The cable industry substantially impacts the Texas economy by directly providing jobs and through its investment and innovation initiatives.
Cable by the numbers in Texas:
- 3.8 million cable subscribers (FCC December 2016 report, released February 2018)
- 151,527 direct and indirect jobs
- 16,614 cable company workers
- At least 300 employees in each of the state’s congressional districts
- $22.6 billion economic impact
- Over 1,000 cities and communities served
- Texas has the second highest number of broadband subscribers in the United States, trailing only California.
Cable employees not only work in cities and towns across Texas, they also live there and want to better their communities. Cable companies make financial and in-kind donations to numerous civic and charitable organizations, while employees volunteer thousands of hours of their time each year.
A study commissioned by NCTA found that cable’s video and internet providers and programmers contributed $1.2 billion in corporate giving in 2014 (most recent statistics).
The cable industry is committed to closing the digital divide by promoting the benefits of broadband, encouraging families to connect, and by offering programs that help families overcome barriers they may face.
Connecting kids at school, or helping them connect at home, is critical not just for their education now, but to prepare them for an increasingly technical and competitive U.S. economy.
Cable companies make low-cost internet available to low-income families with children who qualify for the National School Lunch program. Through this initiative, cable companies provide discounted Internet services, hardware, digital literacy training, and technology centers across the country to increase accessibility and help close the digital divide.
The cable industry has invested more than $300 million nationally in broadband adoption programs.
More than 1.5 million families in the U.S. have been connected through broadband adoption programs.
As an information provider, cable is a natural fit with education.
Cable is committed to enhancing and promoting education. Cable companies are working with schools to expand internet connectivity, make going online more affordable, promoting distance learning, and responding to students’ increasing use of tablets and digital devices both at home and school.
Connecting kids at school, or helping them connect at home, is critical not just for their education now, but to prepare them for an increasingly technical and competitive U.S. economy.
In Texas, cable operators provide free video services to more than 4,000 schools and free high-speed Internet to more than 300 community centers across the state.
Cable originated by providing video service direct to your television, but the industry has come a long way since then.
The cable industry is a leader in innovation. Cable has invested billions of dollars of its own money (without government subsidy) to develop and deploy cutting-edge technology to give consumers expanded choices and increased access. Over the last 20 years, this investment has totaled over $275 billion in capital infrastructure to deploy and continually upgrade networks and other infrastructure.
Cable companies want to make sure you and your personal data are safe while online. Cable is the leading broadband provider, with about two-thirds of all high-speed internet subscribers.
More Americans than ever are on the internet:
In the first quarter of 2017, 89 percent of U.S. households with broadband used Wi-Fi to connect to the internet.
In each household, consumers connect nearly 15 devices to the internet.
77 percent of Americans connect to the internet on a daily basis.
Nearly 63 percent of Americans in rural regions have a broadband internet connection in their home, up from about 35 percent in 2007.
As the internet plays a growing role in our lives, it’s critical that consumers take steps to ensure their safety and security online so that they can continue to enjoy what the internet has to offer.
