March 9, 2021 - Public Issue
ACA CONNECTS: KEY DEVELOPMENTS
ACA Connects Commends FCC Adoption of Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Rules
The following Feb. 26 statement can be attributed to ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka:
“ACA Connects commends Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel and her fellow Commissioners for their unanimous, bipartisan vote on final rules for the Emergency Broadband Benefit program.
“We are pleased that the Commissioners were able to find common ground on rules that will promote swift access to robust broadband services for households that are struggling financially during COVID-19.
“We are particularly encouraged by public statements suggesting that the Order takes steps to promote participation in this program from small and rural wireline providers that are often the only source of robust connectivity in their communities.
“We applaud the Commissioners and their staffs for their hard work to meet the statutory deadline, and we look forward to reviewing the Order upon release.”
2/26: FCC Report and Order: Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
ACA CONNECTS: NEWS ACA Connects Announces Staff Changes to Bolster Its Leadership, Grassroots and Administration
ACA Connects President and CEO Matthew M. Polka on March 1 announced the following staff changes:
John Higginbotham, ACAC’s Executive Vice President of Membership and Finance, has been promoted to ACAC’s EVP and Chief Operating Officer. Caroline Persinger has been promoted to Manager of Grassroots. And Tomeika Slappy has been promoted to ACAC’s Assistant to the President and CEO.
“The changes we are making at ACAC will allow our association to be even stronger for our Members in key service areas, building upon the strengths John, Caroline and Tomeika already bring to our team,” said Polka.
Higginbotham, who joined ACAC in February 2020, handles all membership and finance matters for the association. Going forward, Higginbotham will be responsible for all operational and staff matters as Polka focuses more on association relationships with its Members, industry partners and policymakers in Washington. Read more.
ACA CONNECTS: FILINGS
ACA Connects has been actively representing independent cable in many other ways and on many issues in Washington, D.C. Those efforts are described in the filings, letters, and testimonies linked below for your review:
2/24: White House Letter (w/ CTIA, NCTA, and USTelecom) re Supply Chain for Semiconductor Chips 2/24: FCC Ex Parte re Emergency Broadband Benefit Program w/ Offices of Cmmsrs Carr, Simington and Starks 2/23: FCC Reply Comments re Addressing the Homework Gap Through the E-Rate Program
ACA CONNECTS CLOSEUP VIDEO: NATHAN PENROD
ACACloseup Videos: You work with us every day and talk via phone, Zoom and email, but what do you really know about your ACA Connects Team? Here’s the chance to meet us “close up.”
We’ll post a new ACACloseup video in our ACAction Brief, our Daily Media Sweep and on social media, giving you insight into the background, experience, favorite teams and fun things about your ACA Connects Team Members. We had fun doing these videos for you, and we’re glad to tell you more about us!
You can find all our ACACloseup videos on our ACAConnects website
In this video, meet Nathan Penrod, ACA Connects’ Digital Media Specialist and our newest colleague. In just a short period of time, Nathan has taken our website and digital communications to a new level of excellence.
A graduate of the University of Kentucky with an impressive work history that includes a stint at the Frankfort Plant Board, Nathan is married, has two daughters and is man with many away-from-the-job interests, including woodworking.
To learn more about Nathan, please click here.
ACA CONNECTS: NEWS HEADLINES
'Rural Cable Is All The Rage,' Analysts Say (S&P Global, 3/1) Rural cable operators have never been hotter. With the pandemic increasing demand for high-speed Internet at home, analysts believe rural cable operators stand to benefit more than other broadband providers from the changing dynamics of the industry. "Rural cable is all the rage," said MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett. "Competitive intensity is lower, the prospect of competing fiber overbuilds is almost zero, and penetration is generally lower as well, leaving more room for growth.”
Altice USA to Buy Morris Broadband for $310 Million (Next TV, 3/1) Altice USA said it has agreed to purchase Morris Broadband, a high-speed data, video and voice services provider based in North Carolina, in a deal that implies a $310 million enterprise value. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of this year. Morris Broadband has about 36,500 residential and business customers in western North Carolina locations like Hendersonville, Franklin, Sylva, Nebo and West Jefferson, and passes about 89,000 homes with a service penetration rate of about 35%.
Altice USA CEO Envisions End Of Traditional Cable (Light Reading, 3/1) Add Altice USA to the group of cable operators that have publicly soured on the future of the traditional cable pay-TV bundle. In an interview with CNBC, Dexter Goei, Altice USA's CEO, acknowledged that he envisions a day when the operator no longer offers a linear cable TV service. "Yeah. Because the economics get worse and worse every year," Goei said when asked the question. "Price levels for content continue to rise. Eyeballs for content over big bundles continue to fall."
Charter 'Not Giving Up' On Video, CEO Says (Light Reading, 3/2) It's becoming fashionable for cable operators to distance themselves from pay-TV as they shift their focus to broadband, but Charter Communications is not about to go to that extreme just yet. "We're not giving up" on video,” Tom Rutledge said. "Television is becoming a broadband product, clearly," Rutledge said, but stressed that Charter has no plans to exit that business.
T-Mobile Comes To Bankrupt MobiTV’s Rescue – Next TV It turns out the $15.5 million loan MobiTV is receiving to see it through while it seeks to restructure for sale in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection comes from its biggest customer, T-Mobile. This notable tidbit was released on March 1 amid a flurry of Delaware bankruptcy court filings, which detail the Emeryville, Calif. video tech vendor’s steep losses in 2020, a year in which it generated approximately $13.5 million in revenue, but incurred an operating loss of about $34 million.
Comcast 'Flex' Box Deployments Pass 3 Million (Light Reading, 3/3) Comcast has deployed more than 3 million Flex boxes as of last week, a milestone that comes as the cable operator continues ramping up the reach of a streaming/smart home platform focused on its growing base of broadband-only customers. In addition to reducing churn up to 20% among broadband customers who engage with Flex, the platform represents "the new television," said Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.
Senate Confirms Gina Raimondo as Commerce Secretary (Next TV, 3/2) The Senate has voted 84-15 to confirm Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo as President Joe Biden's new Secretary of Commerce. Commerce incorporates the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, which is the White House's chief policy advisory arm and oversees government spectrum use.
How YouTube Swallowed The World (Vox, 3/2) YouTube has more than 2 billion users. It generates $20 billion a year. But those numbers don’t begin to explain the size and impact of the world’s biggest video site. So let’s try this: YouTube is so big that you almost don’t notice it. It’s just always there, always on. It seems fundamental to digital life, like texting or email.
Virginia Governor Signs Privacy Law – Next TV Consumer Reports is celebrating Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's signing of the Consumer Data Protection Act. “This is a historic moment for privacy rights,” said CR senior policy analyst Maureen Mahoney. It establishes standards for data control and processing but does not apply to state or local governments and has exceptions for types of data and information governed by federal law.
ACA CONNECTS: ACTION BRIEF TOP THREE
Most-Clicked Links From Feb. 23, 2021 ACAction Brief: Cable One Stays On M&A Tear (Light Reading, 2/16) TDS Telecom To Double Fiber Footprint In 2021 (Fierce Telecom, 2/22) ISPs Prepare for Flood of Broadband Billions (Next TV, 2/22)
ABOUT ACA CONNECTS
Across this vast country, small and rural markets participate in the digital revolution by receiving video, broadband, and phone services from more than 700 small and medium- sized independent operators represented by ACA Connects - America’s Communications Association.
ACA Connects' members -- cable, phone, and fiber-to-the-home operators and municipalities -- deliver affordable basic and advanced services to nearly 8 million households and businesses. ACA Connects members operate in every state, offering high-definition television, next generation Internet access, and digital phone service.
Access to advanced communications is not a luxury but a critical necessity for consumers and companies, schools and hospitals. America's economic prosperity in smaller markets and rural areas depends on the growth and success of ACA Connects members, who believe a connected nation, is a united nation.
ACA Connects asks lawmakers and regulators to ensure fair treatment so that small and medium-sized independent operators may continue to supply affordable video, broadband, and phone services to Main Street America. Through active participation in the policymaking process, ACA Connects members and leaders advocate for the interests of their customers, their companies, and their communities to help ensure the continued viability of their way of life in hometown America.
For more information, visit www.acaconnects.org, or contact:
Ross Lieberman, SVP Government Affairs 202-494-5661 [email protected]
Ted Hearn, VP Communications 202-713-0826 [email protected]
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