Wheeler Set-Top Box Proposal: It's Apps

Continuing the process that began earlier this year, FCC Chair Tom Wheeler has issued a proposal to the Commission to implement the deregulation of cable set-top boxes.

Wheeler's proposal will require cable and satellite system operators (MSOs) to offer subscribers access to their services by means of a free app. Consumers could keep their boxes or download the app to an alternative device such as a smart TV, Apple or Roku box, or an XBox or Playstation console. In an LA Times op-ed piece yesterday, Wheeler cited two key benefits to cable customers of his proposal . First, he noted that 99% of customers pay an average of $231 annually to lease their set-top boxes, even long after the provider has recouped its cost. The second benefit is that an app-based system would permit integrated search, in which a single search would show the availability of a program over all platforms, whether broadcast, cable or streaming.