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Unregistered guest | Hello all, I was hoping to find out if there was anything I could do if my local cable company won't provide me with a cable card. They say that they don't offer HD in my city so therefore they don't have to give me a card. I know they offer CC in other cities because it's on their website. Does anybody know if this is legal. I thought the plug and play rules the FCC adopted required all cable companies to provide cards if requested. The population of my city just hit 100,000 and they also serve Ft. Worth TX. so I can't see them getting away with being a small enterprise. Any help would be greatly appreciated. |
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fx Unregistered guest | The new cablecard mandate date has been moved by the FCC to the 1st of July 2007. Your cable company is correct but for the wrong reason. xvxvxvx |
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Unregistered guest | Thanks for the reply fx. I guess I'll just have to wait untill next year. I've been searching for the dates the changes have to take affect on the FCC's website but searching their site is like getting a root canal. |
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Bronze Member Username: CabletoolMidwest Post Number: 48 Registered: Jan-06 | -???- The mandate passed back in july 2004? The cablecard mandate you are speaking of is most likely for bi-directional or the phasing out of STB's in favor for downloadable en-decryption. Charter should be providing the cablecard to the customer without issue. |
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fx Unregistered guest | If you have a high speed connection click on my link: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-76A1.pdf It is 37 pages long in an FCC document labeled FCC 05-76. If you don't have time to either download the file or read the entire document here is the pertinent pages and points. Page 4 paragraph 10 shows the deadline to be moved to July 1at 2006 then page 17 paragraph 31 states the new deadline to be July 1st 2007. Within the document it specifies the commission's reasoning FWIW. This entire document is referring to only one way cablecard. In reality there is no FCC mandate for two-way cablecard interactivity or deployment. The two-way card is being developed at the urging of cable companies so they will not lose income from current and future interactive services which the current cablecard technology does not offer. xvxvxvx |
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Silver Member Username: CableguyDeep in the ... U.S. Post Number: 683 Registered: Mar-05 | nicely put fx |
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New member Username: CatskinnerDenton, Tx. Post Number: 1 Registered: Mar-06 | fx: I have read your thread that you posted and although it does mention cablecards I think that it is actualy talking about extending an order for" MVPD's to stop deploying new navigation devices that perform both conditional access functions and other functions in a single intergrated device." In other words cable companies won't be allowed to offer any set top boxes that perform both conditional access and other functions after July 1, 2007. The document is a little confusing because it does mention cable cards (POD'S) several places, both unidirectional and bidirectional, which would make one asume that the exstension apllied to cablecards. However it also mentiona in a couple of places that unidirectional plug and play rules have been adopted and become effective. Pg. 7 # 15. So anyway I wasn't satisfied and did several weeks of searching the FCC's website. I wanted to find the actual rules that apllied to cablecards (POD'S) and see what the rule said. I finally found it. The first link will take you to Radio frequency devices rules. Look at subpart 15.123. It explains what a POD is. The second link is the actual rule that says that they must provide one when requested. Look at part 76.640 I sent this to my local franchising authority. Hopefully this will get me a cable card. The man in charge hasn't responded to my email yet. I'll keep ya'll posted. |
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New member Username: CatskinnerDenton, Tx. Post Number: 2 Registered: Mar-06 | fx: I have read your thread that you posted and although it does mention cablecards I think that it is actualy talking about extending an order for" MVPD's to stop deploying new navigation devices that perform both conditional access functions and other functions in a single intergrated device." In other words cable companies won't be allowed to offer any set top boxes that perform both conditional access and other functions after July 1, 2007. The document is a little confusing because it does mention cable cards (POD'S) several places, both unidirectional and bidirectional, which would make one asume that the exstension apllied to cablecards. However it also mentiona in a couple of places that unidirectional plug and play rules have been adopted and become effective. Pg. 7 # 15. So anyway I wasn't satisfied and did several weeks of searching the FCC's website. I wanted to find the actual rules that apllied to cablecards (POD'S) and see what the rule said. I finally found it. The first link will take you to Radio frequency devices rules. Look at subpart 15.123. It explains what a POD is. The second link is the actual rule that says that they must provide one when requested. Look at part 76.640 I sent this to my local franchising authority. Hopefully this will get me a cable card. The man in charge hasn't responded to my email yet. I'll keep ya'll posted. |
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New member Username: Formerly_fxPost Number: 1 Registered: Mar-06 | Catskinner, Please read Paragraph 76.1207 under waivers. This is what has been granted in my FCC link. "In other words cable companies won't be allowed to offer any set top boxes that perform both conditional access and other functions after July 1, 2007." If you think about it you will realize this is untrue. Of course cable companies will still offer STB's after July 1st, 2007. What the portion of the rules you are focusing on are to allow cable subscribers to purchase their own STB's like Sat customers are able to choose to do already. xvxvxvx |
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New member Username: CatskinnerDenton, Tx. Post Number: 3 Registered: Mar-06 | Scooby Doo, I didn't mean to imply that they wouldn't be able to provide STB's. From what I understand they just will have to provide STB's that seperate security and nonsecurity functions so that other manufacturers can make products such as STB's. Kind of like the phone company. If the phone company told you that you could only use thier provided phones there wouldn't have been so much progress made in telecomunications. I guess I could have worded that a little better I was really just focusing on the fact that the exstension order did not apply to cable cards. The rules for cable cards have already been adopted. |
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New member Username: Formerly_fxPost Number: 4 Registered: Mar-06 | " The rules for cable cards have already been adopted." On that we agree, but we still seem to disagree that the deadline has been extended to 07/01/07 and even after that a cable company may apply for a waiver to the rule from the FCC. It is my understanding that Charter currently has such a waiver. xvxvxvx |
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New member Username: CatskinnerDenton, Tx. Post Number: 4 Registered: Mar-06 | Scooby Doo, fx, xvxvxvx, Yes that is correct I disagree with you that the deadline for cable companies to provide access to a cable card has been extended. I do agree that there is the possibility that I am wrong. I also agree that Charter could possibly have a waiver right now that gives them an out. However, I should know within a couple of days. I contacted the FCC, for a second time, and this time I talked to someone who actually wants to help. She is forwarding my questions to someone that deals with cable rules and regs. She said I should hear something within two or three days. Whether I'm right or wrong I will post it. I hope that I'm not pissing you off. I know that you are very knowledgeable and I have read allot of your threads. I know that you are just trying to help. I don't mean any disrespect and I do appreciate it. |
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New member Username: CatskinnerDenton, Tx. Post Number: 6 Registered: Mar-06 | Good news! The FCC finnaly gave me the info I asked for. The last few weeks I have talked to so many different people: Charter, my local franchise authority and two branches of the FCC. Charter was unresponsive. Lot's of run around. The franchise authority didn't even know what a cable card was or for that matter whether the law required them to provide one. I emailed him the links above and he contacted Charter to see what their explanation was. Never heard from either untill today. Frustrated I called the FCC again. This time I felt like someone actually wanted to help.She forwarded my complaint to a different group of people at the FCC that handled cable regs and that I would here from them within 48hrs. This is the Email I got back. You are receiving this email in response to your inquiry to the FCC. Dear Mr. Catskinner, (changed my name) The FCC's Media Bureau handles cable card issues. Please send your questions directly to them to mbinfo@fcc.gov TSR23 1-888-225-5322 Rep Number : TSR23 |
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New member Username: CatskinnerDenton, Tx. Post Number: 7 Registered: Mar-06 | So of course I was pissed again. I emailed them and never got a response so I sent a final email and copied the FCC too. My reply: Hello, I am trying to get some information on the regulations regarding cable cards. It is my understanding that cable companies must provide and support cable cards also known as POD's to customers when requested. I have made several attempts with the cable company, local franchise authority and the FCC to get an explanation of the regs or more to the point how Charter cable can get around the law in my area but not in another. Am I misunderstanding the law? Like I said, I have tried several times to get my questions answered. I actually sent an E-mail to ya'll two weeks ago and have not gotten a response. I was told that the media bureau handled cable card related issues by the FCC. If this is not the case at least give the courtesy of telling me so. Thankyou. |
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New member Username: CatskinnerDenton, Tx. Post Number: 8 Registered: Mar-06 | They called me the next day to get Charters local number and to let me know they were looking into it. The woman I talked to wouldn't really give me a definate answer as to whether or not they were breaking the law. She wanted to find out their reasoning. Well finally to the good news: It has been about a week since that call and another person from the FCC called me and said that Charter would be contacting me to set up instalation of my cable card. While he was on the phone I asked him about the law and whether or not it was against the law. He said that the regs pertaining to cable cards were in effect and that if they met all the guidelines listed in those regs (large percentage of people serviced,all digital, such and such mghz etc..) then yes they have to provide one. The regs for cable cards of course have to do with DTV but one way POD's (cable cards) are already active. so anyway anyone that's getting the run around on getting a cable card here's what to do: 1. Contact the local frachise authority first. The FCC will ask you if you did this first. 2. If that's no help then email the FCC but at this address: mbinfo@fcc.gov From what I understand they are supposed to contact you within 48 hrs. Each time I contacted the FCC by email or phone, they responded back within 48hrs except for that department so it would be a good idea to copy FCCInfo@fcc.gov When I did that I got a response. Hope this helps and by the way Charter just called and said they were going to their FT. Worth office to pick up my cards and would be contacting me soon to set up installation. |
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Bronze Member Username: Formerly_fxDallas, Tx Post Number: 44 Registered: Mar-06 | That is great news catskinner, you get an A for persistence. I have heard other stories about the FCC being very responsive to their concerns as well. It appears that at least one government agency earns their keep. Also thanks for the clarification on the Cable Card effective date. Now my question is just exactly what the July 2007 extension actually extended??? Again good job, xvxvxvx |