About the Cable Industry Nationally

Our industry was launched roughly six decades ago by a small group of visionaries who felt that the public should be getting more from their televisions than they were. Today, the nation's 7900 cable systems bring some 530 different cable TV networks to more than 65 million households across the country.

For years, cable's primary benefit was a clear video picture and a variety of programming choices. But over the last decade the industry has launched exciting new products and services such as digital video recorders, interactive programming guides and content, and increased on-demand programming.

Driven by competition and backed by billions in private capital, the cable industry has reinvented itself to provide video, voice and data services, innovations that have given rise to the modern telecommunications industry.

In the last decade alone, the industry has invested more than $100 Billion in system upgrades across the country. As a result of these innovations, cable providers are offering consumers a wide variety of choices that allow them to personalize their video, Internet and telephone services to meet their individual needs.

And the public has embraced these new choices. Today, the industry provides digital cable service to more than 28.5 million customers, high-speed Internet service to more than 25.4 million customers, and digital phone service to approximately 5.6 million customers.

If you'd like more information, you can download the NCTA Annual Profile or watch a short video.