FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposed set-top box rules seemingly follow an apps-based approach that's been preferred by cable operators and other traditional MVPDs, but that doesn’t mean Comcast is happy about it, either.
The MSO held that the rules would impose an “overly complicated government licensing regime,” have the reverse effect on the thriving apps-based market, and exceed the FCC’s authority.
Here’s the full statement from Comcast:
“While we appreciate that Chairman Wheeler has abandoned his discredited proposal to break apart cable and satellite services, his latest tortured approach is equally flawed. He claims that his new proposal builds on the marketplace success of apps, but in reality, it would stop the apps revolution dead in its tracks by imposing an overly complicated government licensing regime and heavy-handed regulation in a fast-moving technological space.
The Chairman’s new proposal also violates the Communications Act and exceeds the FCC’s authority. It perpetuates many of the concerns that led hundreds of Members of Congress, content creators, diversity and civil rights organizations, labor unions, and over 300,000 individuals to object to his original flawed approach, including problems with privacy, copyright protection, content security, and innovation. Heavy-handed government technology mandates have a long history of failure. The Chairman’s approach would likely meet the same fate, while causing real damage to the thriving apps marketplace and real harm to consumers.”
