About Us: The Cable Industry

Comprised of a wide variety of cable companies, cable programming networks and other service providers, today’s cable industry offers an extensive array of television and telecommunications services to consumers across the United States.  Indeed, cable companies are pleased to provide nearly 62 million customers with cable service and to be a vital part of their households and communities. 

Cable Programming
At the core of the cable industry are cable programming networks offering high-quality programming that educates, informs and entertains viewers. Cable offers something for everyone, with networks dedicated to news, public affairs, children, health, science, arts, history, sports, original movies and entertainment programs, and more.  This breadth has resulted in an explosion in programming diversity, often targeting unserved or underserved segments of the population.  And, cable companies are also increasingly investing in the creation of new regional and local programming, filling a vital programming need.

Cable’s dedication to diverse programming means that viewers are increasingly turning to cable and cable network viewership continues to increase at a rapid pace.  In addition, thanks to the deployment of services like Video-On-Demand (VOD) and Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), viewers can watch their favorite programming at their convenience.  Cable program networks have also been at the forefront of providing HD programming so that consumers can have the best possible viewing experience.

Broadband Services
The cable industry is the nation’s largest broadband provider of high-speed Internet access after investing more than $130 billion over ten years to build a two-way interactive network with fiber optic technology.  In the mid 1990’s, cable was the first industry to offer an affordable, residential high-speed Internet service that spurred the growth of the Internet, stimulated the development of a highly competitive broadband marketplace, and provided a stable and growing platform for Internet entrepreneurs.  In a little over a decade, broadband speeds have greatly increased, providing for new Internet applications, nearly ubiquitous deployment, and exponential growth in broadband adoption rates.  Cable broadband service is now available to 122 million homes, or 92 percent of all American households.

Cable companies are also pleased to be able to provide state-of-the-art digital telephone service to 22 million American consumers.

Social Responsibility
As the leading provider of television and broadband services, the cable industry understands its responsibility toward its customers and their communities.  That’s why in 1989 it established Cable in the Classroom as the industry’s education foundation in order to expand and enhance learning in and out of the classroom through cable content and technology, and to serve as a leading national advocate for digital citizenship education as well as media literacy education.

The cable industry also has a longstanding commitment to addressing parents and educators' concerns about what children see on television. The cable industry provides customers with a wide choice of programming that serves diverse audiences, including several channels just for children and families. Combined with this choice, cable provides tools to help families control the programming that comes into their homes. Cable set-top boxes feature parental blocking mechanisms that enable parents to manage effectively how television is viewed in their home. 

Similarly, the cable industry shares the concerns of parents and educators about keeping children safe when they are online.  In June 2007, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) – whose members collectively serve more than 90 percent of the nation’s cable television households – and Cable in the Classroom launched Cable Puts You in Control: PointSmart.ClickSafe., a comprehensive initiative to educate consumers and parents about online safety and the appropriate use of the Internet by children. A key component of the initiative is the NCTA members’ pledge to:

• Offer parental controls or filters free of charge to help families manage online content;
• Offer various educational resources for parents, children, and others about online parental controls and Internet-related media literacy;
• Participate through Cable in the Classroom in partnerships with school-based and community-based education groups to ensure that information on Internet safety and literacy is available to teachers and parents; and
• Cooperate with law enforcement officials to help prevent, police, and prosecute potential criminal activity online.