spent the most money on wireless infrastructure and auctioned spectrum. That argument is not only conveniently slanted toward incumbent wireless interests, it is demonstrably wrong. What matters is not which competitor has historically invested more, but instead
America’s Expanding Broadband Networks Continue to Grow: The Mid-Atlantic Pt. 2
As America targets efforts towards connecting every community to robust broadband – including the distribution of more than $40 billion in federal funds for building new networks – cable providers continue to do what they have always done: build out their networks to reach as many Americans as possible. With network expansions continuing to happen nationwide, here are a few more examples of projects that work towards the national goal of connecting every American. To learn about other projects highlighted in previous blogs, be sure to check out NCTA.com. Maryland Comcast has announced it is