CEA Decries NCTA’s Latest Request To Delay Competition

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® President and CEO Gary Shapiro today issued the following statement in response to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association’s (NCTA) appeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) rules requiring separable security in devices that connect to cable systems:

“After eleven years of delaying consumer access to competitive equipment, this latest NCTA appeal is not surprising, but it is still troubling. By denying NCTA’s waivers, the FCC has spoken clearly for consumers and the public interest. As CEA has stated on numerous occasions, competitive device manufacturers are eager to offer exciting new competitive devices to cable customers, and the FCC has assured consumers that innovation will not be stifled. Consumers have long been denied the opportunity to enjoy a competitive market for products that can connect to cable systems.

“The Courts and the Commission have spoken and the time for compliance with the FCC’s rules is now. NCTA’s latest appeal of the FCC’s decision is an abuse of the administrative process. Further, it diverts valuable Commission resources away from ensuring that consumers may reap the benefits of competition in the cable equipment market.”