More than a third of Americans surveyed by U.S. News and World Report last month said they had had to cut personal expenses to be able to pay their cable bill due to inflation’s hit on their pocketbooks.

One-third also said they were paying for download speeds of 100 Megabits per second or less, with 8% saying they had speeds less than 25 Mbps, which does not meet the Federal Communications Commission’s definition of high-speed that is table stakes for broadband access.

The survey of more than 3,500 respondents also found that almost half of those who paid $20 to $60 per month when they signed up for broadband were now paying $41 to $80 for service.

The survey found that a majority (56%) had service of either 101-300 Mbps (31%) or 301-1,000 Mbps (25%), with another 28% getting 25-100 Mbps. The FCC’s current high-speed definition is 25 Mbps downstream and upstream, though there is a push to increase that to 100 Mbps or greater.

Another takeaway was that almost half of respondents said they would be willing to pay up to $10 per month more for “reliably fast high-speed internet.”

The bottom line, according to U.S. News: “Our findings show most U.S. households are now paying more for service that is in many cases way too sluggish — and quite a few of those families are struggling to keep up with the escalating costs to stay connected.”

The top five ISPs to which the respondents subscribed were (1) Xfinity (Comcast), (2) Spectrum, (3) AT&T, (4) Verizon Communications and (5) T-Mobile.

The survey used the Pollfish platform to survey 3,510 adults 18-plus from all 50 states (at least 50 people from each state) “who pay for internet service for their home residence.”

The margin of error was plus or minus 2 percentage points. 

Charter Communications said Monday that it will launch its Spectrum Community Assist initiative in 20 new markets this year. The goal of the five-year philanthropic program that began last year is to revitalize 100 community centers and invest in job training across its 41-state footprint.   

Last fall, Charter launched the program with rebuilding events in St. Louis; Charlotte, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; South Glens Falls, New York; and Stamford, Connecticut. This year, the company will significantly grow the program’s reach with revitalization projects and support for job training in markets located in 14 states. Areas targeted for Spectrum Community Assist investment include rural programs in Missoula, Montana; Kearney, Nebraska; Oconee County, South Carolina; and Somerset County, Maine; and community centers in urban locations including Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and New York, among others.

“There is an acute need in underserved neighborhoods nationwide for the career development and social support that local community centers provide,” Charter senior VP and chief diversity officer Rhonda Crichlow said in a press release. “Charter is committed to investing in the communities we serve, and Spectrum Community Assist will make a difference by directly supporting centers and organizations that provide critical services to help local residents build the skills that will enable them to improve their financial condition and increase the economic impact on the community.”

Charter has partnered with national nonprofit organization Jobs for the Future (JFF) to identify community centers in the areas selected for Spectrum Community Assist programs, and will invest in each center’s job training efforts with cash grants and in-kind contributions, improve physical classroom spaces and provide new equipment, including laptops and furniture. In addition, Charter will offer its 1 Gigabit per second high-speed Internet service and the company will sponsor revitalization events with employee and community volunteers to repair and enhance the physical buildings.

More information on Charter’s philanthropic programs can be found here.

Spectrum Community Assist 2022 Markets:

• CALIFORNIA: Antelope Valley, Los Angeles, Salinas
• COLORADO: Denver
• FLORIDA: Palm Coast
• HAWAII: Oahu
• MAINE: Somerset County
• MINNESOTA: Duluth
• MONTANA: Missoula
• NEBRASKA: Kearney
• NEW YORK: Buffalo, New York City
• NORTH CAROLINA: Fayetteville
• OHIO: Cleveland, Columbus
• SOUTH CAROLINA: Bamberg, Oconee County
• TEXAS: Dallas, San Antonio
• WISCONSIN: Milwaukee

The top 14 residential broadband providers added 455,000 customers in the second quarter, more than double the 230,000 added in the same period of 2017, according to Leichtman Research Group

Big gainers included Comcast, which added 260,000 high-speed internet users in Q2 compared to just 175,000 last year. Overall, the top seven cable operators added 585,726 users in the second quarter up from 461,997 in the three-month period ending June 30, 2017.

Related: Pay TV Subscriber Losses Dropped to About 415,000 in Q2 as vMVPDs Continue to Grow

The top seven telco operators nearly halved their losses, with their ranks reducing by 130,453 compared to 233,260 in the comparable year-ago Q2. Frontier Communications, which lost 101,000 HSI users in the second quarter last year, lost only 32,000 in the most recent quarter.

“The broadband industry added nearly twice as many subscribers in 2Q 2018 as in last year’s second quarter,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc. “This quarter marked the first year-to-year quarterly broadband increase since 2Q 2016.”

Overall, it was the first time top ISPs grew subscribers year over since the second quarter of last year.

Collectively, the top 14 ISPs control 95% of the U.S. residential HSI market. And the top seven cable companies now control 64.7% of that market.

The positive subscriber numbers will undoubtedly help the cable industry on Wall Street, with investors having become skittish regarding the prospects of HSI market saturation. 

With the pace of broadband subscribers slowing, the top 14 U.S. cable operators and telcos, representing 95% of the market, acquired about 2.1 million net high-speed internet customers in 2017, about 78% of the 2.7 million net adds in 2016, according to Leitchman Research Group (LRG).

RELATED: Broadband ‘Inching Toward Saturation,’ Analyst Says

The nation’s largest cable operators still took more than their fair share, adding 2.7 million broadband subs in 2017 – representing 83% of their take in 2016 – and offsetting a loss of about 625,000 subs among the top telcos, which continue to shed DSL customers (those top telcos lost about 600,000 subs in 2016).

The top broadband providers covered by LRG in the report account for nearly 95.1 million subs, with cable representing 61.2 million of that total.

“The top broadband providers in the US added nearly 4.8 million net broadband subscribers over the past two years,” Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, said in a statement. “The top cable companies accounted for 130% of the net broadband additions in 2017, following 122% of the net adds in 2016.”

Ampifying the notion that home internet service penetration is plateauing, about 84% of U.S. homes now get that service, up 1% from 2012’s levels, and up from 74% in 2007, Leichtman Research Group found in a new broadband-focused study.

However, “broadband”-class service (i.e., non dial-up) now accounts for 98% of homes with internet service at home, and 82% of all homes get a broadband internet service – that’s up from 76% in 2012, and 53% in 2007.

RELATED: Broadband ‘Inching Toward Saturation,' Analyst Says

Additionally, some 75% of adults access the internet on a smartphone, up from 44% in 2012, LRG found in the study – Broadband Internet in the U.S. 2017, which was based on a telephone survey of 1,203 U.S. homes. It is LRG’s 15th annual study on the topic.

Among other findings, LRG said 16% of homes only get internet service at home, down from 41% in 2012. And some 91% of all homes access the internet either at home and/or on a smartphone, up from 85% in 2012.

The study also found that 91% of homes with annual incomes of greater than $50,000 get broadband service at home, compared to 72% of homes with annual incomes of less than $50,000. About 85% of homes in the study use at least one laptop or desktop computer, and 93% of that group get an internet service at home.

“The percentage of households that have an Internet service at home is similar to what it was five years ago. Yet, increasingly the home Internet service is broadband, and it has also become more common for home Internet service to be paired with Internet service on a smartphone,” Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG, said in a statement. “Over two-thirds of households now get Internet service at home and on a smartphone.”

Comcast has quietly doubled the max downstream speed of its prepaid internet product, while keeping the upstream speed unchanged.

The updated product now delivers downstream speeds up to 20 Mbps, up from 10 Mbps, and continues to deliver up to 1 Mbps in the upstream direction. Those speeds are still below the FCC's broadband definition of 25 Mbps down by 3 Mbps up. 

Comcast confirmed that the downstream speed increase for the prepaid product took effect on Aug. 1, 2017.

That increase arrived about five months after Comcast commercially launched the Xfinity Prepaid Internet service, which is being sold online and in several Boost Mobile stores (Boost is a prepaid unit of Sprint) located in Comcast’s service footprint.

RELATED: Comcast Goes Wide With Prepaid Internet Product

Comcast began testing prepaid internet service in 2012 offering just 3 Mbps down/768 Kbps up, and has been targeting the offering to consumers without bank accounts or those who otherwise don’t qualify for a post-paid service. Comcast’s prepaid internet doesn’t require credit checks or annual contracts.

RELATED: Verizon Fios Rolls Out Prepaid Option

Comcast has not announced how many customers have signed on. To keep the cannibalization of its post-paid internet service in check, Xfinity Prepaid service can’t be obtained at an address that has an active billed-service account with Comcast.

Comcast is selling the prepaid internet option for $45 for 30 days of service, or $15 for seven days of service. Customers are also on the hook for a one-time equipment and startup fee of $35 that includes the refurbished wireless gateway/modem.

Comcast is also testing a prepaid TV service in some markets.

Internet service for Comcast and other internet service providers appears to be out or intermittent across many parts of the U.S. on Monday afternoon.

DownDetector shows the outage affecting multiple markets across the nation. In the Denver area, internet connectivity via Comcast has been spotty. Level 3 Communications also appears to be dealing with outages Monday afternoon, according to DownDetector.

Update: DownDetector is also showing issues for ISPs that include Charter Communications, AT&T, Verizon, Microsoft Azure and RCN, as well as individual services/apps such as LinkedIn and Instagram.

The ComcastCares Twitter handle acknowledges that the MSO is dealing with a “nationwide issue.”

Some customers are having issues with their XFINITY Internet service. We apologize & appreciate your patience while we work to fix.

— ComcastCares (@comcastcares) November 6, 2017

Comcast has been asked for further comment on Monday’s outage, though TV service and phone service appear to be up and running.

Update:  Comcast tweeted that it is monitoring an “external network issue.”

UPDATE: our teams continue to monitor an external network issue. We apologize for the inconvenience & will provide updates as we learn more.

— ComcastCares (@comcastcares) November 6, 2017

RCN, meanwhile, said issues are stemming from “disruptions” from the Level 3 backbone and that the cable op has rerouted traffic to an alternative:

Level 3 internet backbone currently has disruptions affecting U.S. RCN immediately rerouted to alternate backbone. RCN service normal.

— RCN (@RCNconnects) November 6, 2017

Update: Level 3, which just completed its merger with CenturyLink, issued this statement at about 3:30 pm ET: "On Monday, Nov. 6, our network experienced a service disruption affecting some customers with IP-based services. The disruption was caused by a configuration error. We know how important these services are to our customers. Our technicians were able to restore service within approximately 90 minutes." 

Level 3 also provided the update via Twitter: 

On Nov. 6, our network experienced a disruption affecting some IP customers due to a configuration error. All are restored.

— Level 3 Network Ops (@Level3NOC) November 6, 2017

Comcast confirmed that is it raising the maximum download speeds on three internet speed tiers across its Central Division, which includes major markets such as Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Nashville and Miami.

Among the changes, the download speed of Comcast’s Xfinity Blast! tier will rise from 75 Mbps to 100 Mbps, while Performance tier speeds more than double, from 25 Mbps to 60 Mbps, and the Performance Starter jumps from 10 Mbps to 25 Mbps.

Comcast said the speed increases are being rolled out in early November through mid-December. To get the higher speeds, customers on those tiers may need to restart their modems (manually or via the Xfinity My Account app).

The speed increases cover Comcast Central Division markets in the following states: Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.

Related: Comcast Launches DOCSIS 3.1 in Pittsburgh

Comcast estimates that the speed increases apply to roughly 80% of its customers in that region, adding that the company has raised internet speeds 17 times in the past 16 years.  

Comcast, which views broadband as the “epicenter” of its business, ended Q3 with 23.54 million residential high-speed internet customers, adding 182,000 in the period.

RELATED: Roberts: Broadband Becoming ‘Epicenter’ of Comcast’s Customer Relationship

The top U.S. cable operators continued to dominate the broadband landscape in Q2 2017, representing the bulk of net new subscribers added in the period, according to Leichtman Research Group.  

The fourteen largest MSOs and telcos, representing 95% of the market, added about 230,000 net additional high-speed Internet subs in Q2, LRG said, noting that broadband adds in the period were 107% of those in the year-ago period.

Those providers now have more than 94.1 million broadband subs -- 59.9 million with top MSOs and, 34.2 million with the nation’s top telcos.

The largest MSOs added about 460,000 broadband subs in Q2, while the top telcos lost 230,000, narrowed from a year-ago loss of 340,000.

Over the past year, top ISPs added 2.55 million broadband subscribers, down from 3 million over the prior year, LRG found.

“Cable companies added about 3.1 million broadband subscribers over the past year, while Telcos had net losses of about 550,000 broadband subscribers,” Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG, said in a statement. “At the end 2Q 2017, cable had a 64% market share vs. 36% for Telcos.  The broadband market share for cable is now at the highest level it has been since the first quarter of 2004.” 

In an annual update typically timed with the back-to-school season, Comcast said Internet Essentials, the operator’s service for low-income families, has connected more than 4 million Americans, and about 1 million homes.

Internet Essentials, originally a voluntary commitment stemmed to Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal and now entering its seventh year, provides high-speed Internet service   to those who qualify for $9.95 per month, plus subsidized computer equipment (less than $150 each) and free Internet training.

That’s up from 750,000 families or 3 million homes from last year’s update on the program.

Comcast also unveiled a set of enhancements for Internet Essentials, starting with a speed boost of up to 15 Mbps downstream and 2 Mbps upstream, up from previous speeds of 10 Mbps/1 Mbps. Comcast said it marked the fourth time in six years it has increased speeds for the program, and that the latest increase will help to support video streaming applications and provide enough headroom for multiple devices connected in the home.

Among other additions, Internet Essential customers will get 40 hours of free out-of-home WiFi access per month to Comcast’s footprint of 17 million hotspots. It’s also expanding its pilot program for low-income senior citizens – from five cities and metro areas, to 12.

RELATED: Comcast Launches ‘Internet Essentials’ Pilot for Seniors in Boston

Comcast also announced that Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the six-time Olympic medalist, has signed on for a second year as Internet Essentials’ national spokesperson.  Adamari López, host of Telemundo’s Un Nuevo Día, is also coming on board as the program’s first national Hispanic spokesperson.

“Hispanics appreciate the value of the Internet because it is a connection to their families and their culture,” López said in a statement. “They also value it because of what it means for education and employment opportunities. I look forward to helping to connect even more Spanish-speakers to the amazing resources this program offers.”

Comcast said 55% of Internet Essentials customers are Hispanic.  

David Cohen, senior EVP and chief diversity officer at Comcast, will make the announcement today in Miami, where he’ll be joined by Joyner-Kersee and introduce López to the program. They are kicking off a multi-city tour, which will run through October, Comcast said.

Comcast said it has invested nearly $350 million in cash and in-kind support to fund digital literacy initiatives nationally, and that it has dedicated more than $1.8 million in grants to create Internet Essentials Learning Zones.

Among other updated stats, Comcast said it has broadcast 10 million public service announcements tied to the program (worth nearly $120 million), has provided more than 65,000 subsidized computers, and has distributed nearly 55 million pieces of Internet Essentials program material. The operator has also fielded more than 5.6 million phone calls to its Internet Essentials call center, and has offered Internet Essentials in more than 55,000 schools in more than 5,000 school districts in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

Speaking on a reporter call on Monday, Cohen said that during the first six months of 2017, Comcast has seen more new connections for the program than any six-month period in the history of Internet Essentials.

“The benefits of the program are real and tangible,” he said.

Cohen also cited an American community survey that found that 56% of households earning less than $35,000 a year have broadband service at home, versus 92% of homes that earn more than $75,000 per year.

"That disparity, in a nutshell, is called the digital divide, and it has a negative impact on the scholastic achievement of children from low income families,” he said. “It limits the job prospects and workforce-readiness of the entire household -- young people and parents alike." 

“Anyone who knows me knows that I love taking on big challenges,” Joyner-Kersee said. “And the digital divide is really a big challenge.”  

Comcast said the top five states for Internet Essentials are California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas. The top five cities are Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Miami and Fresno.

WideOpenWest quietly raised $310 million in its debut on the New York Stock Exchange May 25, pricing shares at $17 each Wednesday night, short of its earlier target of between $20 and $22 each.

WOW had initially filed documents for the offering in March, with plans to issue 19 million shares to the public. Another 2.8 million shares was set aside for its underwriters, which have the option of purchasing the shares in the next 30 days. 

About 18.2 million shares were priced at $17 each on Wednesday night, raising a total of $310 million, according to documents.

WOW stock opened at $16.25 on May 25 and traded and high as $17.15 per share, but fell as the day progressed, closing at $16.50 each.

WOW CEO Steve Cochran rang the opening bell at NYSE on Thursday. WOW be comes the latest standalone pay TV operator to hit the public markets since Cable One was spun off from Graham Holdings, itself a spinoff of the Washington Post Co., in 2015. 

And it won’t be the last. Altice USA filed IPO documents in April and that offering is expected to take place later in the year.

WOW has about 474,000 video and 729,000 broadband customers in 10 states across the country. The company has recently concentrated on its high-speed internet business, and has said it would use the proceeds from the offering to pay down debt. The stock could also be used as a currency to make acquisitions.

UBS Investment Bank and Credit Suisse acted as lead joint book-running managers for the offering. RBC Capital Markets, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Evercore ISI and Macquarie Capital were joint book-running managers.

The internet has revolutionized our world over the past 25 years, and it has done so within a regulatory framework that allowed for unprecedented growth and tremendous breakthroughs. Unnecessary interference from Washington only threatens to disrupt this successful equation.

I support the recent announcement by the Federal Communications Commission to roll back the misguided and overbearing regulatory structure imposed during the Obama administration. Access, choice and low costs are important to American consumers when it comes to high-speed internet. That is not what the Democratic-led FCC achieved with the reclassification of broadband service under a burdensome, utility-like regulatory framework.

Related: FCC's Pai Launches Effort to Repeal Title II

Instead, the short-term effect of giving the federal government broad control over the internet has produced exactly the opposite results. In a recent speech, FCC chairman Ajit Pai noted how big and small internet service providers have been negatively affected, with plans for investment and innovation curtailed. When that happens, consumers lose out on better services and options.

Closing the digital divide is a top priority of mine as chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee that oversees internet issues. To do so, ISPs need the confidence and certainty to invest in our nation’s most rural areas. A restrictive regulatory framework that chills growth and jeopardizes investment could hold back our underserved communities, stifling the potential for jobs and economic development with it.

Moreover, the Obama-era decision by the FCC to classify broadband service as a “common carrier” under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 simply does not make sense. Title II is supposed to apply to telephone and utility companies. It was intended for the Ma Bell monopoly of the Great Depression — a market much different from the broadband landscape of the 21st century. A heavy-handed regulatory structure does more harm than good in an environment that has succeeded because competition was allowed to flourish there.

Related: FCC’s Wheeler Makes Impassioned Plea for Title II

This is not to suggest the need for a completely hands-off regulatory approach. For example, protecting consumer privacy is of the utmost importance. In addition, internet providers should not be able to block legal content or prioritize certain network traffic. But a light-touch regulatory system has created the online experience Americans enjoy today.

The FCC’s action also offers Congress an opportunity to do more to ensure a free and open internet for all Americans. Lawmakers from both political parties can agree that broadband internet should be accessible, affordable and reliable. At the heart of the issue is how to put a free and open internet into practice while protecting consumers and their online experience.

The FCC’s announcement that it seeks to reverse the utility-style classification lays the groundwork for a legislative solution. The time is ripe for Congress to find a way to balance proper regulatory oversight without stifling the freedom of internet service providers to grow and innovate.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) is chairman of the Senate Communications Subcommittee.

Comcast has agreed to comply with a decision by a panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) recommending that the operator stop using certain claims in advertising that Xfinity delivers “delivers the fastest internet in America,” and the “fastest in-home WiFi.”

The NARB recommendation follows an initial challenge by Verizon Communication brought before the National Advertising Division (NAD) last year.

RELATED: NAD Challenges Comcast’s ‘Fastest Internet,’ WiFi Advertising Claims

In the decision, NARB noted that Comcast and Verizon offer consumers different tiers of service based on the maximum Internet download and upload speeds provided, and that making claims about being the “fastest…can be subject to a number of reasonable interpretations by consumers.”

NARB also noted that Comcast’s claims as providing “America’s fastest internet” were based on crowdsourced data from Ookla for the period January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015. The panel didn’t question the accuracy of Ookla’s data, but agreed with NAD that the data was “not a good fit for an overall claim,” as findings showed, for example, an edge for Comcast with download speeds, but not for upstream speeds.

RELATED: Comcast, Verizon Fios Tie as Fastest ‘Major’ U.S. ISP: Study

However, Comcast can still use Ookla data so long as it clearly communicates what the data represents, avoids any statement or implication that the data demonstrates that XFINITY provides faster internet speeds than competing ISPs, and appropriately distinguishes between download and upload speed.

Regarding ad claims about providing the “fastest in-home WiFi” claims, the panel noted that they were based on tests that only established faster router performance.

Comcast, in its advertiser’s statement, said while it disagreed with certain of panel’s findings, it agreed to comply with NARB’s decision, the organization said.

“Comcast will take NARB’s recommendations into account in developing future advertisements, and expects NAD and NARB will hold all advertisers to the same standards when making similar claims,” Comcast said in a statement in the NARB announcement.

To help high-speed subs ward off hackers and cyber-sleuths, Verizon Communications has launched Digital Security Pro, a service that costs $10 per month that combines services from LifeLock and McAfee.

The service, offered to Fios Internet other Verizon high-speed customers, aims to protect a customer’s online identify, shield them from malware and viruses along with access to a set of parental control tools.  Among that group, Verizon said McAfee’s security component lets customers manage and monitor devices from a centralized location.

Verizon is also offering additional adult and child subscriptions to LifeLock.

"We created Digital Security Pro so customers can spend less time worrying, and more time enjoying, what technology and the Internet have to offer," Susan Retta, vice president of consumer marketing at Verizon, said in a statement. "Digital Security Pro unifies virus protection, ID monitoring, and device management in one product giving customers the management tools needed to face online threats."

Atlantic Broadband has teed up some speed increases as part of “FastForward Miami,” a $6.3 million initiative announced in July 2016 focused on Miami Beach several surrounding areas.

The phase announced today will enable a new residential tier, called Pro Edge, that delivers 250 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up while also bumping speeds of existing broadband subs that will be implemented in the coming months. Atlantic Broadband is also preparing to roll out 1-Gig services by August 2017.

Here’s how the new speeds tiers stack up:

Residential

-Pro Basic (25 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up)

-Pro Advantage (50/10)

-Pro Power (120/15)

-Pro Edge (250/20)

Business

-Starter Plus (25/5)

-Express Plus (100/10)

-Unleashed Plus (250/20)

FastForward Miami also tacks on the addition of 58 SD and/or HD channels, pushing the MSO’s total past 400, along with an increase in Spanish-language and international channels.

Atlantic Broadband, a unit of Cogeco Communications, has 246,000 video subs in Western Pennsylvania, Miami Beach, Maryland/Delaware, Aiken, S.C., and Eastern Connecticut.

Average Internet connection speeds and average peak speeds rose globally as well as in the U.S. in Q3, according to Akamai’s latest State of the Internet Report.

Global average connections speeds hit 6.3 Mbps, up 2.3 % versus Q2 and up 21% on a year-over-year basis. South Korea led with an average of 26.3 Mbps, followed by Hong Kong (20.1 Mbps) and Norway (20 Mbps). The U.S. was 12th, with an average of 16.3 Mbps, up 6.8% QoQ, and 30% YoY.

Global average peak connections speeds reached 37.2 Mbps, up 3.4% QoQ, and 16%, YoY, according to Akamai. Singapore was tops, with a peak average of 162 Mbps, followed by Hong Kong (116.2 Mbps) and South Korea (114.2). The U.S., ranked 20th, averages 70.8 Mbps, up 1.6% QoQ and 23% YoY.

Akamai also found that the global adoption rate for 10 Mbps broadband rose 5.4% QoQ, while adoption of 15 Mbps and 25 Mbps increased 6.5% and 5.3%, respectively.

Average mobile connection speeds ranged from a high of 23.7 Mbps in the United Kingdom to a low of 2.2 Mbps in Venezuela. The U.S. mobile connection speed average clocked in at 7.5 Mbps. 

Tiny public utility Conway Corp., is the latest company to enter the ultra high-speed Internet arena, with plans to unveil a 1-Gigabit per second broadband service in Conway, Ark., in December.

Conway Corp. started operating the city-owned utility system 85 years ago. The company provides electric, water, wastewater, cable, Internet, telephone and security services within the Conway city limits.      

Conway Corp. plans to price the service at $94.95 per month.

“Internet usage has grown and will continue to as cloud-based products and services become more prevalent,” said Conway Corp. CEO Richard Arnold in a statement. “Gigabit download speeds seem a luxury today, but may be tomorrow’s necessity.”

Conway Corp. began offering broadband in 1997, after it completed construction on a city-wide fiber-coax network, a two-year project that cost $5.6 million. When the network went live, Conway Corp. said, it became the third company in the country and fifth in the world to offer high-speed, broadband cable Internet service.

“For several years, we have been on a strategic path toward gigabit service,” said chief technology officer Jason Hansen in a statement. “With this initiative, Conway Corp is embracing its position as an Internet technology leader.”

Conway, located about 30 miles northwest of capital city Little Rock, is home to a large student population with the University of Central Arkansas as well as two four-year liberal arts colleges. Major businesses in the area (popuation 63,816) include a Kimberly-Clark plant and an HP facility.

The top cable operators continued to rake in the lion’s share of net broadband subscriber additions in the third quarter, according to new data from Leichtman Research Group.

The 14 largest U.S. MSOs and telcos, representing about 95% of the market, tacked on about 625,000 net additional high-speed subs in Q3, about 99% of the total net adds generated in the year-ago quarter, LRG said. Those service providers now have about 92.5 million broadband subs – 57.8 million among the biggest cable operators, and 34.7 among the top telcos.

The top MSOs added about 775,000 subs in the period, or about 99% of the net adds in the year-ago period.

Thanks in part to ongoing DSL declines, the top telcos shed about 150,000 broadband subs, up slightly from a loss of 145,000 a year earlier. Among the invidual telcos tracked by LRG for the Q3 study, only Verizon (24,000) and Cincinnati Bell (3,100) came away with net sub additions in the period.

LRG said the telcos have had net broadband losses in five of the past six quarters.

Through the first three quarters of 2016, top MSOs have added 2.44 million broadband subs, compared to a loss of 475,000 among the telcos.

“While major providers now account for nearly 92.5 million broadband subscribers in the US, the broadband market continues to expand with top cable providers driving the growth,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG, in a statement. “Over the past year, cable companies added more than 3.5 million broadband subscribers, accounting for 118% of the 2.995 million net broadband additions.”

Timed with the back-to-school season, Comcast said Wednesday that Internet Essentials, the operator’s service for low-income families, now connects 750,000 families or about 3 million Americans.

Internet Essentials, originally a voluntary commitment linked to Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal and now entering its sixth year, provides high-speed Internet service (up to 10 Mbps downstream)  to those who qualify for $9.95 per month, plus subsidized computer equipment (less than $150 each) and free Internet training.

In July, Comcast inked a partnership with the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s ConnectHome initiative to expand Internet Essentials to about 2 million HUD-assisted homes within the MSO’s service territory. HUD says those homes account for about 40% of all its households.

David Cohen, SVP and chief diversity officer at Comcast, and Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the new national spokesperson for Internet Essentials, announced the milestone Wednesday as they kicked off a multi-city tour that, over the next six weeks, will make stops in Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Denver, and Philadelphia, where it will also announce more than $2 million in grants to community organizations that provide digital literacy training and Internet access.

Comcast said it has invested more than $300 million in cash and in-kind support since the 2011 launch of Internet Essentials, including the broadcast of 8.5 million public service announcements, valued at nearly $110 million. It also estimates that it has distributed 54,000 subsidized computers and teamed with more than 9,000 community partners such as schools, school districts, elected officials, and businesses.

“In the last five years, we’ve learned that no single company or government program is ever going to fix the digital divide and that solving a big, difficult societal issue like this takes nothing short of a movement,” Cohen said in a statement. “We are so proud that thousands of community partners around the country have helped us make a meaningful dent in the digital divide.  With the recent announcement of our expansion to HUD-assisted homes, we look forward to bringing this essential connection to even more families over the next five years. There is still more good work to do.”

“I’ve dedicated my life to inspiring young people to have the confidence to succeed in both academics and athletics,” added Joyner-Kersee.  “At my foundation’s community center in East St. Louis, I’ve seen first-hand the kids who grow up without internet service at home and the impact it has on their futures.  I’m proud to represent Internet Essentials and help close the digital divide, so every child can have the chance to develop to their fullest potential and reach their dreams.”

U.S. cable operators again dominated the broadband landscape in Q1 2016 as the top MSOs added nearly 1.1 million high-speed Internet subs in the period, accounting for 99% of the net broadband adds when compared to the nation’s largest telcos.

That’s according to a new market tally of the nation’s largest MSOs and telcos, representing 95% of the U.S. market, issued Monday by Leichtman Research Group (LRG).

Those top broadband providers now account for over 91.5 million subscribers – with top cable MSOs having 56.3 million of them, versus 35.2 million among the top telcos.

Overall, Q1 broadband adds were 92% of those in the year-ago quarter. The top cable ops added 1.06 million broadband subs in Q1 2016, compared to 10,000 for the nation’s largest telcos, down from a year-ago gain of 160,000, LRG said.

Broken down further, AT&T and Verizon added 300,000 subs via U-verse and Fios in Q1 alongside a net loss of 324,000 DSL subs.

Over the past year, the nation’s largest cable and telco ISPs added 3.03 million net broadband subs, about the same (3 million) added during the prior 12-month period.

“Cable companies had another strong quarter for broadband in 1Q 2016, adding over one million subscribers. This marks the third time in the past five quarters that cable companies have added over a million net broadband subscribers,” Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG, said in a statement. “Broadband in the US continues to grow, with cable providers accounting for 111% of the three million net broadband additions over the past year.”

AT&T is the latest ISP to introduce packages tailored for qualified low-income homes.

It’s a move that satisfies a condition of AT&T’s merger with DirecTV, which closed last July. Among those targeted conditions, the FCC called on AT&T to provide discounted standalone broadband offerings to low-income consumers in its wireline service area.

The new program, called Access from AT&T, supports three different speed tiers – 10 Mbps down/1.5 Mbps up, 5 Mbps down/1.5 Mbps up, and 3 Mbps down/1 Mbps upstream. The 10-meg and 5-meg options will cost $10 per month, while the 3 Mbps tier will sell for $5 per month.

Per a Web site about the program, service availability and speed will vary by address, though AT&T said it will assign customers the fastest of the speed tiers available at their particular address.

Access to the program is limited to homes within AT&T’s 21-state wireline high-speed internet footprint with at least one resident participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  AT&T has set up a Web site where consumers can access a SNAP application.

AT&T said it will also waive installation and Internet equipment fees to homes participating in the program. The program includes an in-home WiFi modem and access to about 30,000 AT&T WiFi hotspots.

Per the fine print, the services will also be subject to AT&T’s monthly data policy (150 gigabytes or 250 GB depending on the speed tier. If users exceed those ceilings during the month, they’ll be charged $10 for each additional bucket of 50 GB.

Update: Starting May 23, monthly data allowances for U-verse customers will increase. At that time, Access from AT&T speeds will include a monthly data allowance of either 150 GB, 300 GB or 600 GB of data per month, depending on the type and speed of service those customers receive, said the company, which is also set to launch new unlimited data plans.  

“We’re making it easier for more people to connect to friends, family, their communities and the possibilities of the Internet,” said Cheryl Choy, vice president wired voice and broadband products at AT&T, in a statement. “Access from AT&T is an affordable Internet option available to millions of Americans with limited budgets.”

Update: AT&T's launch was also praised by FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. “Our noble goal of connecting communities with affordable broadband alternatives, will ultimately be realized through targeted and innovative initiatives, both public and private," she said, in a statement. "This is why I am pleased to witness the launch of Access from AT&T, an affordable broadband option open to any member of a household that participates in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.  I look forward to seeing how this program helps to close the opportunity divide by getting more consumers and communities connected to high speed Internet services.”  

AT&T joins other ISPs that offer similar programs.

For example, Comcast has Internet Essentials, a voluntary commitment linked to its acquisition of NBCUniversal, provides high-speed Internet service (up to 10 Mbps downstream)  to those who qualify for $9.95 per month, plus computer equipment (less than $150) and free Internet training. Last month, Comcast announced that the program connects more than 600,000 low-income families.

Cox Communications has more than 160,000 people on board with Conenct2Compete, its offering for qualified low-income homes that also costs $9.95 per month.

Broadening its pursuit of consumers in rural markets while also taking on DSL services and lower-end cable Internet competitors, ViaSat has introduced a new satellite-delivered speed tier under the “Exede” brand that offers up to 25 Mbps downstream that’s delivered via a new WiFi modem.

ViaSat, which has 687,000 subscribers, said its new, speedier modem features a built-in wireless router with dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n, a four-port Gigabit Ethernet router,  and an integrated Exede Voice adapter for the company’s optional home phone service that reduces device clutter, as it eliminates the need for a separate adapter or base station.

The new offering more than doubles the downstream speed supported by Exede’s former high-end offering, which delivers up to 12 Mbps down.  The new 25 Mbps offering is paired with an upstream that provides up to 3 Mbps.

ViaSat said the new WiFi modem with the 25-meg capability is offered in “limited markets” with service plans that start “as low as $10 per month than the cost of Exede 12 Mbps service plans.” According to a company official, the new plan costs $10 extra for most plans, and $20, if added to the company’s promotional $39.99 plan in some areas.

Exede’s 12 Mbps plans start at $59.99 per month (with 10 gigabytes of data); then rise to $99.99 per month (with 18 GB) and $149.99 per month (with a 30 GB data plan).

The new 25 Mbps offering is “just a hint of what’s to come as we prepare for the launch of our next satellite, which will offer even faster speeds nationwide,” Lisa Scalpone, VP of ViaSat’s Braodband Services division, said in a release.

ViaSat’s also been asked to provide more detail on the data plans for the new 25 Mbps offering.

ViaSat’s various data plans include monthly data usage/allowance policies.

ViaSat’s new 25 Mbps Exede service uses the company’s Liberty plans (12 GB/18 GB/30 GB of “priority data,” plus the company’s “Liberty Pass").  In ViaSat’s Freedom areas, the limit is 150GB per month before customers experience reduced speeds until the next monthly billing period starts.

Under the Liberty plans, customers get a monthly supply of “priority data” delivered at the fastest available data speeds. Once that monthly usage threshold is crossed, customers automatically get a “Liberty Pass” that shifts users to speeds of 1 Mbps to 5 Mbps that are based on network traffic levels and typically vary based on the time of day the customer is accessing the service. 

 This video explains the Liberty plans in more simplified detail.

The seventeen largest cable MSOs and telcos in the U.S., representing 94% of the market, tacked on 645,000 net additional broadband subs in the third quarter of 2015, an 8% dip versus the year-ago quarter, Leichtman Research Group noted in its latest crunch of the numbers.

Cable, once again, took the lion’s share. The top MSOs added 790,000 high-speed Internet subs in the period, a 134% boost versus the net additions from the year-ago quarter.

The telcos in the study shed 140,000 broadband subs, versus a net gain of 110,000. Boiled down further, AT&T and Verizon added 305,000 subs via U-verse and FiOS in Q3 alongside a net loss of 432,000 DSL subs, LRG said.

With both sides factored in, those top ISPs ended Q3 with 89.5 million subs, with cable accounting for about 54.3 million of them.

Through the first nine months of 2015, the top MSOs added 2.3 million broadband subs, whiel the telcos lost about 130,000, according to LRG.

 “While major providers now account for nearly 90 million broadband subscribers in the US, top cable providers added subscribers at a faster pace over the past year than they did over the prior year,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for LRG, in a statement. “Over the past year, cable companies accounted for 103% of the 2.93 million net broadband additions.”

Bright House Networks will boost residential broadband speeds for no added cost in early December.

Bytier, all marketed under the Lightning brand, here are the changes on the way: 

- 35 Mbps down by 2 Mbps up rises to 50x5;

-75x5  jumps to 100x10;

-150x10 moves to 200x15;  

-300x15 will increase the upstream side of the speed ledger to 20 Mbps.

“The speed boosts come at no additional charge to existing customers who already subscribe to these packages,” said the MSO, which has also deployed 52,000 WiFi hotspots, which factor into the 400,000 that are part of the Cable WiFi roaming consortium that also includes Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision Systems and Cox Communications.

Bright House Networks, which is merging with Charter Communications, said it will also launch its Lightning 300 service in additional service areas, and introduce a new highi-speed Internet package to customers, including a 25x3 tier,  in January 2016.

Comcast continued to cut its basic-video customer losses, reporting a loss of 48,000 subscribers in the third quarter, nearly half the 81,000 it lost in the prior year and its best Q3 in nine years, while posting even stronger growth in high-speed data customer additions.

Comcast added 320,000 high-speed data customers in Q3, its best results in six years, the company said. The customer improvements led to strong financial growth in the period for its cable operations – revenue was up 6.3% to $11.7 billion and operating cash flow rose 6.4% to $4.7 billion.

UPDATES: Analyst Tom Eagan, of Telsey Advisory Group, called the results very solid and largely in-line with his expectations, with NBCUniversal performance going beyond Telsey forecasts. And Craig Moffett, principal and senior analyst at MoffettNathanson, said Comcast's two consecutive quarters of solid video subscriber numbers might prompt a re-examination of the premise that video cord cutting is a problem for the cable industry. Moffett said broadband has helped cable gain back share from satellite and telco-TV rivals, but he said investments in improved user interface and VOD libraries also are "emerging as genuine sources of competitive advantage." 

At NBCUniversal, revenue increased 20.8% to $7.2 billion and operating cash flow rose 17% to $1.7 billion on strong results from its movie studios and theme parks. At its cable networks, revenue increased 7% to $2.4 billion, driven by an 8.6% increase in distribution revenue and a 2.0% increase in advertising revenue, partially reflecting the introduction of NASCAR on our sports network, NBCSN, as well as a 17.6% increase in content licensing and other revenue. Operating cash flow decreased 3.9% to $835 million compared to $868 million in the third quarter of 2014, reflecting higher revenue, more than offset by increased sports programming costs, driven by the impact of NASCAR.

“I’m pleased to report that our businesses generated outstanding revenue and operating cash flow growth for the third quarter of 2015,” Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said in a statement. “At Cable Communications, overall customer relationships increased 156,000, a 90% improvement compared to last year, video subscriber results were the best for a third quarter in 9 years, high-speed Internet subscriber results were the best for a third quarter in 6 years, and churn across all product categories continues to improve. NBCUniversal also delivered terrific results, including another record-breaking box office quarter driven by Minions and Jurassic World, the highest summer attendance ever at our theme parks, and maintaining the #1 broadcast network ranking for the fifth summer in a row. These outstanding results from our unique portfolio of complementary businesses underscore our confidence that we are well positioned to compete, continue our strong performance and drive shareholder value.”   

Comcast said it has picked Colorado and Illinois as the first two states where it will test out a version of its Internet Essential program for low-income community college students.

The two-state trial comes on the heels of Comcast’s recent expansion of a similar Internet Essentials pilot tailored for senior citizens.

To qualify for the program, low-income community college students in Colorado and Illinois must be recipients of Federal Pell Grants. Comcast, citing recent data on community colleges from the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), said nearly 40% of students attending two-year community colleges receive Federal Pell Grants. In Colorado, an estimated 40,000 community college students attending schools within Comcast’s service area receive Pell Grants and would be eligible to apply for Internet Essentials. There are more than 90,000 who are Federal Pell Grant recipients in Illinois, Comcast said. 

Internet Essentials, a voluntary commitment linked to Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal and originally designed for low-income families, provides high-speed Internet service to those who qualify for $9.95 per month, plus computer equipment (less than $150) and free Internet training. Comcast recently doubled Internet Essentials’ download speeds to up to 10 Mbps, and said it would offer free WiFi routers that enable users to connect devices such as tablets, laptops and smartphones to their home service. As of June 2015, Comcast said it had connected more than 500,000 households and 2 million Americans to Internet Essentials.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, community colleges enroll as many as 40%  all college students each year, and that community colleges serve a high percentage of non-traditional students, including those who are low-income, are financially independent, have dependents, are first generation, and are older.

“For millions of Americans, community college is one of the most accessible paths to a post-secondary education and a brighter future,” David Cohen, Comcast’s senior executive VP and chief diversity officer, said in a statement. “By offering an affordable Internet connection and computer, Internet Essentials will enable low-income community college students to access educational resources not just at school but also at home."

At the Community College of Denver, Comcast’s Cohen announced the community college pilots alongside Colorado Lieutenant Governor and executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education Joe Garcia; and President of the Colorado Community College System Nancy McCallin, Ph.D.

StarBand, a once-promising satellite-based high-speed Internet service, announced on its Web site that it will shut down the service on September 30, citing “steadily increasing operating costs, bandwidth demand and competing consumer broadband alternatives.”

StarBand, once known as Gilat-To-Home and now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks, launched its two-way service in 2000. It merged into the operations of Spacenet Inc. in 2005, and sold its Spacenet subsidiary, to SageNet, for about $16 million, in December 2013.

StarBand, a service that’s been governed by a relatively strict “Fair Access Policy” and generally targeted to consumers and small-office customers who don’t have access to wireline broadband, has been marketing three tiers, topped by Nova 1500, a 1.5 Mbps downstream by 256 kbps upstream offering that costs $119.99 per month.  Nova 100 (1 Mbps/125 kbps) runs $79.99 per month, and Nova 500 (512 kbps by 100 kbps) runs $59.99 per month.

“We thank every customer who selected StarBand over the last 15 years,” the company noted in its post to affected customers. “As you know, much has changed in the  decade-and-a-half since StarBand pioneered bringing high-speed Internet access to communities beyond the reach of traditional, land-based Internet services. Unfortunately, the time has come for StarBand to retire.”

In its FAQ about the coming shutdown, StarBand urges customers to check The National Broadband Map www.broadbandmap.gov for alternatives, and suggests that they check Exede or HughesNet if they still require satellite-based Internet service.

Wiredpoints out that StarBand’s demise could open up opportunities for Richard Branson’s OneWeb, or Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which are both looking to offer satellite-based Internet service.  Google reportedly has interest in satellite-delivered Internet service via a fleet low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, complementing some of its drone- and balloon-based Internet  initiatives. Facebook’s Connectivity Lab is also looking a variety of alternatives, including satellites, for broadband delivery in low-density areas.

The StarBand FAQ said existing StarBand subs will no longer have access to their current email accounts after September 30, and that existing StarBand dishes and modems are not compatible with other service providers. “StarBand will not be repossessing the equipment. You can dispose of the equipment as you see fit. To dispose of in an eco-friendly manner, please see: http://search.earth911.com/,” the company explains.

Gearing up for back-to-school season, Comcast announced Tuesday that Internet Essentials, its program for low-income families, had connected more than 500,000 families, and north of 2 million Americans as of June 2015.

In addition to releasing the new figures and milestones, Comcast said it is also doubling the downstream speed of the service to 10 Mbps (paired with a 1 Mbps upstream), and will offer a free WiFi router to new and existing Internet Essentials customers.

Comcast, which has increased the speed of Internet Essentials three times in four years, said existing customers can get the faster speeds by rebooting their cable modems and can obtain the WiFi router by calling the Internet Essentials dedicated call center. Comcast said it will ship the WiFi equipment for free and will also provide professional installations for no additional cost. New Internet Essentials customers can opt for the WiFi router when they sign up.

Comcast is also expanding the number of schools that are eligible for its streamlined auto-enrollment process. “Now, if a child attends a school where at least 50 percent of the students are eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program, all student families in that school are automatically eligible for Internet Essentials,” David Cohen, Comcast' executive vice president and chief diversity officer noted in a blog post.

Internet Essentials, a voluntary commitment linked to Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal, provides low-cost Internet service ($9.95 per month), computer equipment (less than $150) and free Internet training to low-income homes with school-aged kids.

Comcast launched Internet Essentials in August 2011, and has made the program available to nearly 48,000 schools and more than 5,000 school districts in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

Comcast also announced that it will conduct several pilot programs for low-income senior citizens, noting that 47% of seniors (aged 65 and older) have high-speed Internet at home, according to Pew Research Center. The first pilot is slated for Palm Beach County, Fla., and Comcast expects to introduce the pilot in additional markets in the weeks ahead. Cohen announced the pilot program there today with City of West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio, Palm Beach County School District Superintendent Robert Avossa, and Urban League of Palm Beach County President and CEO Patrick J. Franklin.

“We have made significant progress toward closing the digital divide for low-income parents and children across the country,” Cohen said in a statement. “In less than four years, Internet Essentials has connected more than 500,000 families, or more than 2 million low-income Americans, to the power of the Internet at home. With the increase in the program’s Internet speeds, the addition of Wi-Fi, and a streamlined auto-enrollment process, more families will have even easier access to the Internet and its life-changing resources for education, employment, healthcare, communication, and entertainment.”

Through Internet Essentials, Comcast said it has invested more than $240 million in cash and in-kind support to help fund digital literacy and readiness training and education, reaching nearly 3.2 million people through national and local nonprofit community partners. 

Through the end of June 2015, Comcast said it has also dedicated more than $1 million in grants to create Internet Essentials Learning Zones; provided more than 41,000 subsidized computers (at least than $150 each); distributed for free nearly 46 million Internet Essentials program materials; broadcast more than 7 million public service announcements, valued at more than $90 million; and fielded more than 3.2 million phone via its Internet Essentials call center. 

Comcast has expanded the retail reach of its ongoing prepaid Internet service trial, extending it to select retail stores in parts of Arkansas and Tennessee.

According to the Web site for the product, called Xfinity Prepaid Internet, Comcast is now selling it in two Smooth Wireless stores in West Memphis, Ark.; and in more than a dozen Smooth Wireless, 901 Wireless, Odyssey Cellular, and EZ Wireless stores located in Memphis, Tenn.

Those additions expand on Comcast’s previous prepaid Internet retail efforts in Philadelphia, and parts of Delaware, New Jersey and Florida. Comcast, which started to test the service in the fall of 2012, has also set-up a toll-free number to fulfill orders.

Comcast said the prepaid Internet offering is still considered a market trial, and that the retail expansion is to help it test the product in different geographies, with a wider range of demographics, and to help the operator develop best practices for prepaid offerings.

Taking advantage of a model that is popular in the mobile industry, Comcast’s no-contract, prepaid Internet service is limited to consumers who don’t have an active account with the operator or do not otherwise qualify for one of its post-paid products. For consumers that do qualify, Comcast offers a starter kit for $69.95 that comes with a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, required cabling and 30 days of service. After that, customers can obtain service refills -- $15 for seven days, or $45 for 30 days – by purchasing refill codes from participating retailers or online at a XfinityPrepaid.net. 

The speed of the offering is currently limited to 3 Mbps downstream by 768 kbps upstream, so it isn’t considered “broadband” when viewed through the lens of the FCC, which recently voted to raise its definition from 4 Mbps down/1 Mbps up, to 25 Mbps/3 Mbps.

Comcast is also testing a prepaid TV service that features a $69.95 starter kit that includes a standard-def Digital Transport Adapter, 30 days of service and a sports-free TV lineup.

The cable industry has to maintain a steady pipeline of qualified people of color to ensure increased diversity within the employment ranks of cable companies, according to NCTA CEO Michael Powell.

Powell, speaking at the opening panel at the NAMIC Conference Tuesday, said overall the industry is outperforming most other industries when it comes to its diversity efforts. He added to remain vigilant, the industry needs to keep an eye on its diversity employment numbers and be prepared to react to any dips that may occur within those numbers, particularly among middle and upper management positions.

“If you want to smooth those dips you have to groom a steady pipeline of men and women to be ready when the opportunities come,” he said.

Powell, who was interviewed by NAMIC President Eglon Simons during the session, also said the industry remains a leader in communications technology, particularly with regard providing high speed internet access. As the industry continues to provide quality service to its consumers, he warned cable will face distractors who will look to slow cable’s progress.

“We are the builders of that platform and infrastructure both as a source of pride and opportunity,” Powell said. “But it also raises anxiety in public policy circles. We’re being punished intuitively because of our success. The faster we get the more we lead … we will in the next five years be unequivocally seen as the single great provider of the fastest internet speeds in the country. We’re proud of that, but at the same time we’ll be identified as a gatekeeper and a monopolist, and you see that happening now.”