21 Sep Policyband Special Report: Five Questions for NECTA President Tim Wilkerson
August 31, 2026
Overview: Tim Wilkerson has led the New England Connectivity and Telecommunications Association as president since 2019, overseeing regulatory affairs, legislative advocacy, public relations and business development for the association’s members. He previously served as NECTA’s vice president and general counsel, and earlier as its policy counsel.
NECTA’s evolution mirrors New England’s constant innovation.
NECTA modernized its staffing structure and recruited experts across key operational areas. In recent years, reflecting members’ evolving role in the technology ecosystem, we rebranded from “Cable” to “Connectivity,” launched a new logo, and adopted the mission: “Connecting New England.” We also expanded membership to welcome streamers, content creators, and tech companies. NECTA’s broadband ISP members include Charter, Comcast, and Breezeline and the group has 45 associate members and partners, including Astound Broadband, NESN, OpenVault, and NBC Universal.
NECTA relocated to a state-of-the-art Boston headquarters, now a hub for cross-industry coalitions and events including Comcast NBC Boston’s Winter Olympics kickoff party and gatherings with policymakers like Governor Maura Healey and Senator Ed Markey. NECTA has elevated the annual NECTA Convention as a premier forum for technology, government, sports, and media leadership. Our team has won awards including the CableFax Top Ops award, and we build coalitions to advocate for our members during the legislative and regulatory process.
Question 1: NECTA is marking its 65th anniversary this year. What does this milestone represent for the association and for the region’s broadband and telecommunications sector?
TW: From the telephone to the internet and the first transatlantic wireless and broadband connections, New England leads the way. For NECTA, this anniversary is about New England’s legacy of innovation and the future of connectivity.
NECTA members connect loved ones during the important moments while serving as the backbone of innovation across education, medicine, transportation, and entertainment. NECTA’s 65th anniversary comes at a milestone moment for our nation and our industry: America’s 250th anniversary, the 30th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the telecom industry’s 150th anniversary – a legacy born blocks from NECTA headquarters where Alexander Graham Bell uttered the famous words during the world’s first telephone call: “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”
These milestones make it clear: New England is the epicenter of technological revolution. The region is home to leading companies and growing industries driving investment and innovation.
Beyond the wires and spectrum, NECTA’s members’ networks serve as the connective tissue binding us as Americans. They carry us through moments of national triumph and collective grief. And they’ll carry us into the next generation of technology.
Question 2: How has New England’s cable broadband industry changed most dramatically over those 65 years, and what lessons from that history matter most in today’s competitive market?
TW: The past 65 years have been revolutionary for this industry. Sixty-five years ago, a high-tech ‘transistor’ meant a radio you carry in your pocket. Today, we still carry transistors in our pockets – but now it’s billions of them, on a fingernail-size chip, powering the intelligence embedded in our phones.
Change is central to our industry. The C in NECTA used to stand for cable; it now means connectivity – because what matters is bringing people together. In 1961, color television was a luxury. Now, most have access to UHD with 8K becoming more common and networks getting faster every year, with 10G here and 100G next.
Reinvention has driven innovation, lowered costs, and delivered superior products for consumers.
While change and competition drive our industry, NECTA members have always focused on partnerships and scale, from cable pioneers going door-to-door to sign up households to the economies of scale that fund cutting-edge research and development like groundbreaking labs. New England is approaching ubiquitous broadband access, and nationwide, our members are building technologies like enhanced mobile services, social media platforms, ultra-high-definition television, and seamless video streaming. That’s no accident.
NECTA members have proven that embracing innovation and building partnerships, within and across industries, business and policymakers, creates the life-changing connectivity we rely on daily and ensures access for everyone.
Question 3: With fiber overbuilders, fixed wireless providers and low-Earth orbit (LEO) ISPs moving aggressively, where do you see cable broadband operators positioning themselves over the next decade?
TW: No matter where competition comes from, cable broadband providers will continue doing what they’ve always done best: delivering superior products, anticipating consumer demand, and meeting customers’ appetite for the latest business, entertainment and video platforms. By delivering faster, more reliable broadband over fiber-rich HFC DOCSIS networks, our connectivity remains unmatched – and will remain the premier choice for tomorrow. It’s clear that our members have the agility, entrepreneurial spirit, and expertise to lead the next decade of connectivity. The last 10 years prove it: Integrating apps like Netflix, Prime, and YouTube into our set-top boxes, delivering gigabit speeds before anyone else, pioneering the Xfinity platform and voice remote and expanding into mobile service. The network is already built, and our members are innovating software and devices to drive the next generation of consumer and business technologies.
We’ve also increased value for consumers. Since 2014, our members have increased average download speeds for top broadband tier plans by 145%, while real, inflation-adjusted Gigabit prices have dropped nearly 50% since 2016.
Question 4: What investments or innovations do you believe will be most critical for cable ISPs to maintain speed, reliability, and customer trust as demand for bandwidth continues to surge?
TW: We must continue delivering fast, affordable connectivity on lower-latency networks built for reliability and resiliency. Meanwhile, the next wave of tech is here: the DOCSIS technology developed by CableLabs – the R&D leader based in Denver – achieved record-setting 16 Gigabit downstream speeds in 2025. Today, their research teams are paving the way for 50 and even 100 Gigabit speeds over our existing, fiber-rich networks. Our broadband architecture stands apart because it is upgraded continuously through software and sensor enhancements, leveraging AI to detect issues before they occur and enabling the network to “self-heal” – mitigating or shortening outages.
Our industry’s advantage is a fiber-rich network architecture that can evolve to deliver greater capacity without requiring new networks. As AI, quantum computing, and edge processing become central to our economy and lives, our networks are positioned to exceed the bandwidth capacity to manage this demand. Network resiliency is essential to consumer experience, and we focus on hardening broadband infrastructure against natural disasters, physical threats and vandalism. The industry invests billions annually in backup power and physical defense to keep networks running seamlessly.
Finally, cybersecurity remains a top priority. America’s broadband infrastructure faces billions of cyber threats annually. Our member companies bring unrivaled security and sophistication to shield consumers, commerce, healthcare, and transportation. Our research shows customers feel peace of mind.
Question 5– As policymakers debate broadband funding, pole access, and competition rules, what priorities does NECTA want federal and state leaders to focus on to ensure the region’s networks remain strong and future‑proof?
TW: On expanding broadband to unserved areas, our industry’s message to the federal government is clear: Expedite federal dollars to states to reach as many homes and businesses as feasible, while establishing technology-neutral processes.
Massachusetts and its pre-pandemic expansion program – which brought broadband to 53 underserved communities – is a national model for closing the digital divide. But investment and deployment require policymakers at every level to remove barriers to building and upgrading broadband networks. Government leaders should pursue permitting and pole-attachment reforms and address delays involving rights-of-way private easements. Faster, more predictable processes will reduce costs and help providers deliver broadband to consumers.
Our members are committed to winning impartial, competitive funding programs to deliver world-class broadband to every community that needs it. Policymakers can help those investments go further by removing barriers to deployment and maintaining a predictable environment for private investment.