CCIA Launches ConsumerTVChoice.net to Promote Competition and Consumer Choice

Today CCIA launched ConsumerTVChoice.net, a new site to promote competition and choice in the TV set-top box marketplace, and to encourage consumer advocacy around this issue.

While CCIA has supported Congress’s renewal of STELA, which expires at the end of the year, CCIA has denounced attempts by some lawmakers to add anticompetitive provisions into STELA that would undermine the FCC’s statutory consumer protection mandates regarding open standards for electronic boxes that can access both your cable programming and online video.

This issue is consistent with CCIA’s mission at its founding more than 40 years ago – to raise awareness when incumbent companies try to snuff out competition and innovation.  From fighting for the ability of third party developers to write independent software for IBM mainframes, to championing the right of consumers to plug non-AT&T devices into their wall jacks, battles CCIA has supported have been critical to the thriving tech industry we have today.  The mainframe battle paved the way for the entire software industry and rise of Silicon Valley.  The third party device issue resolution resulted in innovations like the first cordless phones, answering machines, fax machines, computer modems and game consoles.

While it’s impossible to fully predict what further innovations could result from consumers having more freedom to watch content on the device of their choice, it is clear that Big Cable is resisting change even while more efficient methods of accessing TV and other content are emerging.  The hope in launching this website is to help consumers understand that ability to choose is at risk in Congress right now so they can make their views known before it’s too late.  Consumers will be the losers if dominant businesses can legislate challengers out of the game.