All eyes in Texas are looking toward the Gulf of Mexico, now that hurricane season is underway. But hurricane season isn’t the only reason to get yourself prepared for a potential disaster. Texas has the most severe weather in the country, with exposure to nine different types of natural disasters – the most of any state.
The time is now to plan and get ready. And cable can help when it comes to preparing for or recovering from a natural disaster.
Ready, set, go for Tokyo! The Games of the XXXII Olympiad kicks off Friday, July 23, and runs through Sunday, Aug. 8. COVID-19, which postponed the games by a year, continues to impact the event with questions about how many – if any – spectators will be allowed to attend. But cable will deliver a winning viewing experience from start to finish that’s even better than being there, with even more ways to view and more hours of coverage than ever.
Spectrum, The Borderplex Alliance, The City of El Paso and El Paso County today announced plans for Spectrum to add 929 jobs in El Paso by year-end 2023, continuing the company’s expansion in the city. In April 2020, Spectrum announced plans to add more than 350 employees at its El Paso sales operations center.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kirsten Voinis
(512) 922-7141 or [email protected]
The Texas Cable Association (TCA) and its five member cable providers applaud the signing into law of two bills to expand broadband access – House Bill 5 and House Bill 1505.
The following statement can be attributed to TCA President Walt Baum:
“Texas has taken a huge step toward expanding vital broadband access for Texans across the state now that Gov. Abbott has signed into law House Bill 5 and House Bill 1505. The Texas Cable Association and our five member cable companies are proud to have worked with state leadership and legislators to pass these important measures. We will continue to support implementation of these laws and will work with legislators to make sure they are fully funded in order to be successful. The laws will complement existing programs and investment by cable operators to get more individuals online.”
☑️ Creates the Broadband Development Office within the Comptroller’s Office. The office will:
Prepare a state broadband plan that establishes goals for greater access and adoption of broadband service.
Create a broadband development map classifying each designated area in the state as eligible (fewer than 80% of addresses with access to broadband) or ineligible (more than 80% access to broadband).
☑️ Establishes a Broadband Development Account in the general revenue fund. The account would consist of legislative appropriations, gifts and grants, and federal money received by the state for broadband development. The Broadband Office would award grants, low-interest loans, and other financial incentives for the purpose of expanding access to and adoption of broadband service in eligible areas.
☑️ Protects funding distributed through the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF).
☑️ Prevents overbuilding.
☑️ Limits grants to unserved areas only and establishes a challenge process for grants.
☑️ Strengthens the framework that governs the relationship between electric cooperatives and cable operators and improves the path to courts if there are disputes in reaching those agreements.
☑️ Gives broadband providers nondiscriminatory access to electric cooperative poles and clarifies some of the terms by which a broadband provider obtains this access.
☑️ Creates the Broadband Pole Replacement Fund. The Fund is open to parties ultimately responsible for paying pole replacement costs in areas served by all pole owners in the state, including electric cooperatives and investor or municipal owned utilities. Providers will be eligible to apply for reimbursements for a portion of the costs of pole replacements that are necessary to get broadband service to customers in unserved areas.
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TCA (www.txcable.com) has been the primary trade organization for cable operators in Texas since 1960. Members include Altice USA, Charter Communications, Comcast, Sparklight and Vyve Broadband. Follow TCA’s activities on Facebook (www.facebook.com/texascable) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/texascable).
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The beloved C-SPAN bus has reached the end of its 26-year road trip after crisscrossing 1.3 million miles and hosting more than 1.6 million visitors during its travels. Many of those stops were in cities across our vast state, where the bus and its representatives brought history and public affairs to life for students, teachers, legislators and so many others.
The 86th Texas Legislature has wrapped up – though special sessions are looming – and among the wins for Texans was the passage of legislation to expand broadband access across the state and connect more Texans, especially in rural areas. The Texas Cable Association and our member companies – Altice USA, Charter Spectrum, Comcast, Sparklight and Vyve Broadband – are proud to have worked with state leadership and legislators to pass these important measures.
MAY: MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH: During Military Appreciation Month, the Texas Cable Association and our five cable company members join with the rest of the nation to celebrate our nation’s armed forces and express our gratitude to troops and their families for their service.
But cable doesn’t confine its military appreciation to one day or one month. Cable companies are focused on training and hiring military veterans, supporting military community organizations, offering special programs such as low-cost broadband, and more.
Texans in seven area codes across the state now must dial 10 digits to make a phone call – a change that could save lives.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in July approved 988 as the three-digit abbreviated dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The FCC’s order requires all telecommunications providers – including cable, which provides digital landline service and (for some cable providers) wireless service – to make network changes to ensure 988 access by July 16, 2022.
During Military Appreciation Month, the Texas Cable Association and our five cable company members join with the rest of the nation to celebrate our nation’s armed forces and express our gratitude to troops and their families for their service.
But cable doesn’t confine its military appreciation to one day or one month. Cable companies are focused on training and hiring military veterans, supporting military community organizations, offering special programs such as low-cost broadband, and more.
