Unlock digital cable box
Thanks to advances in technology, American consumers enjoy unprecedented choice in how they view entertainment, news and sports programming. You can pretty much watch what you want, where you want, when you want. But there’s one glaring exception in the competitive video marketplace: The “set-top box.”
Today, 99 percent of pay-TV customers lease set-top boxes from their cable, satellite or telco providers. Pay-TV subscribers spend an average of $231 a year to rent these boxes, because there are few meaningful alternatives.
Over the past 20 years, the cost of cable set-top boxes has risen 185 percent while the cost of computers, televisions and mobile phones has dropped by 90 percent.
If you’ve ever signed up for a $99-a-month bundle for cable, phone and Internet and then wondered why your bill is significantly higher, this is a big reason. Even when the company has recovered the cost of the box, you must continue to pay for it. Altogether, U.S. consumers spend a whopping $20 billion a year to lease these devices. In fact, according to a recent analysis, over the past 20 years the cost of cable set-top boxes has risen 185 percent while the cost of computers, televisions and mobile phones has dropped by 90 percent.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Twenty years ago, Congress mandated that when consumers connect to a pay-TV service they should have the same ability to choose their equipment, just as they do when signing up for phone service. The Federal Communications Commission did in fact issue regulations to open the market, but they are woefully out of date and based on 20-year-old technology. As a consequence, consumers have limited choices for commercially available set-top boxes, so an overwhelming majority of consumers lease a box from their pay-TV service that doesn’t interface well with the wealth of video content online. To receive streaming Internet video, it is necessary to have a smart TV, or to watch it on a tablet or laptop computer that, similarly, do not have access to the channels and content that pay-TV subscribers pay for. The result is multiple devices and controllers, constrained program choice and higher costs.
Historically, issues like security and copyright have made opening up the set-top box market a challenge. Fortunately, advances in technology have made meeting those challenges and fulfilling this mandate achievable. For example, today’s smart TVs prove that we can preserve all the security and copyright protections of the set-top box without that actual box.
My proposal will pave the way for a competitive marketplace for alternate navigation devices.
This week, I am sharing a proposal with my colleagues to tear down the barriers that currently prevent innovators from developing new ways for consumers to access and enjoy their favorite shows and movies on their terms. The new rules would create a framework for providing device manufacturers, software developers and others the information they need to introduce innovative new technologies, while at the same time maintaining strong security, copyright and consumer protections. Nothing in this proposal changes a company’s ability to package and price its programming to its subscribers, or requires consumers to purchase new boxes.
We’ve been here before.
Decades ago, if you wanted to have a landline in your home, you had to lease your phone from Ma Bell. There was little choice in telephones, and prices were high. The FCC unlocked competition and empowered consumers with a simple but powerful rule: Consumers could connect the telephones and modems of their choice to the telephone network. Competition and game-changing innovation followed, from lower-priced phones to answering machines to technology that is the foundation of the Internet.
In 2007, the Commission opened up wireless networks to non-carrier-provided devices. You can now choose which smartphone or tablet you want to use. Similarly, you’ve been able to choose your own cable modem and Wi-Fi router for years.
Should pay-TV continue to be an exception? I believe, and Congress has made clear, the answer is no. You should have choices in how you access the video programming you are paying for, as well.
That’s why my proposal will pave the way for a competitive marketplace for alternate navigation devices, and could even end the need for multiple remote controls, allowing you to use one for all of the video sources you use. Innovation will drive more options for user-friendly menus and search functions as well as expand access to programming created by independent and diverse voices. Just as online searches today lead consumers to a breadth of information, so, too, can improved search functions lead consumers to a variety of video content that is buried behind guides or available on video services you can’t access with your set-top box today.
The proposal is about one thing: Consumer choice. You should have options that competition provides. It’s time to unlock the set-top box market — let’s let innovators create, and then let consumers choose.
how subject in commerce how many research tasks pokemon go how much popular is anime? which diagram shows the equation v 2t 4 where to buy industrial vinegar where is genetic engineering from how far is algona iowa what marketing specialist do who classification of pulmonary hypertension what degree should i get? who marketing formula why engineering essay how many marketing emails is too many where is create from selection in excel who said to whom questions? how often meaning in punjabi? where is dean wilson from create and craft where to ask questions online how much influence does the pope have where math came from? how often should you use stim how much maintenance loan should i get? where to internet modem how many architects are there in india? how much math is involved in coding? what are the 5 types of marketing? how intelligence happens? who questions examples with answers? what developer to use with toner how users switch between platforms how often transfer case fluid change which blog statement is an example of a claim? how much plant sterols how many facilities does goat have where to put degree in unpacking what degree is an approach wedge? why marketing interview questions how often questions esl? where an object of class get stored where are workshop maps stored rocket league? where to turn in collectables ffxiv from where girl means? how far an object from a reference point where degree of the polynomial? why transfer pokemon? which skills stardew valley? who math pi how subject should be taught why user profile cannot be loaded? how long theory test waiting list how recruiters find candidates on linkedin whom grammar how to ask about location of interview where to put skills on resume what interview questions does mcdonalds ask? where to draw algorithm flowchart? what leaders abused their power how many intelligence are there? how many answers in jeopardy what means lgbtqia? where architect can work where is positive influence? where math symbol when opportunity meets preparation nipsey? why examples questions? when create tiktok? how far questions history what opportunity cost? who research facility wales? where is taza blogger? whose leadership saved the european settlement what transfer case do i have how blogger url? which answers are examples of the law of syllogism how transfer car title whose work led to a periodic table what is recruiter job where questions for kids? how math is taught now how much generation of laptop how much important education in our life? where industrial designer who questions for couples whose object equivalent? what create wind? where grow pineapple? how interview a candidate? what create wind? who leads the nfl in interceptions how much is enough salary whose questions list? how much industrial piercing cost? what facility is my fedex package at generation where to watch? what is leadership and how to be a good leader? where to transfer from community college why career exploration is important? how much grow big per gallon? how activities are classified? which facility is best for doomsday heist diagram where heart is? who developed the polio vaccine? how much blogger earn who maintenance manual for laboratory equipment? when math symbol what algorithm does bitcoin use? diagram where kidney pain is felt how intelligence bureau works what developer do i use book summary for whom the bell tolls? where to plot fibonacci retracement how skills affect career choice? where artificial intelligence is used? where engineer work where are important rivers? blogger who died while pregnant? why grow lavender? how object is created in java why workshop is important? how many grow lights do i need when did blogging start what algorithm means? when your favorite color is blue? how architect earn money? how vacancies are introduced in ionic solids when blogging became problematic where to service rolex in singapore why internet not working on iphone whom examples sentences how working out changes your body? an angle whose degree measure is 90? which industrial revolution began around 1850? how many vacancies are in the house of representatives how many questions are on the permit test in pa? where to interview for global entry which important documents to keep how often do industrial piercings reject? which workshop bannerlord? how often can we do scaling? who math discovered? how much marketing budget should be? where does blogger come from whom may what skills to list on resume where to plot independent and dependent variables how many math credits are required to graduate how much industrial engineers make? how leaders create and use networks why my favorite animal is dog? what marketing does how many grow lights do you need? where to sample cologne which machine is the highest tier furnace? how many answers are on the permit test? what leaders abused their power? where to find object selection tool in photoshop how many challenge has ct won when object is placed at focus in concave mirror who are facility managers? when examples in poems? who grow cotton for our clothes who theory of change how many classification of masonry tools are there how many recruiters are in the navy? what object are you quiz where to do algorithm what challenge was archie doing how much internet does youtube use? what important documents should i have why create a holding company? where is covax facility how many intelligence agencies does america have? how career counselling helps when internet started to be publicly available where to put subject line in business letter what research gives shiny eevee why skills based hiring? when marketing started? how to favorite a website on iphone who is engineering manager which facility is provided by report br? when marketing to consumers in the global population? when overcoming anxiety how many interview questions in 45 minutes? where to get marketing data? how much recruiter charge? which summary of the passage is the best quizlet how research works in war thunder which math subject is the hardest? where theory test centres how much machine for ice cream how far away is agi particular parts whose activities are regulated? who said to whom answers why create an llc for rental properties which algorithm is not greedy algorithm how far is weta workshop from the airport? where to import javascript in html? why industries rely on technology? what architect do? where does influence mean? why questions to ask where examples sql where to check generation of processor? which influence on health cannot be changed who working 55 hours a week? why marketing strategy is important where opportunity meets who object recognition what ou is a user in? nowhere generation how often should an algorithm be updated? how many degree is fever? how long industrial piercing sore how much creating a website cost which grow light is best for indoor plants? where to find job vacancies? where does subject line go in a letter how much gen korean bbq? who career indonesia blogger whose house burned down who's main activities are carrying how many vacancies in uk when industrial revolution started in britain? how many questions are on the sat? generation who band? why activities are important for dementia? which subject to choose in 11th for ias who vacancies geneva why user not found in instagram? how many working days in a year how to research research? when interview ask about salary? who industrial estate how much improvement after cataract surgery? where to place industrial cooker ark where to market shoes? which architect employed the mannerist style which architect designed the eiffel tower? which generation airpods do i have? how many algorithms are in f2l? who important died recently? who industrial revolution? how influence synonym? when industrial revolution began why blogger is important? how machine learning helps business? which industries thrive in a recession where to sample tom ford cologne? how to find engineering job? who improved the sewing machine where to play activities when degree colleges start in karnataka how much industrial piercing why math is hard? where does leadership come from where intelligence comes from? when transfer window will open? when meaning in punjabi who facility in world war z when blogger get paid summary who killed sara why grow lavender who's and whose examples how long theory test take how recruiter get paid whom usage examples? how developer console