We sometimes take our connected lifestyles for granted – the ease with which we can stream a championship football game, play our favorite video game against a competitor in Japan from the comfort of our living room, or take an online professional development class to further our careers. But all of this is viable because of the myriad of Internet service providers, technology companies and businesses in our country that tackle the challenge of building a bigger and better network day in and day out. It takes a village, and cable companies have been among the leaders of building America’s digital foundation.
Cable operators are investing billions of dollars each year in capital expenditures to stay ahead of consumer needs. You can better understand cable’s dedication to bringing faster broadband, wider accessibility and smarter networks by taking a look at the sheer amount of capital that has been invested over the last 20 years. According to the latest statistics from SNL Kagan, cable companies invested over $16 billion of capital in infrastructure in 2015 alone. When you add these newest numbers to cable’s overall investment since 1996, it brings the total to $245 billion.
The fourth annual Investment Heroes report released by the Progressive Policy Institute last Fall similarly found Internet Service Providers (cable and other network builders) to be the leaders in the “Investment Heroes” category.
Everywhere you look, consumers are relying on Internet connectivity for education, business, news, entertainment and other uses not just out of enjoyment, but out of necessity. While consumers’ needs continue to evolve, cable companies continue to do investing in America’s digital future.