Big Cable Operators Deployed Just 5,000 Standalone CableCards In Last Three Months

The 10 largest US cable operators have deployed only 536,000 standalone CableCards to date -- and only 5,000 in the last three months -- compared with more than 25 million CableCard-enabled set-tops since July 2007, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association said in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC has acknowledged the CableCard rule, which forces cable operators to use the cards in their own set-tops, hasn't achieved the aim of fostering a competitive market in cable TV navigation devices at retail. In October, the agency voted unanimously to change the CableCard rules in the hopes of improving their adoption, including requiring the option of consumer self-installation of the cards and giving consumers information on the cost of retail vs. leased boxes.