America's Broadband Leaders Extend Their Connectivity Relief Efforts During COVID-19
Last month, the country's cable broadband leaders came together and made a commitment to help Americans get through this pandemic by signing onto the Keep Americans Connected Pledge. The FCC initiative was started to ensure that Americans and small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic could continue to access an internet connection. Through this pledge (which extended originally until mid-May), NCTA's broadband members committed to meet the government's pledge by waiving late fees for affected customers, maintaining connectivity irrespective of COVID-19 payment complications, and
COVID-19 Update: The Cable Industry’s Ongoing Response
As the COVID-19 crisis intensifies across the U.S. and around the globe, developments are changing rapidly as data and analysis about the spread of the virus continue to be released. But the most constant prescription for “flattening the curve” to reduce the spread of the virus is the strong advice for consumers to stay in the safety of their homes and stay socially distant from others. This means that tens of millions of Americans are now working, doing schoolwork and entertaining themselves at home, and they are relying on the internet to keep them connected to their jobs, their schools
The U.S. Is a World Leader in Internet Inclusivity
For the third year in a row, the United States ranks in the top three countries in the latest Inclusive Internet Index, and boasts the number one spot globally for the affordability category. The report, now in its fourth consecutive year, covers internet accessibility by looking at four factors that contribute to shrinking the global digital divide: availability, affordability, relevance, and readiness. The U.S.’s top marks in affordability comes as no shock, since data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that Americans spend less on an internet plan than other monthly expenses like a
The Monthly Value of Internet
The internet has become such a part of our daily lives that a connection is now considered a must have, not a luxury. Entertainment, school, research, careers, and relationships are all greatly enhanced by a modern internet connection. Considering the fundamental role connectivity plays in our lives, monthly internet subscriptions make up a relatively small part of average household expenses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans on average spend more on gym memberships, cell phone plans, electricity, gas and dining out than they do on their internet plan. Not every household
A Robust Solution to Closing the Digital Divide
It’s 2020 and for most of us, the internet feels truly ubiquitous. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, much of our daily routine depends on an internet connection. In fact, a 2019 Pew study found that 73% of Americans go online at least several times a day, with 28% describing themselves as online “almost constantly.” But even as internet technology continuously improves and becomes a more frequent part of daily life for most Americans, we remain mindful that for a small, but persistent group of Americans, the barriers to broadband adoption remain significant. The
Working Towards Digital Inclusion for Americans with Disabilities
Today, on International Day of Disabled Persons, it's important not only to raise public awareness about people with disabilities, but also to find ways to further empower and equip these individuals with the tools to become participants in our digital economy. Unfortunately, people with disabilities are almost three times less likely to use the internet than those without disabilities, according to research studies. In 2017, Pew Research Center came out with a report that revealed that 23% of people with disabilities said they "never" went online, compared to 8% of those without disabilities
Closing the Digital Divide Means More Than Just Getting Connected
A new report shows that convincing unconnected low-income families to become broadband subscribers requires much more than just offering discounted internet service. It also requires digital literacy training that encourages Americans to become life-long digital citizens. In fact, the Technology Policy Institute's report, "Reaching the Unconnected," cites Comcast's broadband adoption program, Internet Essentials, as a great example of a program that is providing this motivation by creating a seamless learning integration into the digital world for first-time internet subscribers. Internet
Comcast's Internet Essentials Connects 8 Million People
Comcast announced this week that its broadband adoption program, Internet Essentials, has connected more than eight million people who qualify for low-cost internet service since the program's inception in 2011. Three million more households, including people with disabilities, are eligible to apply for the $9.95 a month service in the latest expansion. This marks the program’s largest expansion in history as the service now extends to every low-income home within Comcast’s footprint. "This expansion is the culmination of an audacious goal we set eight years ago, which was to meaningfully and
Why Internet is Essential to America’s Agriculture
While many might associate business and technology with large urban hubs like Silicon Valley, small towns across the U.S. are showing that there are plenty of opportunities to be found in rural America. The availability of gigabit internet speeds is one method that is proving to transform rural areas. As America's cable operators continue to build out robust networks that deliver these gigabit internet speeds, everyone from entrepreneurs to small business owners to farmers are getting the chance to revitalize their communities in the best ways possible. In NCTA's video series, Connecting Rural
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