A bipartisan group of 10 senators asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in a letter Thursday to delay a plan to open up the market for television set-top boxes until its effect on small providers can be studied.
The letter adds to a list of upper chamber lawmakers who have expressed concerns about the plan.
{mosads}“While we appreciate your commitment to protecting consumers, we urge you to delay the video navigation device proceedings until the FCC sufficiently studies the specific costs and impacts of the proposal on rural consumers and small providers,” said the lawmakers. “Small providers will not be able to afford the costs that could be associated with building a new architecture to comply with the proposed rule.”
The letter was dated Thursday and released by the American Cable Association, a lobbying group for small cable providers.
The signatories include both Republicans and Democrats, including Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.). Several are from states with large rural populations.
They join Senate colleagues who have already criticized the proposal put forth by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. Under the plan, video providers like Comcast would have to provide their video streams to third-party companies manufacturing their own boxes.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a senior member of the committee, have both expressed worries about the plan. So has Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.), the top Democrat on the Commerce Committee.
Their opposition underscores the immense political power marshaled by the cable and video industry in Washington — and the high stakes for several industries in the debate.
Supporters include Google and TiVo, both of whom stand to make money from manufacturing their own boxes.
Backers of the plan argue that opening up the marketplace to new companies would increase competition for the boxes and result in better, cheaper options for consumers.
“Innovation will drive more options for user-friendly menus and search functions as well as expand access to programming created by independent and diverse voices,” Wheeler said in a January op-ed. “Just as online searches today lead consumers to a breadth of information, so, too, can improved search functions lead consumers to a variety of video content that is buried behind guides or available on video services you can’t access with your set-top box today.”