How the Comcast Lift Zones Benefited the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston During a Crucial Year
This month, millions of children went back to in-person classes and started after-school programs for the first time in over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But some of these programs never shut down. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a nonprofit that operates after-school programs for young people nationwide, remained opened in many locations to continue serving the families who depend on the clubs' services. In fact, in the greater Houston area, the Boys & Girls Clubs opened their doors for eight hours a day during the school week as soon as they were able to implement health and
Broadband Data: Closing the Digital Divide With Broadband Adoption Programs
While the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the digital divide in the United States, cable internet service providers have long been committed to providing connectivity to as many Americans as possible. Using a multi-pronged approach, at the start of the pandemic in 2020 cable ISPs responded to the global health crisis by further expanding their successful broadband adoption programs to more qualifying households. Over the past decade, low-cost broadband adoption programs have connected over 14 million Americans to the internet. These low-cost programs offer broadband service for as low
Measuring the Monthly Value of a Broadband Connection
More than ever before, the past year has shown that a broadband connection is invaluable for Americans to continue working, learning, and socializing. And connectivity demands will only continue to increase as technologies advance and more services move online, making an internet connection a "must have" in the home. Fortunately, the cost of a monthly internet subscription only takes up a small part of average household expenses, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When considering the limitless possibilities that a broadband connection unlocks for consumers, the value of today’s
Broadband Data: Connecting Every American
In today's world, an internet connection can make a huge difference in a person's life. But long before the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the rate at which our lives moved online, America's internet service providers offered special, low-cost broadband adoption plans like Connect2Compete and Internet Essentials so that everyone could participate. In fact, over the last decade, more than 14 million customers connected to the internet via these discounted offerings. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, work, school, and social lives were forced to move online. That accelerated need to get connected
A Look Back at Remote Learning as the School Year Wraps up
June marks the start of summer, which also means the end of the school year and graduation celebrations. Millions of students and teachers had to adapt to a new style of academic instruction as classes went virtual when the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close their doors in March 2020 and for a large part of the past year. While many schools reopened and offered hybrid learning plans this past spring, it's worth taking a look back at America's first year of remote learning and the lessons gleaned as graduates leave their respective schools to start on new paths and students get ready for
Cable Operators Begin to Roll Out Emergency Broadband Benefit
This past year has underscored the importance of broadband in the home more than ever before. During the COVID-19 pandemic, broadband connectivity has allowed millions of Americans to work and learn from home, to attend telehealth appointments, to connect with loved ones, and to continue a semblance of their pre-pandemic lives online. In recognition of this necessity and in response to the pandemic, Congress has provided the Federal Communications Commission with $3.2 billion to implement the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. Beginning today, the EBB gives Americans who meet certain
Setting the Record Straight About Broadband Pricing
Some advocacy groups, like The Open Technology Institute (OTI), are repeating the assertion that prices for broadband service in the U.S. are significantly higher than in Europe and other countries around the world. That is just not true. And misinformation is not helpful to the critical discussion of how to get everyone in America connected. The statements that advocates often make don’t hold up when the cherry-picked data is subjected to closer scrutiny. No amount of repetition or volume changes these false claims. The OTI report has been soundly debunked (more than once) including in a new
Recognizing the Importance of School Partnerships During Teacher Appreciation Week
When the COVID-19 pandemic sent students home from school, many educators were forced to move their classes entirely online. This shift to distance learning was a significant endeavor, especially as some students did not have internet access at home. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, NCTA celebrates the educators who rose to meet these new challenges. Teachers have gone to great lengths to continue the learning process online. As distance learning plans evolved, educators and broadband providers across the country collaborated to connect students and families in need. These partnerships
A D.C. Resident Shares How the Internet Changed Her Life
Since LaJoy Johnson-Law gained access to the internet in her home last year, life has completely changed for her and her 8-year-old daughter, Abria. A resident of southeast Washington, D.C., Johnson-Law is one of 14 million people who have been connected to broadband internet through the cable industry's broadband adoption programs over the past decade. While Johnson-Law, like many other Americans, was able to make due without the internet for many years by either using the internet at a neighbor's home every once in a while or her phone’s hotspot, everything changed when COVID-19 hit the
What Cable ISPs Are Doing to Close the Digital Divide
Just a few weeks ago, Comcast announced on the 10th anniversary of its successful broadband adoption program, Internet Essentials, that it would invest $1 billion over the next decade towards closing the digital divide. This includes investments towards providing support for its Lift Zones—WiFi-connected safe spaces in 1,000+ community centers nationwide—, new equipment donations, grants for community organizations that help low-income Americans, and continued support for the Internet Essentials program. To top it off, the ISP stated that over the past decade, Internet Essentials has helped to