Number of Scripted TV Shows on Course to Break Yearly Record
At the TV Critics Association Summer Press Tour last week, FX CEO John Landgraf informed audiences that since the beginning of 2018 and up until now, 319 scripted series have premiered on linear and streaming television. According to FX's research, this mid-year number is already up 5 percent from the same time last year. By the end of 2017, viewers had enjoyed a total of 487 scripted series that aired on television. So far, it’s looking like they will experience even more original programming in the remaining months of 2018. This should come as no surprise, as America's television and
Connecting Rural America Through Fixed Wireless Technology
In places where there are more livestock than people and where miles of land separate one household from the next, finding an internet connection can sometimes be challenging. The length of time it would take and the amount it would cost to build a fiber network in certain remote regions can make it nearly impossible to bring high-speed fiber connections to rural areas. But America's internet service providers have been working towards innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide. Some of NCTA's members have begun to explore fixed wireless connectivity as an option to connect customers in
CableLabs Shows How Broadband Networks Will Power the Future of Education
Kids today already learn much differently than their parents did in school. They've grown up with Smartboards and iPads in classrooms—technology tools that have revolutionized how people learn, their desire to learn, and the way information can be retrieved with a simple finger swipe. But what about their children? What will schools look like a couple of decades from now? CableLabs has given audiences a sneak peek in their third installment of "The Near Future: Ready for Anything," a series that delves into how technology and high-speed internet will transform the future, and how the broadband
U.S. Internet Speeds Just Keep Getting Better
According to Ookla, the leaders in internet speed testing, from June 2017 to June 2018 the average download speed in the U.S. went from 69.47 Mbps to an astonishing 93.98 Mbps. This upswing is also related to Ookla data reporting how U.S. speeds are far ahead of the global average download speed of 46 Mbps. Over the past two decades, more than $275 billion has been invested in capital infrastructure by cable ISPs. Benefits of that investment can be seen by looking at how much average U.S. download speeds have increased in one single year. Super-fast connections and gigabit speeds are literally
How High-Speed Internet is Improving Education in Rural Schools
Many schools today look a lot different than they used to. High-speed connectivity is encouraging the adoption of 1-to-1 laptop and Bring-Your-Own-Device programs in schools, as well as reputable online learning programs like the Khan Academy, a well-known video lecture site for classroom instruction. But where technology and a broadband connection are having a huge impact in education are in the schools that reside in the most remote parts of the nation. These are communities where miles and miles of land might separate one household from its closest neighbor, or where harsh weather or
Home Internet Equipment Becomes More Energy Efficient
America's ISPs provide reliable and fast internet connectivity to millions of internet users every day so that their digital lives can go on uninterrupted, but what's even more remarkable is the industry's ability to conserve energy usage while maintaining productivity and protecting innovation. Under the industry's Voluntary Agreement for Ongoing Improvement to the Energy Efficiency of Small Network Equipment, home internet devices—such as modems and routers—are nearly 20 percent more energy efficient than typical, previously deployed devices used by the signatories to the agreement. NCTA and
Average U.S. Internet Speeds More Than Double Global Average
The United States is one of the leaders in next generation broadband, thanks in part to over $275 billion in infrastructure investment by cable ISPs, and that investment is paying off. According to Ookla, the forerunner in internet speed tests, the average U.S. internet download speed now clocks in at a whopping 93.98 Mbps, as of June 2018. That means the United States is over twice as fast as the global average speed of 46.25 Mbps. High-speed internet and gigabit speeds are literally changing people's lives. Constant connectivity impacts the way everyone lives, works, learns and plays, which
More Spectrum, Better Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi has transformed connectivity in America in just about every way possible. People rely on the technology to access the internet to conduct their business transactions, connect with their peers, for educational or healthcare purposes or for pure entertainment value. But the traffic lanes that allow Wi-Fi to travel have become much more congested in the last few years. In order to allow Americans to continue enjoying a rich and unhindered Wi-Fi experience, especially as high-quality video streaming becomes prevalent and new technology like VR and AR continue to rollout, the nation needs
30 Years of Shark Week: How Discovery Created a Cultural Phenomenon
No summer would be complete without taking a "TV swim" with a shark! It's that time of year when Discovery showcases its annual Shark Week extravaganza, and this week marks the 30th anniversary of the fearsome fish's debut on the network. In a Q&A, Discovery Senior Vice President of Programming Donna D'Alessandro shared with NCTA what goes into making one of the longest running events on television, and how the network continues to "wow" viewers year after year. Give us an overview of Shark Week's history. Why was it conceived? The legend goes that a few executives were sitting around a table
Fast Facts About Cable's $421 Billion Impact
What other industry employs nearly 300 people in every congressional district in the United States? America's cable internet providers and TV programmers are known for innovative solutions and advances in broadband and entertainment that they bring to millions of consumers everyday, but the cable industry also leaves its mark in another very important way–the nation's economy. From Alaska to Hawaii to Wyoming, the cable industry accounts for an astounding $421 billion total economic impact and supports 2.9 million jobs. And as we learned earlier this year from CTHRA's 2017 Annual Compensation