'Every Last Mile' Captures the Untold Story of Connecting Rural America

New NCTA-produced docufilm chronicles the dramatic challenges three broadband construction crews face to ensure every American has access to digital opportunities.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, NCTA - the Internet & Television Association released EVERY LAST MILE, a 20-minute docufilm that immerses viewers into the gritty reality of what it takes for internet service providers to extend broadband networks to unserved, hard-to-reach parts of the country. The docufilm follows three dedicated cable crews working in Alaska, Arizona, and Minnesota who offer firsthand accounts of the physical intensity, uncompromising terrain and weather, and unexpected challenges they face while building this critical infrastructure.

"Everyone understands the importance of connecting all communities to fast and reliable internet access, but few have seen just how daunting that work can be," said Michael Powell, President & CEO, NCTA - The Internet & Television Association. "Every Last Mile tells the story of the monumental challenges faced by America's cable industry every day to extend broadband into rural, unserved communities across the country, and we won't quit until the job is done."

EVERY LAST MILE follows a GCI crew in King Cove, Alaska; a Mediacom Communications crew in Lakewood Township, Minnesota; and a Cox Communications crew in Congress, AZ. Collectively, the teams offer an intimate look at the wide variety of geographic, logistical, and regulatory challenges that make connecting rural America such a massive undertaking.

"The town of Congress, Arizona is one of the scores of broadband expansion projects we have underway that demonstrate how our skilled teams can overcome challenges, including the oppressive heat and hostile desert geography. We will continue our commitment to digital equity by building partnerships and dedicating expertise and resources to connect even more unserved and underserved Americans," said Mark Greatrex, president of Cox Communications.

"Broadband expansion work in King Cove, a small town located more than 600 miles southwest of Anchorage and only accessible by air and sea, is representative of the many challenges internet service providers face when extending networks across Alaska," said Jenifer Nelson, GCI Rural Affairs Senior Director. "From overcoming extreme fog and high winds to laying over 800 miles of subsea fiber, our skilled crew members are committed to connecting every last corner of the state."

"The technical expertise and professionalism displayed by our Lakewood Team represents the deep-rooted dedication Mediacom and its employees have to connect rural communities in North Minnesota and all across the Midwest. Building and operating broadband networks is our passion, and we will not rest until every home and business is connected," added Steve Purcell, Group Vice President of Mediacom's Capital Region.

The premiere of EVERY LAST MILE coincides with an unprecedented national effort to expand internet access to unconnected Americans, including the ten million-plus who live in rural areas. The "Internet for All" initiative includes the historic allocation of $42.45 billion in federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funds, set to be distributed to states this year. This funding complements the $2.1 trillion in private capital invested since 1996 to build and upgrade America's broadband networks.

America's cable industry employs over 1 million highly skilled professionals and has a long, proven track record of success in building the networks Americans rely on in rural and urban communities. Between 2022 and 2023, the cable industry connected 1.3 million new rural homes and businesses and increased gigabit speed access to 5.4 million homes and businesses.

EVERY LAST MILE complements NCTA's interactive, multimedia Rural Experience webpage, which highlights even more stories of the feats of engineering and hard work happening around the country to extend broadband networks to every American.

Click here to download a docufilm synopsis, fact sheet, official trailers and photo stills.

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