Declining subscriber numbers seem to be forcing cable companies to attempt to push for drastic changes. Companies are lobbying the FCC to put regulations in place which would require every subscriber to rent a cable box or cable card regardless of whether or not they currently have a need for one.
Current rules require cable companies to provide broadcast channels to subscribers in a way that would allow them to use tuners built into their TV or other box (like the Boxee Box) to receive them. Now cable providers are asking the FCC to put new rules in place that would essentially require the user to have a set-top box or cable card to receive any channels.
The reason for this as put forth by the cable companies is that it would allow them to shut off cable remotely without having to send the cable guy to your residence. These companies argue that this would help save the environment by reducing gas usage.
That excuse could not be more ridiculous considering it would force more cable cards and set-top boxes to be manufactured. Set-top boxes are notorious for their high energy usage meaning the more of these things out there, the more overall energy will be used. The "savings" of not sending the cable guy to your house to disconnect/connect cable is absurd.
The unspoken motivation here is that cable companies are losing money hand over fist. If these new rules were put in place, it would force customers not currently using a box to pay the $5-$15 rental fee per month.
The most frustrating thing about this proposal is there is no gain to consumers whatsoever. In fact, the folks using their Boxee Box, computer, TV, or other solution as a tuner will lose their signal and have to pay to get it back. Boxee is asking people on their blog to contact the FCC and let them know how they feel about the proposal. Even if you don't currently use another box instead of a set-top from the cable company, it's worth while to sound off about this issue.
The National Cable and Telecommunications Association sent a letter to the FCC responding to Boxee's claims that there are no consumer benefits. One of the bullets in that letter states,
"Contrary to Boxee’s claims, the proposed rule change will result in substantial consumer benefits for tens of millions of cable customers. Encryption will free cable customers from having to wait at home for a service visit when connecting or disconnecting service. It also will result in improved service reliability for consumers by reducing theft of service, which RCN reports has been a particular problem for standalone broadband customers with QAMcapable devices. Furthermore, in light of these benefits, cable operators have strong incentives to migrate rapidly to all-digital networks, which translates into faster Internet and other services customers value."
The rest of the letter is about 12 pages and basically reiterates many of the principles discussed in that paragraph. All of the other filings related to this FCC case can be found online for those looking to read up on both sides of the argument.
Do you use a box from the cable company? Are you even still a cable customer or have you "cut the cord"? Let us know in the comments.
