For decades, the cable industry has forced users to rent out set-top boxes directly from their cable provider, often at exorbitant prices. But that may soon change.
As reported on Mashable, the FCC has adopted a new proposal that would allow cable customers to use cable boxes from other companies. For example, if you’re a Time Warner Cable customer, you’re no longer stuck using TWC’s cable box…if the rules go through.
The cable industry is already lining up to fight the proposed changes. But there’s an equally powerful group of companies including Google, Apple, Amazon, and Roku that would love to be able to create their own set-top boxes and sell them directly to consumers.
To be clear, cable customers would still need to buy a subscription from their local provider. But they would theoretically be able to get an Amazon Fire, Android TV, or Apple TV device that could do everything their old cable boxes could do, and a lot more.
The next step is the FCC’s comment period, as it gets feedback from consumers and private companies. But with a Democratic majority currently in control of the FCC, the new regulation is likely to pass later this year. It would still take some time for the tech companies to fully take advantage of the rule change and bring their upgraded devices to market. But the new cable landscape could begin to unfold soon.
Would you buy a set-box instead of renting one from your cable provider? Let us know in the comment section below!
