Most people don’t think about the technology that delivers cable service to their home. The goal is, after all, for customers to be able to relax and just enjoy the content.

This week’s #broaddata is an illustration of the staggering economic impact of the cable industry. The infographic below speaks for itself, but it’s worth noting that while 381,300 people are employed directly by cable programmers, operators, and suppliers, cable also accounts for another 1.7 million indirect U.S.

Somewhere between discussing public policy and evaluating technology deployment strategies, we try to step back and realize the final product of our work is supporting some of the best television programming ever made.

Coming to The Cable Show 2013 is more than just three days of news, technology, and panel discussions. It’s also a chance to break out of your normal routine, meet other cable professionals, and explore a city you may not be familiar with.

This week’s #broaddata is a look at how consistent the rise in cable viewership has been over the last 17 years. And while there are many reasons for this rise (quality content, diverse programming, engaging platform), the result of this rise has been the oft referred to “Golden Age of Television.” With an average 24.3 million viewers (and growing) watching cable programs each day, content creators are more confident that the risk in making shows like The Walking Dead, The Americans, and Game of Thrones will pay off.

I don’t have children. Perhaps some time in the (distant) future I’ll have a family that consists of more than two cats and an iPad, but until then, the challenges of raising a family in a world filled with Facebook, Mad Men, and cyber-criminals aren’t my own.

When Congress created the USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Broadband Loan Program in the Farm Bill, the goal was to connect to the Internet those Americans living in small towns and hard-to-reach rural areas with insufficient access.

This week’s #broaddata is an unfettered look at the economic impact of cable. From programmers to content deliverers and everyone in between, cable brings great jobs to thousands of communities across the country.

From their inception in the 1950’s, cable companies have been fearlessly diving into the latest technology and risking big on the future of information and entertainment.

On Monday, First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled the new Information Technology Training and Certification Partnership. The program is designed to support returning military service members by offering training for industry-recognized IT certification.

This week’s #broaddata comes from Akamai’s quarterly “State of the Internet Report.” The report reveals a 28 percent increase in average U.S. broadband speeds year over year, with a 2.3 percent bump during the 4th quarter of 2012.

Broadband has become a critical resource for getting an education at almost any level, finding a job, starting a business and many other societally important activities.