CableCard Set-Tops Top 22.75 Million: NCTA

The 10 biggest U.S. cable operators have deployed more than 22.75 million leased set-top boxes with CableCards since the Federal Communications Commission's integrated set-top ban went into effect in July 2007 -- a rule the cable industry claims has cost more than $1 billion to no discernable effect.

Meanwhile, those same cable operators have deployed approximately 531,000 CableCards for use in retail devices such as TiVo DVRs, according to figures supplied by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association to the Federal Communications Commission. The agency has proposed adding new requirements on MSOs with respect to CableCards, including: "more transparent" billing for CableCards; a simplified installation processes; CableCards that can tune multiple streams; and a streamlined CableCard device-certification process. The NCTA has argued that the integrated set-top ban should be nixed, particularly because the FCC is looking at adopting an "AllVid" requirement applying to all pay-TV providers that would supersede CableCards. However, the group has maintained the industry will continue to support CableCard-based consumer-electronics devices.