Most of us rely on cable in one way or another in our daily lives, whether its the buzzworthy and award-winning programming that we enjoy or the fast broadband speeds that connect us to the rest of the world. But we don’t always associate outdoor Wi-Fi hotspots with our home broadband connection, or realize that the smart door locks at our house are enabled by cable’s network. That is why we created the NCTA Innovation Center, a hands-on showcase where visitors get to experience some of the advanced products and entertainment that cable delivers to American consumers.
Home Automation: On the Go, At Your Fingertips
While this may look like your regular thermostat, alarm system, or door lock, today’s home products have a lot more going on behind the scenes. Cable companies offer consumers a variety of “smart home” services like home security with 24/7 monitoring and video, smart door locks that record who is coming and going, and lighting and thermostat controls that can be adjusted away from home to lower energy costs. When integrated with your home broadband network, complete home automation can be controlled from an app on your smartphone or tablet, making running a home through a smart phonenow entirely possible.
Internet of Things
Thanks to Wi-Fi networks that keep us constantly connected, TVs, smartphones, tablets and other devices will continue to expand and improve the efficiency of our daily lives. From “smart onesies” to “smart dog collars,” everything from an infant’s sleeping patterns to a pet’s health can be measured and sent to health facilities in an instant. It’s in your laptop, it’s in your smartphone, it’s in your watch, it’s everywhere. It’s Wi-Fi and even though it’s barely 15 years old, it’s already become the glue binding our digital lifestyles.
TV Everywhere: Changing How We Watch TV
Now that most people are walking around with HD screens built in to their portable devices, it makes sense that TV has evolved to the point where we can take it with us anywhere and everywhere we go. Cable is the catalyst enabling that mobile app experience. TV Everywhere is the ability to watch television on a web-connected device like a smartphone or a tablet outside of the home. Most importantly, TV Everywhere is a complementary service as part of a cable subscription. The number of networks and providers offering TV Everywhere apps continues to grow, from news, sports, and movies to lifestyle networks.
The Hot Spot: Brewing Up Small Businesses Success
While cable’s network has always provided a connection that millions of homes rely on, delivering commercial grade business services in communities in urban and rural settings has become a significant opportunity. From coffee shops and restaurants to hospitals and schools and businesses of all shapes and sizes, cable’s video and Internet business solutions include customized TV solutions, dedicated web hosting and network support, remote PC management and installation of managed Wi-Fi hotspots.