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
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
Cox Pledges $20 Million Annually Towards Broadband Adoption
Internet adoption programs are reaching more Americans than ever and helping them lead their best lives while giving them the skills and tools they need to compete in the global marketplace. And they got another boost yesterday when Cox Communications announced that the company is increasing its commitment to $20 million annually for Connect2Compete. Cox's CEO Pat Esser made the announcement yesterday along with the release of survey results that measured the impact of the program and how Cox will continue to expand it to more Americans. The survey of 1,700 families revealed that 91 percent
Internet Adoption Programs Are Setting People Up for Success
As we learned earlier this month, the release of Comcast's seven-year progress report of the Internet Essentials program indicated that internet adoption programs have reached more than six million Americans. But Internet Essentials—the largest broadband adoption program in the U.S.—is doing more than just expanding internet-connected households across the country. It's helping to improve the lives of low-income families and individuals in almost every way possible. While discount incentives and initiatives for low-income Americans are making an internet connection inside the home more
Comcast's Broadband Adoption Program is Making a Difference for Six Million Americans
Broadband adoption among low-income Americans has reached a new milestone, as many people will now have one less barrier to gaining access to an internet connection. Comcast announced this week that its Internet Essentials program—the largest broadband adoption program for low-income families in the U.S.—has now reached more than six million Americans. While Internet Essentials originally began as a program to help low-income families with school-aged children gain connectivity through discounted broadband services, free training programs, and low-cost computers, Comcast has continually
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
Fast Internet Opens Doors to New Ways of Educating Students
In most cases, the way that students learn today is completely different than how they received classroom instruction, or did their homework, from even just five years ago. Internet expansion and the rise of digital devices inside and outside of the home have led to new ways of learning in schools, and its also given people who live in the most remote regions of the country the opportunity to learn from experts through distance learning. Cable broadband providers have invested more than $275 billion over the past 20 years to upgrade connectivity and improve internet access, and education is an
Midco Levels the Playing Field for Rural Schools
Stretched along and bordering the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota is the Meade School District, the largest school district in the state, geographically speaking. Spread out over 3,000-plus miles, a district that is this remote has had its fair share of connectivity challenges. Jeff Ward, the district's curriculum and technology director, said that its recent partnership with Midco—which provides internet, phone and cable TV services for communities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kansas—has helped level the playing field for their schools. Students now enjoy
New Report Highlights the Important Role Connectivity Plays in Rural America
President Trump was in Nashville, Tennessee this afternoon along with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue speaking to over 4500 farmers at the American Farm Bureau conference. There he announced the release of the Administration’s ‘Rural Prosperity Report’ that takes a fresh look at ways the federal government can support agriculture, economic development, job growth, infrastructure improvements, technological innovation, energy security, and quality of life in rural America. The report specifically calls out the role broadband plays in enabling increased productivity for farms, factories
Delivering an Education to Millions of Americans
The internet was invented right here in America when in 1969, ARPNET, an early packet switching network, sent its first node-to-node connection between scientists at UCLA and Stanford University. Nearly 50 years later and history has proven that the internet’s creators couldn’t have built a better instrument for research and education. High-speed internet is available to well over 90 percent of American households, contributing immeasurably to improved educational opportunities and distance learning. Few technologies in history have had such a profound impact on how we learn. Internet