Skip to main content

Change is Needed in DTV Transition Policy

Citing the need to encourage the digital television transition in smaller markets and rural areas, the American Cable Association (ACA) filed comments at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) supporting a waiver request by Comcast Corporation that would allow low-cost set-top boxes to be deployed without requiring the addition of CableCard security.

ACA said that excluding low-cost set-top boxes, such as the DCT-700, Explorer-940, Pace Chicago, DCT-2000 and DCT-2500, from the FCC�s ban on integrated navigation devices �will allow the digital transition to continue in smaller markets.� ACA provided examples of five member companies that have deployed low-cost digital set-top boxes to transition to all-digital networks and to provide targeted digital programming to their subscribers.

�The move toward all-digital networks in smaller markets has been made possible by the availability of low-cost, limited-capability set-top boxes,� ACA said in its comments. �Banning these LCSTBs (low-cost set-top boxes) or requiring the addition of CableCard slots will raise the price of digital services beyond the reach of many subscribers and significantly slow the digital transition, negatively impacting ACA members and their smaller market-subscribers.�

Based in Pittsburgh, the American Cable Association is a national association of medium-sized and smaller, independent cable television businesses and owners of smaller cable systems that work together to ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their businesses. Association members primarily serve customers in smaller markets and rural areas across America. The Association represents independent cable businesses through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C. ACA�s nearly 1,100 member companies serve more than 8 million subscribers in all 50 states.

Popular posts from this blog

How Cloud Fuels Digital Business Transformation

Across the globe, many CEOs invested in initiatives to expand their digital offerings. User experience enhancements that are enabled by business technology were a priority in many industries. Worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services is forecast to grow 21.7 percent to a total of $597.3 billion in 2023 -- that's up from $491 billion in 2022, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Cloud computing is driving the next phase of digital transformation, as organizations pursue disruption through technologies like generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), Web3, and enterprise Metaverse. Public Cloud Computing Market Development "Hyperscale cloud providers are driving the cloud agenda," said Sid Nag, vice president at Gartner . Organizations view cloud computing as a highly strategic platform for digital transformation initiatives, which requires providers to offer new capabilities as the competition for digital business escalates. "For example, generativ

Digital Talent Demand Exceeds Supply in Asia-Pac

Even the savviest CEO's desire for a digital transformation advantage has to face the global market reality -- there simply isn't enough skilled and experienced talent available to meet demand. According to the latest market study by IDC, around 60-80 percent of Asia-Pacific (AP) organizations find it "difficult" or "extremely difficult" to fill many IT roles -- including cybersecurity, software development, and data insight professionals. Major consequences of the skills shortage are increased workload on remaining digital business and IT employees, increased security risks, and loss of "hard-to-replace" critical transformation knowledge. Digital Business Talent Market Development Although big tech companies' layoffs are making headlines, they are not representative of the overall global marketplace. Ongoing difficulty to fill key practitioner vacancies is still among the top issues faced by leaders across industries. "Skills are difficul

Mobile Device Market Still Awaiting Recovery

The mobile devices market has experienced three years of unpredictable demand. The global pandemic, geopolitical pressures, supply chain issues, and macroeconomic headwinds have hindered the sector's consistent growth potential. This extremely challenging environment has dramatically affected both demand and supply chains. It has led to subsequent inflationary pressures, leading to a worsening global cost of living crisis suppressing growth and confidence in the sector. In tandem, mobile device industry stakeholders have become more cautious triggering market uncertainties. Mobile Device Market Development Operating under such a backdrop, the development of mobile device ecosystems and vendor landscapes have been impacted severely. Many of these market pressures persisted throughout 2022 and now into 2023, borne chiefly by the smartphone market. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, worldwide smartphone shipments in 2022 declined 9.6 percent Year-over-Year