Cable’s leadership in broadband is no secret and in fact is one of the great telecom success stories in recent years. After all, the cable industry alone has invested some $170 billion in private capital to build broadband networks that are now available to 93 percent of U.S. homes. And the speed of cable’s broadband offering continues to increase – often at no cost to consumers – so that most cable broadband customers are enjoying a connection of 10 Mbps or higher, and some are utilizing the ultra-fast connections that exceed 100 Mbps. This is all great for U.S. consumers, our economy and global competitiveness.

But we are starting to see a very disturbing meme spread by some folks who think that the government should disrupt this success and inject rate regulation and price control over broadband networks. One such fierce advocate is Susan Crawford, a smart and respected former Obama Administration official who now is a law professor and commentator on broadband policy issues. Crawford took to the opinion page of last weekend’s New York Times to lay out her rationale, but it’s one that we find full of faulty analysis, leading to a disastrous prescription.

In a blog post titled, “Susan Crawford’s Broadband Blinkers“, Richard Bennett of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation provides a thoughtful and important rebuttal that shouldn’t be missed. Here’s a sample:

Crawford’s particular style of analysis is heavy on vague generalizations and light on substance. She talks about “high-speed connections” without ever specifying a rate, and refers to a number of common applications – such as filling out job applications on-line – as if they required massively reengineered networks when they clearly don’t.

Both columns are worth reading to understand where this debate is going, but let’s make sure that we have a firm understanding of the facts before we rush to conclusions that could devastate one of America’s few thriving industries.

At NCTA earlier this week, we had the pleasure of hosting an important event about the challenging and growing issue of cybersecurity. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R, MI-8) and C. A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger (D, MD-2), the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee, discussed the ongoing, severe threat that American businesses face today in cyberspace. Also joining the event was Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association, and Walter McCormick, President and CEO of USTelecom.

Following the event, Reps. Rogers and Ruppersberger introduced new bipartisan legislation – the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011 – to help protect our nation’s critical cyber infrastructure. To demonstrate how critical this legislation is to protecting our country, the House Intelligence Committee has already marked up and passed this legislation and it now goes to the House floor. We urge Congress to act swiftly on this important measure.

Cyber threat is deeply frightening. In our world, there is a misguided but well-armed community that is diligently working to undermine the economic viability of the American public through corporate espionage. There are those who wish the American people harm through cyber-attack, threatening the very national security of our shores. And there are those engaged in criminal enterprise whose sole purpose is to steal and defraud good hardworking people.

This is a threat that will be with us forever, requiring bold and innovative solutions. Most importantly, it is a problem that requires an armada of constituencies to come together and work effectively. It is not an exaggeration to say when it comes to cybersecurity, that what you don’t know can hurt you.

One of the most valuable aspects of this new legislation is that it deals with the most critical problem when industries and government face a challenge like this: inadequate information flow. You can’t fix what you don’t know. You can’t work in cooperation and coordination with others when you’re not effectively able to share information.

I’ve had some experience with this challenge from having chaired the Federal Communications Commission and served as the National Security Commissioner for the United States. I faced the tests of the Y2K transition and helping to lead the country through the restoration of communications networks in the 9/11 crisis. From those experiences, I can say one of the most valuable aspects meant that we could put industry and government together in partnership to share information in a trusted and secure space, and begin to share best practices and adequately attack the problem. That is what the core of this bipartisan legislation does.

To provide for the common defense requires a trusted partnership, and to build that partnership I applaud this legislation’s focus on a non-prescriptive, non-overly regulatory approach and one that really invites people into the process both in self interest and shared comment interest. This is a critical first step in improving the security of our country, and the protection of our citizens.

This morning, at NCTA’s offices, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R, MI-8) and C. A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger (D, MD-2), the Ranking Member of the Intelligence Committee, announced that they were introducing cybersecurity legislation, the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011. The bill gives the federal government new authority to share classified cyber threat information with approved American companies.

In a statement, NCTA President & CEO Michael Powell applauded the bill, saying that it would “ensure better information sharing between all stakeholders involved in protecting our nation’s critical cyber infrastructure.”

We appreciate that this legislation avoids a prescriptive regulatory regime that does not fit the constantly evolving cyber threat environment and it appropriately allows individual companies to determine how they can best participate.

You can watch a video of the event.

Here is a sampling of the news coverage.

• New cybersecurity bill would foster sharing of online data between government, private sector [WashingtonPost.com's Checkpoint Washington blog]
• Cyber security bill promotes sharing of threat data [CNN's Security Clearance blog]
• Bipartisan Cybersecurity Bill Aims to Spur Industry-Government Sharing [National Journal]
• Companies Urged to Share Cyber Threats With U.S. in House Bill [Bloomberg Businessweek]
• Bill would allow US intelligence to share cyber-threat info [Network World]
• Cable, Telco Backed Cybersecurity Bill Introduced; Allows the government to share certain cyber threat intelligence with private entities, like ISPs [Broadcasting & Cable]

Last week brought a closer look at the actual online behavior of kids with the release of the new Pew Report, “Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites.” The in-depth study examines teens’ use of social network sites, their experiences and behaviors on the sites, their privacy and safety concerns, and the role of parents in digital safekeeping.

The study was conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project in partnership with the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) and with the support of Cable in the Classroom.

The cable industry’s education foundation, Cable in the Classroom, has a long history of providing educators with tools and resources that help them do their job better. CIC has been an advocate within the education community and elsewhere for “digital citizenship,” which is a holistic approach to helping children learn how to be both safe and smart participants in a digital world.  This means helping kids understand their rights and responsibilities, recognize benefits and risks, and realize the personal and ethical implications of their online actions.

This new research, with its insights into how kids learn online behavior, how they navigate and behave in the online world and who they turn to for advice and guidance, can help determine the most useful and relevant approaches to take, as the online safety community considers and designs tools, resources, and policies to help keep kids safe online.

It’s no surprise that social media use is widespread among teens: Fully 95% of all teens ages 12-17 are now online and 77% are users of social media sites. For the most part, these kids have positive experiences online and in social networks.

The study found that some 69% of the teenagers who use social networking sites say their peers are mostly kind to one another on such sites. While, 88% of these teens say they have witnessed people being mean and cruel to another person on the sites, 47% say they saw such behavior “only once in a while” and only 12% say they witnessed cruel behavior “frequently.”

Adult social network users are less likely to say they witness or experience this type of behavior, but they still report that it is prevalent: 69% of the adults who use social networking sites say they have seen people be mean and cruel to others on those sites.

Kids are mostly acting responsibly while online. While 19% have been bullied, around 80% have taken some action to support the target or get the bully to stop. Most kids (55%) have refrained from posting something because it might reflect unfavorably on them in the future.  Four of five kids are using some privacy controls on their profiles.

As they try to navigate difficult social environments, virtually all teens say they receive advice about online safety from a wide variety of people in their lives. Parents are the top source: 86% of teens say they received advice from their parents about how to use the internet safely and responsibly and 70% received advice from teachers and schools. Teens reported that parents were also the biggest influence on shaping what they think is appropriate or inappropriate behavior when going online or using a cell phone. At the same time, 18% of teens say that “no one” influences them about their attitudes towards online behavior.

This is an important point. Even though your kids might not act like they’re listening, they will take it to heart if you can provide them with proper tips. There are some great opportunities for parents and teachers to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to offer useful and effective advice when called on.

Broadband can be a powerful tool. But all tools need some instruction to be used wisely. We’ll continue to promote the use of cable content and technology to expand and enhance learning for children and youth nationwide, but we’ll also continue to promote safety tips and education on how best to do so.

Broadband access to the Internet has become a fact of life for many Americans.  We use it to find critical information.  We use it to stay in touch with friends and loved ones.  And we learn and study with it.  It has, in many ways, revolutionized how we teach and learn, on the job, at school, and at home.

But what about the one-third of American households that hasn’t yet adopted broadband at home?  Research from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Pew Internet Research Center, and other groups shows there’s no single reason why people don’t sign up.  It might be a lack of digital literacy, little or no understanding of the relevance of broadband service, no computer at home, or affordability.

That’s why a new public-private partnership announced recently by cable’s leading broadband providers and the FCC seems so important.  The “Connect to Compete” (C2C) program unites a number of non-profit and private partners in a coordinated, community-based program that is dedicated to a common purpose – promoting adoption among certain families with school-age children that have not yet hooked up to broadband.

Cable broadband providers reaching 86 percent of U.S. households with broadband service have committed to participate in C2C or some other complementary program. They’ll offer a discounted promotional rate of no more than $9.95 a month (plus tax) for high-speed Internet access to qualifying families with kids in grades Kindergarten through 12 who receive free lunch under the National School Lunch Program.  Participating companies will waive installation fees in the case of standard or self-installation.  They’ll throw in a cable modem free of charge during the length of the program, or offer to sell one for a deeply discounted fee.  And those who sign up for the program will enjoy, at a minimum, download speeds of up to 1 Mbps, while some may receive faster speeds.

The program will launch in 2012, in the back-to-school period for the 2012-13 school year.  There will be a sign-up window of three years.  And any family that qualifies and signs up can stay in the program for up to two years.

C2C is the latest step in cable’s long journey of commitment to education.  That commitment to the value of broadband in education actually began more than 20 years ago when we started to wire and connect tens of thousands of schools and libraries, first for cable TV, and then to the information superhighway we now call the Internet.  Our efforts continue today, led by the industry’s non-profit education foundation, Cable in the Classroom, to promote and distribute educational content and help teachers and students use broadband technology and services safely and responsibly.

The program is also part of our legacy to promote broadband adoption.  We’re fiercely proud of being the first industry to bring broadband to American homes. Today, our companies provide broadband service to more than 45 million American homes.  We’re convinced that C2C will enable even more homes to adopt broadband – providing tremendous educational benefit to more American families.

You are undoubtedly aware of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), the national public warning system used to address the American public during emergencies. You may have seen the system in action, used by state or local authorities to deliver important emergency information, such as AMBER alerts and weather information targeted to your area.

The EAS is actually a national system that also provides communications capabilities to the President to address the American public during a national emergency. It involves the resources of broadcasters, cable television operators, satellite radio providers, and direct broadcast satellite (DBS) providers.

On November 9, at 2:00 p.m. (EST), the FCC and FEMA have scheduled the first-ever test of the Presidential Emergency Action Notification (EAN) of the EAS. The test will last about 30 seconds.  During the test, cable customers will see a special EAS channel regardless of the cable channel they are watching (You can see an example of an alert here.).

As the EAS test runs, the audio feed will advise viewers that it is only a test. The onscreen text will simply state:  “This is an Emergency Action Notification,” and in some cases, “for the United States” or “for the District of Columbia,” depending on the equipment.

The EAN message itself is set by the federal government; cable systems are required to pass through the government’s message to their viewers.

The cable industry is taking action to assist the government in educating consumers about the test.  Our member companies are airing public service announcements from the FCC to raise viewer awareness (Copies of these PSAs are posted on NCTA’s website).  Cable systems are also using invoice messages to alert consumers to the upcoming test.  And cable operators and programmers are linking to websites with more government information about the test, such as this one from the FCC.

Our message is simple:  This is just a test of the system, and no action is required.

NCTA continues to inform our member companies about test developments and has briefed other groups, such as the Cable Center Customer Care Committee and state and regional cable associations. Cable programmers also have pledged support in educating consumers.

An end-to-end nationwide test of the system is critical to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the EAS as a public alert mechanism. Cable will be expending every effort to help ensure the test is a success.

UPDATE: You might also want to read this post at the Time Warner Cable Untangled blog.