FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2010
TIA Urges FCC to Avoid Technology Mandates that Limit Consumers in Interim CableCARD Rules
FCC Encouraged to Promote Voluntary, Industry-Led Solutions for Continued Innovation and to Allow for Flexibility Necessary Due to the Evolving Nature of Technological Development
Washington, D.C. – TThe Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), which represents manufacturers of broadband equipment, products and services, today filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on interim rules designed to improve operation of the CableCARD regime as it considers a successor solution.
With CableCARD the FCC attempted to create competition in the market for set-top boxes and DVRs to allow third-party devices, in addition to those leased by cable operators, to access and decode cable video. However, the CableCARD usage has been almost exclusively in cable company-owned set top boxes and DVRs. Because the market has evolved to more current Internet Protocol (IP) technologies, use in third-party devices has been nearly non-existent.
"The rules associated with CableCARD demonstrate the perils of technology mandates, which slow innovation and harm the consumer," said TIA Vice President for Government Affairs Danielle Coffey.
"TIA has consistently urged the government to avoid technology mandates, which undermine investment incentives and chill innovation by forcing providers to deploy least-common denominator solutions," she continued.
Having acknowledged the CableCARD regime's limitations, the Commission now has the opportunity to play a constructive role in encouraging voluntary, industry-led solutions to allow for flexibility necessary due to the evolving nature of technological development, TIA noted.
Operators should have maximum flexibility in designing high-definition set-top boxes. TIA also recommends that the FCC should promote bandwidth conservation and optimization to achieve its goals in the National Broadband Plan, particularly as video services and devices increasingly drive broadband adoption and use.
Read TIA's comments filed with the FCC on its filings page at tiaonline.org.
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About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. Since 1924, TIA has been enhancing the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment.
TIA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.
TIA's Board of Directors from includes senior-level executives from ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, AttivaCorp, Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, OneChip Photonics, Openwave, Inc., Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Powerwave Technologies, Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., Walker & Associates and WirefreeCom, Inc. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates and Telcordia Technologies.
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