Advanced Television

FCC drops STB proposal from September meeting

September 29, 2016

By Colin Mann

Following mounting criticism from certain parties and support from others, the FCC has announced that its proposed Set-Top Box Order has been removed from the September 29 Open Meeting Agenda. The proposal will go on the Commission’s circulation list and remain under consideration by Commissioners.

In a Statement, Chairman Tom Wheeler, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, said: “It’s time for consumers to say goodbye to costly set-top boxes. It’s time for more ways to watch and more lower-cost options. That’s why we have been working to update our policies under Section 629 of the Communications Act in order to foster a competitive market for these devices. We have made tremendous progress – and we share the goal of creating a more innovative and inexpensive market for these consumer devices. We are still working to resolve the remaining technical and legal issues and we are committed to unlocking the set-top box for consumers across this country.”

The Agenda item said the Commission would “consider a Report and Order that modernizes the Commission’s rules to allow consumers to use a device of their choosing to access multichannel video programming instead of leasing devices from their cable or satellite providers.”

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