“Connect to Compete”

The Cable Industry Leads Effort to Promote Broadband Adoption

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) and its cable Internet Service Providers (“cable providers”), together with leading non-profit organizations, have formed a major initiative to promote education and broadband adoption by providing low-cost, discounted broadband Internet service to millions of K-12 students that don’t currently have broadband in their homes. The initiative is a key part of the recently announced “Connect-to-Compete ” ( C2C ) partnership.

C2C features $9.95 per month high-speed cable Internet service (along with a free rental or low cost purchase of a cable modem) for households with at least one child that receives free lunch under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). NCTA estimates that there are more than 10 million NSLP free-lunch students in approximately 5.5 million homes that currently do not subscribe to broadband. The program will be in place at the start of the 2012 school year.

Broadband is an increasingly integral part of getting a quality education, yet too few of the most needy kids have the service at home. Research shows the barriers to broadband adoption involve a complex mix of digital literacy, perceived relevance of online content, and access to low-cost computers and Internet service. C2C is the largest private sector initiative ever to address one key prong of the adoption problem: getting broadband Internet into the homes of students where the adoption problem is most acute. C2C can give millions more students the tools to do homework at home and to develop the skills they will need to find a job in the 21 st Century economy.

To date, cable providers* offering broadband service to 86 percent of U.S. households are participating in C2C or through similar efforts. These companies will work with partners to publicize the programs through a combination of public service announcements and by working with local political, civic and community leaders. Under the leadership of the FCC, a new Connect to Compete non-profit organization will be housed at One Economy , a leader in digital literacy. One Economy will help administer the program and collaborate with other non-profits and private sector partners.

How C2C Works.

Under C2C , cable providers will offer the following:

• $9.95 a Month : For $9.95 a month (plus tax), cable providers will offer broadband service to eligible families with children in grades kindergarten through 12 who receive free lunch under the NSLP.

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• Deployed Nationally in 2012 : The discounted offer will be made available during a three-year sign-up window, and will commence nationwide at the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Qualifying families who are not current or recent customers of the cable provider can enroll at any point during that enrollment period and can participate in this program for two years.

• No Other Fees : There are no additional charges for standard installation or self- installation of the broadband service. The cable modem will either be leased free of charge during the length of the program or sold to customers for a nominal fee.

• It’s High-Speed Internet : Cable will, at a minimum, provide broadband service with download speeds of up to 1 megabit per second, with some providers offering even faster speeds.

Making C2C Successful.

NCTA and participating cable providers will work with C2C partners to raise awareness of C2C and encourage maximum participation in it by eligible households:

• Key Partnerships: One Economy is forming a new non-profit Connect to Compete organization to collaborate with other non-profits and private sector partners to publicize C2C and to work to maximize the adoption by eligible households. Cable providers will also partner with civic groups and expert organizations, such as Broadband Opportunity Coalition members and others, to ensure maximum publicity and awareness of C2C in local communities.

• PSAs : NCTA and participating cable providers will work with partners to publicize the program in a number of targeted ways, including airing local public service announcements (PSAs) and direct outreach or mailings to consumers.

• Building on Past Successes & Continuing Current Initiatives : As the leading broadband provider in the U.S., the cable industry has worked for years to demonstrate how broadband can educate, empower and enlighten. Cable’s commitment to broadband in education includes the wiring of thousands of schools and libraries with Internet connections and efforts by the industry’s non-profit education foundation – Cable in the Classroom – to promote the responsible use of broadband technology, services, and content in teaching and learning.

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• A Coordinated Approach to Overcoming Adoption Barriers : Because research shows that the availability of discounted, low-cost broadband is not, in and of itself, going to solve the adoption problem – and that digital literacy and the relevance of online content also are key barriers – cable providers will work with other C2C partners as part of a larger overall effort to increase adoption. In 2009, for instance, the industry proposed a multi-faceted adoption program, Adoption Plus , to help drive educational, economic and job opportunities for low-income families that lack broadband. Adoption Plus proposed substantial discounts in broadband service and equipment from cable providers, plus free installation, tied to digital literacy training and discounted computer hardware.

Why C2C is So Important.

• Broadband adoption in eligible C2C households is roughly half that of other households with K-12 students.

• Nearly 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies post job openings exclusively online.

• The Pew Research Center recently asked respondents to choose among television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet as the “most essential to your life.” The poll showed that the Internet is the leader by a significant margin. A full 45 percent of all Americans age 12 and older say the Internet is their most essential medium.

• The FCC Broadband Taskforce found that 71 percent of teens say the Internet has been the primary source for recent school projects. It also found that 65 percent of teens go online at home to complete Internet-related homework.

• School district leaders report that teachers are now routinely assigning homework that requires Internet use to complete. Seventy-five percent of school districts have students enrolled in online or blended (online and face-to-face) learning, and 82 percent of high school administrators had at least one student enrolled in a fully online course. A growing number of school districts are replacing printed textbooks with electronic textbooks, which can be updated as needed and can contain multimedia learning materials and interactive learning modules with online components that rely on connectivity.

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* To date, cable broadband providers that have committed to C2C or similar broadband adoption efforts are: BendBroadband, Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast (via Internet Essentials ), Cox, Eagle Communications, GCI, Insight, Mediacom, Midcontinent, Sjoberg’s Cable, Suddenlink, and Time Warner Cable.

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