Closing the Digital Divide Means More Than Just Getting Connected
A new report shows that convincing unconnected low-income families to become broadband subscribers requires much more than just offering discounted internet service. It also requires digital literacy training that encourages Americans to become life-long digital citizens. In fact, the Technology Policy Institute's report, "Reaching the Unconnected," cites Comcast's broadband adoption program, Internet Essentials, as a great example of a program that is providing this motivation by creating a seamless learning integration into the digital world for first-time internet subscribers. Internet
Consumers Saving Billions of Dollars from Voluntary Energy Efficiency Agreements
Consumers have now saved more than $5 billion in electricity costs since 2013, thanks to two energy-efficiency "voluntary agreements" that are improving energy efficiency without compromising upgrades or enhancements to set-top boxes and home internet equipment. Under each of these agreements, service providers representing approximately 90% of the residential pay-TV and broadband internet markets in the U.S. committed that at least 90% of their new devices would meet the agreements' energy-efficiency levels. Last week, D+R International—the independent auditor for the agreements—released
Four Ways Americans Benefit from Cable’s Economic Investments
The cable industry works to make significant positive contributions to the local communities in which it operates and the people it serves. In a highly competitive marketplace, the cable industry continues to grow and innovate, stimulating both national and local economies and providing American jobs. In July, a new economic impact report from Bortz Media & Sports Group, Inc. showed that the total economic impact made by America’s cable leaders had grown to $450 billion, up $29 billion since 2017. The $450 billion contribution goes beyond pure economic impacts. While the industry accounts for
Engineering the Future: SCTE•ISBE CEO Talks About Changing Technologies
The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) and its global arm International Society of Broadband Experts (ISBE), the industry's go-to organizations for technical leadership and professional development, just celebrated 50 years this summer. At the helm is Mark Dzuban, who is also celebrating over 50 years in the industry. Dzuban, who became President & CEO in 2009, grew up in the business watching his father work as an engineer in the 1950's. "As a kid, I saw the real early days of having to build your own equipment, and how it manifested itself," said Dzuban. In anticipation of
What's In Store for the Future of Work?
Over the last couple of decades, researchers have been developing technologies like artificial intelligence and light field displays and exploring ways they can be incorporated into our daily lives. That’s also true of the team at CableLabs, the cable industry’s R&D arm. This week, CableLabs released the latest video of the Near Future series, which gives viewers a peek at how technology will transform different areas of life in the coming years. In the latest video, viewers get a glimpse of what work life might look like in the next 10 years. In the video, the main character prepares for and
Comcast's Internet Essentials Connects 8 Million People
Comcast announced this week that its broadband adoption program, Internet Essentials, has connected more than eight million people who qualify for low-cost internet service since the program's inception in 2011. Three million more households, including people with disabilities, are eligible to apply for the $9.95 a month service in the latest expansion. This marks the program’s largest expansion in history as the service now extends to every low-income home within Comcast’s footprint. "This expansion is the culmination of an audacious goal we set eight years ago, which was to meaningfully and
Why Internet is Essential to America’s Agriculture
While many might associate business and technology with large urban hubs like Silicon Valley, small towns across the U.S. are showing that there are plenty of opportunities to be found in rural America. The availability of gigabit internet speeds is one method that is proving to transform rural areas. As America's cable operators continue to build out robust networks that deliver these gigabit internet speeds, everyone from entrepreneurs to small business owners to farmers are getting the chance to revitalize their communities in the best ways possible. In NCTA's video series, Connecting Rural
Getting Broadband Mapping Right
With the FCC this week expected to reform its broadband data collection regime, it seems like a good opportunity to assess the potential impact of these changes. From NCTA's perspective, there are four key points. First, the data collection changes proposed by the FCC represent a significant victory for consumers, meaningfully improving the accuracy of broadband maps and enabling a more efficient targeting of resources to areas that lack broadband access. Specifically, all stakeholders will benefit from the FCC's new rule requiring fixed broadband providers to submit electronic coverage maps
Discovery's Shark Week Evolves with New Technology and Jaw-some Views
It's Shark Week, a TV fan favorite and that time of year when viewers and shark seekers galore get to "dive in" with the great creatures that have fascinated people all over the world for centuries. Discovery's 31st edition of the production kicked off yesterday, and viewers are in for a wild ride as the evolving technology behind the annual phenomenon creates a more immersive experience every year. Last summer, NCTA had the pleasure to speak with Discovery about the 30th anniversary of Shark Week. This year, in an interview with NCTA, Discovery Senior Vice President of Production and
How Super-Fast Internet Revitalized Small Businesses in a Small Town
Over time, many Americans have moved to large urban centers to follow jobs, often in the technology sector, leaving smaller towns behind. For a place like St. Francis in northwestern Kansas, that meant the population was actually shrinking. On top of that, internet service was slow and unreliable. “We had a lot of problems just maintaining a stream of music in here which would cut out and just disappear,” said Kale Dankenbring, who had moved back to St. Francis with his wife to open a coffee shop. His wife, Heidi Plumb added, “Before when people would come in to try to do their work, they’d