Cable Providers Are Leaders in Closing the Digital Divide
At today's White House event on closing the digital divide, President Biden applauded cable internet service providers (ISPs) for their broadband adoption efforts, including offering plans that enable low-income families to subscribe to 100 Mbps internet service for free when taking advantage of a $30 federal subsidy. With the recent implementation of the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), ISPs including Comcast, Charter, Cox and Mediacom, have rolled out new internet plans throughout their service areas, allowing qualifying ACP households to obtain robust internet service for free
Teacher Appreciation Week and Cable's Commitment to America's Students
Teacher Appreciation Week comes to an end today, but the hard work of teachers and the efforts of schools across the country to keep kids learning and engaged continues throughout the year. Cable providers know this more than anyone, especially after witnessing firsthand for more than two years the challenges that many school districts have faced from school-wide closures and lengthy student absences related to the COVID pandemic. When the pandemic first caused school shutdowns nationwide in spring of 2020, cable providers set out to partner with school districts within their footprints to
Broadband Stats: Building on Industry Success to Get All Americans Connected
With the federal government distributing an unprecedented amount of funding for internet infrastructure and adoption, the United States has a historic opportunity to accomplish universal broadband connectivity. Cable internet service providers have been committed to this goal for years, whether by developing innovative solutions that connect remote communities to next generation networks or offering low-cost services. Now is the time to build on the success of America’s broadband industry to get all Americans connected, regardless of where they live.
The Journey to 10G Continues
Last week, cable providers took another huge step forward on the path towards achieving a superfast 10G broadband connection over a live network. At the CableLabs 10G Showcase in Louisville, Colo., Comcast and Charter showed significant progress towards 10G deployment through separate technology demos. (Previously, trials had been conducted in a lab environment.) Comcast's demo focused on the full duplex version (FDX) of DOCSIS 4.0, and Charter's demo focused on the extended spectrum (ESD) DOCSIS. FDX and ESD are complementary technologies, and in some cases, operators could deploy both
Championing Diversity and Inclusion Every Day of the Year
Diversity Month may be coming to a close, but the cable industry continues its quest to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace every day of the year. From funds raised for diversity initiatives through the Walter Kaitz Foundation to the putting together of the biennial AIM/PAR Workforce Survey to measure progress in diversity demographics, the industry comes together time and time again to improve advancement opportunities for people of color, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and underrepresented groups of people. And on their own, cable internet service providers (ISPs) have
Michael Powell Speaks at The Media Institute
Earlier this week, NCTA President & CEO Michael Powell participated in a virtual Q&A at The Media Institute on the state of the cable industry, the future of gigabit networks, net neutrality, rural broadband, and more. Check out some of the highlights below: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, an unprecedented number of people quickly transitioned their work, school and personal lives to be entirely online. Thanks to the decades of investment and thoughtful network planning, America’s broadband networks were a success story. With the influx of federal infrastructure dollars, the U.S. has an
How Cox's Public-Private Partnership in Nevada Helped Connect 100% of Its Students
Looking Back in Order to Move Forward 2020 will long be remembered as the year of distance learning, when schools all over the country closed their doors and pivoted online as the COVID-19 pandemic came to stay. Cable internet service providers (ISPs) got to work quickly and joined with school districts, community organizations, local governments, and businesses to identify unconnected families with school-aged students and to install internet in their homes so that kids could attend school virtually from home. But the ongoing pandemic has shown that broadband connectivity will always be a
Leaders in Sustainable TV Production
Today the world celebrates Earth Day, but more importantly, people around the globe come together to bring important environmental issues to the forefront and to advocate for more sustainable practices in how people live and work. The cable industry collectively takes great measures to ensure that its businesses minimize their carbon footprints and utilize energy efficient methods in their operations. Just like cable broadband providers, TV networks have their own divisions that focus on finding ways to lessen the impact their productions, operations, and facilities have on the environment and
Broadband Stats: Saving Energy to Help the Environment
Friday is Earth Day, and amid a global conversation about curbing climate change, this week is as good a time as any to reflect on the ways industry standards can play a role in helping our planet. For several years, the cable industry, alongside technology partners, has taken steps to improve the energy efficiency of set-top boxes and small network equipment in order to reduce the energy used and thus the cost to the consumer. Via important voluntary agreements adopted by the cable industry (NCTA and CableLabs) and Consumer Technology Association (CTA), there is a strong commitment to energy
The Cable Industry's Commitment to Environmental Sustainability
As Earth Day approaches, and with climate change being a major issue the world is grappling with, there is no better time to look at the steps being taken to make positive changes and to encourage better ways to conserve energy and to protect the environment. Cable internet service providers (ISPs), which aim to connect as many Americans as possible, have become more focused on sustainability and energy efficiency throughout their business practices in recent years. From deploying more energy efficient technology and equipment for the home to creating energy efficient specifications to testing