texas-cable-association

An Important Step in Connecting Every American

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 21:38:10 GMT

Biden-Harris Administration Announces State Allocations for $42.45 Billion High-Speed Internet Grant Program as Part of Investing in America Agenda

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced how it has allocated funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories to deploy affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service to everyone in America. This “Internet for All” initiative is a key component of President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda.

States, D.C., and territories will use funding from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to administer grant programs within their borders. The President, Vice President, and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the allocations today at the White House.

“What this announcement means for people across the country is that if you don’t have access to quality, affordable high-speed Internet service now – you will, thanks to President Biden and his commitment to investing in America,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Whether it’s connecting people to the digital economy, manufacturing fiber-optic cable in America, or creating good paying jobs building Internet infrastructure in the states, the investments we’re announcing will increase our competitiveness and spur economic growth across the country for years to come.” Read more .

BROADBAND FOR ALL

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 21:02:48 GMT

Families and households struggling to afford internet service are encouraged by the cable providers serving Texas to see if they qualify for financial assistance under the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) .

More than 1.1 million Texas households have taken advantage of the program to obtain broadband service since the Federal Communications Commission began to accept enrollments on Dec. 31, 2021.

What ACP provides:

The Affordable Connectivity Program provides:

Up to $30/month discount for broadband service;
Up to $75/month discount for households on qualifying Tribal lands; and
A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider if the household contributes more than $10 but less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

Who is eligible:

A household is eligible for the program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines , or if a member of the household meets at least one of these criteria:

Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income internet program;
Participates in one of these assistance programs: SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), WIC, Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits, or Lifeline ;
Participates in one of these assistance programs and lives on Qualifying Tribal lands : Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, or Tribal Head Start (income based)

How to enroll:

Go to AffordableConnectivity.gov to submit an application or print out a mail-in application; and
Contact your preferred participating provider to select a plan and have the discount applied to your bill. Some providers may have an alternative application that they will ask you to complete.

Cable companies serving Texas that are approved providers include Altice USA (Optimum), Cable One (Sparklight and Fidelity), Charter Communications (Spectrum), Comcast (Xfinity), Vyve Broadband

You can learn more about the ACP, including eligibility and enrollment information, at www.fcc.gov/ACP or by calling 877-384-2575.

CABLE BRINGS CAPITOL ACTION HOME

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 20:37:07 GMT

Thousands of bills will be filed and debated during the 88 ^th Texas legislative session, and decisions made will impact the lives of every individual and business in the state. Open and transparent government is a cornerstone of democracy – but it isn’t feasible for all 30 million Texans to be at the Capitol every day. Cable helps bring the government directly to the people.

Through televised proceedings (in the Austin area) and live-streamed internet proceedings, Texas cable operators have long made it easy for Texans to keep up with the daily floor and committee action of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the Texas Capitol, no matter where they live.

Gavel-to-gavel coverage of House and Senate sessions, along committee hearings, are streamed live on Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives websites. Once aired, proceedings are also archived for later viewing. The two websites can also help you find who represents you and learn more about your elected member.

Links to broa dcasts, legislative bill information, access to the House and Senate Rules and more can be found at the Texas Legislature Online website . Other Capitol related information can be found on the Legislative Reference Library of Texas website .

Social media allows you to hear your elected officials in their own words. Most have a presence on Facebook or Twitter. You can find a list of legislators on Twitter, and their handles, here . The Texas Tribune also maintains a database of elected official s that includes links to each official’s email, social media and personal website.

In the Austin area, Spectrum televises live proceedings of the Texas Legislature on its Channels 229 (House) and 230 (Senate) for subscribers at silver level and above.

Spectrum News 1 televises its Capital Tonight , a live political show, across the state every weeknight at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. in markets across Texas served by Spectrum. Spectrum News 1’s Capitol reporters talk to legislators, analysts and others on the issues of the day. While the show is available on television or mobile devices only to Spectrum subscribers, past episode segments can viewed by anyone on the Capital Tonight website .