Every Mile of Fiber Has a Story: Delivering Rural Broadband Nationwide
Connecting rural and far-out communities to broadband networks is no small task. The United States is home to a wide variety of geographies, from vast, arid deserts to swampy marshes, and from tundra to wide open plains, no two infrastructure projects are the same. Cable ISPs have been working diligently over the years to extend service to every American, whether they live on a remote island in Alaska or have suffered the devastating effects of a hurricane in Florida. To tell the stories of all the feats of engineering and hard work happening around the country, NCTA.com has a new interactive
Video: Midco’s Commitment To South Dakota
While providing broadband to hundreds of communities in Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin is a big job on its own, Midco also wants to be a good neighbor in the communities they serve. Midco’s broadband service is vital to groups like Feeding South Dakota, a Sioux Falls-based organization whose mission is to end the hunger crisis in their state. By utilizing Midco’s broadband service, Feeding South Dakota connects those in need to mobile food centers, with families receiving produce, dairy, meat, breads and other nonperishable food items. “For our mission to
5Qs With Midco's Ben Dold
Over the past 20 years, cable broadband providers have invested over $300 billion into building fast and reliable networks that reach nearly every corner of America. Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Midco is one of the ISPs that has made its mark by wiring much of the Midwest, empowering the hundreds of communities it serves. With a footprint that spans 490,000 homes and businesses across Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, Midco is focused on connecting small towns and rural hubs, giving these communities access to broadband and the opportunities it delivers. NCTA
Midco's Commitment to Connecting Students During the Pandemic
"Midco will do what it takes." These are the words that Rupak Gandhi, school superintendent in Fargo, N.D., said he heard Midco representatives repeat to him again and again when his district turned to the ISP for help this past spring. Back in March, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools across the country including in North Dakota, Gandhi's district faced the challenge of getting every student ready for remote instruction, with every decision dependent on students having an internet connection in their homes. The school district of Fargo is the second largest in North Dakota and
A Field Technician's View of the COVID-19 Pandemic
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to require millions of Americans to stay home from work and school, our broadband networks are working overtime to provide a critical link in keeping consumers connected. As NCTA continues to report weekly on how cable's networks are managing the surge in internet traffic, it is also worth reflecting on the dedication and effort of those working behind the wires to keep networks ahead of the curve and help consumers in adapting to this unprecedented crisis. One of the most important reasons for our success is the hundreds of thousands of essential
What Cable Operators Are Doing to Close the Digital Divide in Rural America
On Tuesday, NCTA in cooperation with the Rural Broadband Caucus will gather policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the successful strategies and projects that cable operators are using to close the digital divide in rural America. There isn't a more critical time to hold this conversation than the present. While most American households can access a broadband connection, six percent of all Americans and 26 percent in rural America remain unconnected to high internet speeds (25 Mbps or more) and are missing out on the promises and benefits the internet offers. Extending robust broadband
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
America's ISPs Are Bringing Rural America Up to Speed
Tomorrow, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing to explore the opportunities and challenges of deploying broadband in rural America. This is an issue that America's cable broadband providers are currently tackling, and a critical discussion that will explore creative ways to continue connecting every community. The conversation is also a timely one in light of recent discussions concerning the Farm Bill reauthorization and how broadband funds should be administered by the USDA Rural Utilities Service in order to be most effective in helping to bring
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
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
