We learned quite a bit this week about the National Broadband Plan – scheduled to be released on March 17 – which may end up being one of the most ambitious communications policy undertakings in recent memory.  There are a lot of tough and challenging issues yet to be addressed, but what we’ve heard so far gives us a much better idea of how comprehensive the plan will be, and helps shape our early thinking about how our industry can help.

First, in a speech earlier this week before NARUC, the association of state communications regulators, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski provided the initial  preview – starting with his forward-looking challenge to the communications industries to provide Internet speeds of at least 100 Mbps to 100 million U.S. households by 2020.

Our industry remains committed to leading in the effort to meet America’s broadband goals.  That will require the continued evolution of the cable plant from a one-way, analog video programming service to a platform that delivers an ever-changing array of two-way, digital services; the continued deployment of next generation broadband; and continued innovation to use capacity more efficiently.

Today, a typical cable system has a total capacity of 5 Gbps, meaning our typical customer already has well over 1 Gbps of data available to his or her household.  Today, we use that capacity to deliver hundreds of channels of analog and digital video (including high-definition television) and phone service as well, of course, as Internet access.  As new applications and services emerge and consumer demand changes, the cable industry is well placed to redeploy bandwidth to meet those changing needs.

Most of this will involve private investment and private sector innovation.  But, as we have said before, there are clearly ways the FCC can help.  We appreciate the FCC’s recognition, for example, of the need to provide flexibility that encourages the continued deployment of switched-digital video which uses bandwidth more efficiently and low-cost set-top boxes which aid the drive to all-digital systems.  Measures such as these also promote the continued rollout of DOCSIS 3.0, a technology which offers speeds over 100 Mbps today.  Multichannel News recently estimated that DOCSIS 3.0 – commonly referred to as wideband – is currently being offered to more than 52 million U.S. consumers and businesses.

But while more than 90 percent of U.S. households have high-speed Internet service available, only about 65 percent have chosen to subscribe, according to a report released this week by NTIA.  As he has before, Chairman Genachowski correctly identified this broadband “adoption gap” as one of the key problems confronting us:

Right now, more than 100 million Americans that could and should have broadband don’t have it. Because they can’t afford broadband, don’t know how to use it, or aren’t aware of its potential benefits.

I was pleased to see him compliment NCTA’s proposed Adoption Plus (A+) Program, which would offer digital media literacy education, discounted computers, and discounted home broadband service to low-income families.  But there are many other good ideas out there — and the bottom line is that this challenge will only be met successfully by 1) treating it as a multi-faceted problem and 2) and addressing it through public-private partnerships.  Here too, our industry remains committed to be a constructive partner with other industries and government at all levels.

Second, the FCC’s meeting yesterday also offered a lengthy set of “working recommendations” by the broadband team that are intended to integrate broadband  into the nation’s key economic, government and societal priorities, including “high quality healthcare, world-class education, smarter energy tools, 21^st century jobs, greater public safety, more opportunities for civic engagement, and a better quality of life.”  Credit goes to the Chairman and his staff, particularly the broadband team, for placing broadband policy in its proper context.

In each of these areas, there is an enormous amount of work to be done, and some intriguing opportunities.  Many cable operators and systems have already embarked on unique partnerships and other relationships which advance many of these goals, including a new smart energy initiative launched earlier this month by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers.

During our annual Cable Show last May in Washington, D.C., we showcased some of these projects at our Broadband Nation exhibit:

• A rural medical clinic where patients can access a custom video-on-demand library to learn more about their conditions and treatment, and use a secure broadband connection to share vital signs and electronic medical records for a video teleconference with a specialist hundreds of miles away.

• A broadband connected middle school that allows students to read a book with the author, research any video ever produced by C-SPAN, travel the world with Discovery’s vast online collection of video content, enjoy the unique experience of interacting with a Promethean smart board.

• A high-definition video conference center that uses broadband to improve communication and productivity by connecting co-workers that appear to be right across the table, when in reality could be anywhere in the world.

The Broadband Nation video below highlights the innovative services that were on display for the home, school, and office, as well as specialized applications for medical centers, schools, and retail and entertainment outlets.

In the days ahead, we look forward to learning even more about the National Broadband Plan.  There’s much work ahead of us, but I have no doubt we can make this shared vision a reality.

NCTA President & CEO Kyle McSlarrow is the featured guest on C-SPAN’s The Communicators program this week. The video is now available online, and will air on Saturday at 6:30pm on C-SPAN.

For more thoughts on the interview, check out John Eggerton’s preview of the show in Broadcasting & Cable.

UPDATE: Just a reminders that The Communicators also airs Monday on C-SPAN2 at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET. You can also subscribe to the show’s podcast. If you’re interested in seeing the comments about Google, they appear about the 17:45 mark.

NCTA’s annual conference The Cable Show is coming up soon. The 58th Annual Convention and International Exposition will be held in Washington, DC in less than seven weeks; you can follow details about the event on the Show’s blog or by following CableShow on Twitter.

Today, my colleague Joy Sims has prepared a report on a pretty cool exhibit we’ll be having at The Cable Show: Broadband Nation.

Talking about the benefits of broadband and how we can expand the number of Americans with high-speed connections is all the rage here in Washington, especially as Congress deliberates over an economic stimulus bill that may include billions for broadband.

Those of us in Cable Land think the attention on broadband is long overdue, and as the nation’s largest provider of broadband service with a near national and scalable network that is delivering market-leading speeds, we are excited to jump aboard the broadband train.

So, what are the many ways which consumers can benefit from broadband?  You can see for yourself at a 22,000 square-foot Broadband Nation exhibit that will be the centerpiece of NCTA’s annual Cable Show being held April 1 -3 at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center.

This large-scale broadband exhibit will demonstrate how consumers can use broadband in their homes, communities and beyond.  Details about the exhibit were announced last week, and we’ll be sharing more information in the coming weeks.

Broadband Nation is being designed to replicate real communities anywhere in America and will include urban, suburban and rural settings.  These communities will be complete with an entertainment center, school, medical clinic and small business.  To the left, you can see a small-scale mockup of what Broadband Nation will look like on the show floor.

Visitors to the exhibit will have hands-on access to see how the latest – and future – broadband technology can be integrated into a suburban home or an urban loft; a school; a small business; and a health clinic.  A cable company’s office – also located within the exhibit – will help guide the operations within the communities.

Technology to be on display will include:

• Next generation, ultra fast high-speed Internet (aka DOCSIS 3.0) demo provided by Comcast
• RF Over Glass (RFOG) fiber-to-the-home
• WiMAX Mobile Broadband
• tru2way TVs
• Broadband-based, whole-home automation and entertainment solutions
• Comcast’s HITS AxIS service which Multichannel wrote about following its introduction last May
• Specialized medical technology for health clinics, such as telehealth applications
• Enhanced RV-based applications for home
• 3-D TV

Want to register or learn more about The Cable Show?  Check out www.thecableshow.com where the lineup of speakers, sessions and activities is available and constantly being updated.

In my first post, I thought I’d give you a little background on myself.

I have worked in the cable industry for 16 years. I’ve always been around the film and television business; my father worked for a broadcast network for 20 years. I’m a voracious TV viewer and always have been. Still, all of my time in cable continues to be a learning experience.

Cable is heading into its 60th year in 2008, but it’s a dramatically different business than it was in the late Forties. In the early Seventies, I had cable as a kid because we lived north of L.A. and television signals were blocked by mountains; without cable, you couldn’t see TV at all. By high school, there were new channels like A&E and Superstation TBS. I vividly remember a show called “Pop Clips” on Nickelodeon, which was the pilot for MTV.

By the time I entered the cable business in the early Nineties, the technology was beginning to undergo some dramatic changes. Cable modems showed up in the market in 1994. I was at the panel where John Malone (then of TCI) made his famous pronouncement about a new world with “500 channels,” a remark misunderstood at the time, since he was talking more about increased bandwidth through digital compression that he was speaking of programming networks. Since then, digital cable, video-on-demand, telephony — all these services have changed the cable industry.

Now we’re in 2008, and NCTA has launched this blog in order to discuss these issues online. At CableTechTalk, we will be examining many of the current trends in broadband and telecommunications. As a consumer myself, I’m just as anxious as you may be for things to keep changing and getting better all the time. That’s why we welcome your input here as well, since we all have a vested interest in the technology that delivers us out entertainment and information to thrive.

Let the dialogue begin!