Telco Video Is Cable, Says NCTA

[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
In a filing with the FCC Tuesday, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) reiterated its argument that telco video should be treated as a cable video service subject to the same regulation as NCTA's members are bound by. "The 'switched' nature of [SBC's] proposed service does not take it outside of the [FCC's] definition of cable service, which includes 'subscriber interaction...required for the selection or use' of video programming," NCTA argued, "nor does the proposed 'integration' of services to be offered by SBC change the fact that it will be offering cable service as at least one of those services....SBC's potential [incorporation] of IP technology into its system architecture, and its bundling of video with other products, does not alter the regulatory treatment of the underlying video programming service," NCTA said. NCTA points out that if Congress wants to change the regulatory landscape in light of new competition, it is free to do so, but should do so for everybody, not just telcos.
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