The FCC announced last week that it wants to open up the
cable box “market” to competition.
Today, as a cable subscriber, you need technology (a set-top or converter
box) that changes network signals into watchable television content. And, you need one box per TV. Up until now, the vast majority of cable subscribers
rent those boxes on a monthly basis from their cable company. The average annual cost per household is
$230. Moreover, some households (like
mine) have app devices (Google Chrome, Apple TV, etc.) in addition to the
set-top boxes. The cost and complexity
have gotten out of hand. We feel “boxed-in”.
Of course, the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) believes
that the FCC is forcing a “technology mandate that would replace [the cable
industry’s] app innovation with government regulation.” But, something has to change. Maybe the “threat” of opening a market to
competition will inspire more thoughtful and purposeful collaboration among
industry participants and regulators that provide consumers with more valued
video-viewing options sooner rather than later.
Fortune article
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