Midco: Making a Difference in Rural America Through Broadband Investment
Today, Midco's Senior Director of Government Relations Justin Forde will testify before the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology on strides the ISP has made in delivering broadband to rural America, and the critical work that must be done at the federal level to shrink the digital divide in America. Midco is one of America's leaders when it comes to bringing rural America up to speed. The ISP reaches more than 400,000 customers in 400 communities throughout South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, and Wisconsin, some of which have populations of fewer than 100 people. The
International Women's Day: WICT Amplifies Gender Diversity Through New Campaign
Earlier this week, just in time for Women's History Month and International Women's Day, WICT—the cable industry's association for women leaders—launched the #LeadWithMore campaign to recognize women's achievements and to encourage gender diversity in business. In honor of WICT's 40th anniversary, the campaign is being supported by broadband and entertainment leaders Comcast NBCUniversal, Cox, Discovery, Inc., Spectrum and Turner, and includes the association's first-ever Public Service Announcement. WICT's PSA partners are contributing more than $6 million in PSA announcement airplay and
TV's Past, Present and Future from the View of a Veteran TV Critic
Last month, NCTA had the rare opportunity to sit down with a long-time TV and entertainment writer at the TV Critics Association Press Tour to get his take on the media landscape and how TV coverage has changed over the span of 50 years. Ivor Davis is a British entertainment journalist, author and veteran TCA member who, as he put it, has "seen a few things" in his career over the past five decades. Gone are the days when many newspapers assigned their top journalists to topics that ranged from Robert Kennedy's presidential bid, touring with The Beatles, to interviewing some of the biggest
U.S. Repeats its World-Class Rank in Internet Inclusivity
For the second year in a row, the United States scored among the top three countries in the latest Inclusive Internet Index report. The report, now in its third consecutive year, covers internet accessibility by looking at factors that contribute to shrinking the digital divide. Coming in only behind Sweden and Singapore—two countries which are much smaller in size—the U.S. ranked third among 100 countries according to the following evaluators for internet accessibility: availability, affordability, relevance and readiness, with affordability ranking second in the world. America's broadband
CableLabs Unveils A New Approach Towards IoT Security
Fitness wearables, Echo, Nest, smart refrigerators. Chances are, many Americans have at least one of these in their homes. The Internet of Things has exploded in the last few years as innovators and internet service providers have come out with devices and ultra-fast internet speeds to improve the lives of consumers by making their to-do tasks at home, and at work, more convenient and efficient. And the surge is far from over. According to technology forecasts, the number of IoT devices globally is expected to reach 22 billion by 2025, which comes to about three devices per person—triple the
Why Do We Need 10G?
"If we want to bring these innovations into the homes of our customers—things like virtual reality, connected health, connected education … the Star Trek Holodeck … the list goes on … then it's going to take a 10G network to deliver it," said Cox Communications President Pat Esser during a panel at CES last month. Esser's remarks were among the highlights of an event unveiling of the cable industry’s 10G initiative, which will bring 10 gigabit speeds to consumer homes around the world in the coming years. CES is one of the largest technology events in the world where innovators, device
Hallmark Channel CEO Shares the Magic Behind the Network's Strategy
It's Valentine's Day, and of all the TV programming to choose from, there's no question which channel many viewers will turn to on a day like today. When it comes to holiday or romantic comedy sentiment, few networks have the legacy and powerful brand presence like the Hallmark Channel does, and audiences just can't get enough. While at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour last week, NCTA sat down with Bill Abbott, President & CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, to learn about the genius behind one of America's most popular TV networks, and how the Hallmark Channel has managed
Ovation TV: 'A Time of Renaissance for Creative Production'
Today is the last day of the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour—a time when the country's top TV journalists come together in Los Angeles to hear from directors, producers and casts of the new and existing shows that await viewers every spring. During the cable programming portion, NCTA caught up with Ovation TV Executive Vice President of Programming and Production, Scott Woodward, to get a better understanding of how the network selects shows that strike a chord with audiences, and how Ovation differentiates itself when viewers have a limitless number of options. Known for
Meet Wi-Fi 6
Most people rarely think about the Wi-Fi they use everyday, let alone how it might change or how it works. But Wi-Fi does, in fact, change and update like any other technology. The next generation of Wi-Fi network technology, called Wi-Fi 6 (the technical name is IEEE 802.11ax), will hit the market later this year and help with network congestion, deliver faster speeds, including gigabit connections like 10G, and other improvements. This new certification includes Wi-Fi connected devices from routers to smart lightbulbs to tablets. Also, Wi-Fi 6 is backwards compatible, meaning if someone buys
Congress Must Act to Fix the “Infinite Loop” of Net Neutrality Uncertainty
Tomorrow Michael Powell, President and CEO of NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, will testify before the House Subcommittee for Communications and Technology. The hearing will focus on preserving an open internet for consumers, small businesses, and free speech. This is an issue the broadband industry not only supports, but also one we have consistently worked with policymakers to advance. Though the issue has become increasingly polarized, the fact remains that the core issue—protecting an open internet—is one everyone has always agreed on. Indeed, this critical issue deserves an