FCC Vote to Free Consumers from Expensive Cable Set-Top Boxes Gets Delayed

The Federal Communications Commission has tabled a vote on a controversial proposal to free consumers from costly set-top cable boxes and allow them to access cable and satellite subscriptions from any set-top box of their choice.

“It was simply a matter of running out of time,” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said. A recent version of the plan, which has not been finalized, required cable companies to develop apps that would offer all live and on-demand programming on major platforms, such as Roku, iOS, and Android. Such a configuration would make watching YouTube and Netflix videos as easy as watching a CBS sitcom.

The proposal, which seeks to make the TV industry more competitive, has put technology companies at loggerheads with cable companies, who have thus far restricted their movies and shows to certain cable boxes. Unsurprisingly, cable companies are none too keen on the idea of subscribers accessing cable content through their Apple TVs rather than forking over extra money to lease and install a Time Warner cable box, say, which costs an average of $231 a year, according to The New York Times.

Television and cable companies have reportedly spent $10 million on lobbyists to torpedo the proposal. Cable companies have also sought to have more control over their content and more robust copyright protections.

In a statement announcing the delayed vote, the FCC reaffirmed its commitment to working out the various “remaining technical and legal issues” of unlocking set-top boxes: “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.”

Backers of the proposal expressed disappointment in the delay, arguing that it would force millions of Americans to continue paying expensive rental fees.