TCA Statement on New Texas Broadband Report

AUSTIN – The Texas Cable Association (TCA) issued the following statement Tuesday in connection with Tuesday’s release of “The Broadband Landscape in the State of Texas” report by Connected Texas.

The following statement can be attributed to Todd Baxter, Vice President, Government Affairs and General Counsel, of the Texas Cable Association.

“The latest Connected Texas report shows that cable companies and other broadband providers are doing an excellent job offering Internet service across the vast state of Texas. The report does not include wireless broadband availability, which boosts overall broadband access in Texas to more than 99 percent, according to maps previously released by both Connected Texas and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

“The Texas Cable Association continues to be concerned that more than $303 million in federal broadband stimulus grants were awarded in Texas in the past year before the mapping showed a clearer picture of where broadband is already available. We urge Connected Texas and NTIA, in future reports, to add the service areas of these grant projects to the interactive map so that taxpayers can see whether their money is being used to duplicate existing services.”

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NOTE: “The Broadband Landscape in the State of Texas” report by Connected Texas can be found at http://connectedtx.org/research/

TCA (www.txcable.com) has been the primary trade organization for cable operators in Texas since 1960. Members include Allegiance Communications, Cable One, Charter Communications, Comcast, Suddenlink Communications and Time Warner Cable. Follow TCA’s activities on Facebook (www.facebook.com/texascable) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/texascable).