FCC clears the way for more DTA deployments

FCC Grants DTA Waivers To Four Vendors [Multichannel News]

Good news for upgraded services for cable customers, as the FCC has announced the approval for four companies to manufacture and cable operators to deploy limited function digital transport adapters (DTAs). This week, the FCC approved plans for Motorola, Cisco, Pace and Thompson to sell their DTAs to cable operators. DTAs allow operators to convert most or all of their channel lineup to digital, while allowing customers to connect their televisions to DTAs to receive the new digital programming on analog TVs.

Because digital programming consumes less bandwidth - a finite resource - than analog programming, the result is additional bandwidth that cable operators can use to increase the number of HD channels or increase broadband speeds via DOCSIS 3.0. While there's some expense to deploy DTAs, they cost a fraction of a full-featured digital set-top, making it economical for both operators and customers to free up bandwidth for enhanced services.

I'm glad to see the FCC has cleared the way for a set of solutions that will benefit cable customers in the months to come as more and more operators begin their transitions to digital programming.

Comments

[Joe Bags]

Pardon my ignorance but how does this benefit the customer? Comcast has been giving out 2 free DTAs per customer for every digitally enhanced area for at least 4-5months. Customers still cannot buy the DTAs as they are considered digital boxes in the system.

[Wayne Reses]

You may cite the various potential technical benefits associated with the new DTAs (digital boxes hooked up to analog TVs.) The reality is that the cable company(s) want to install an access box on each and every one of your television sets. This is a major source of revenue for them. Remember the "cable ready" TV? The cable companies are finally having their revenge. Our only salvation would come in the form of legislation which isn't going to happen because of the Supreme Court packing and the indoctrination of the populace that moderates are the new liberals (Read: Socialists). If consumer friendly legislation was good for the country in the 1980s and 1990s, then I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be good at the present time.
Wayne Reses
w.reses@yahoo.com