CEA undaunted on CableCARD issue

[Gregg Lengling]

Jeff Baumgartner, CED

A recent change-of-heart from Microsoft Corp. was not enough to change the Consumer Electronics Association's position on cable's request that the Federal Communications Commission halt or extend the deadline that would ban cable operators from distributing digital set-tops with embedded security.

In late February, Microsoft issued a letter to the FCC supporting cable's request for a delay on the ban, which is slated to come into effect July 1, 2006.

In a statement issued Monday, CEA President & CEO Gary Shapiro once again urged the FCC to deny cable's request.

He said the consumer electronics industry "remains strong and united" on the subject despite Microsoft's decision to back cable's position.

"The cable industry's 'Hail Mary' pass picking off [of] Microsoft is unfortunate, but symptomatic of an industry that wants to thwart consumer choice," Shapiro said.

The cable industry has pushed for an extension or outright removal of a ban on set-tops with integrated security in part because it believes that support for the CableCARD interface for removable security modules in all set-tops would extend unnecessary costs to consumers. Those costs, the argument continues, would also hamper the industry's efforts in creating inexpensive all-digital boxes designed to aid cable digital simulcast efforts.

The CEA has countered that, without uniform support for the CableCARD interface, the technology will not reach commodity levels and that CE manufacturers would find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.