Puerto Rican cable operator Choice Cable TV would like a little more time before it must deploy set-tops with CableCARD integrated security. The operator is seeking an FCC waiver to extend the Aug. 24 deadline by "at least" three years.
The service provider claims that there doesn't appear to be much demand for devices that use CableCARDs since it operates in "very low-income markets," according to a story in Multichannel News. Frequent power outages, which damage equipment, also lead to reticence to invest in pricier devices, it continued.
"As a result of these very different conditions, Choice has decided not to purchase any CableCARD HD or DVR devices and thus became unable to offer HD or DVRs to additional customers without a waiver from the integration ban," the MVPD said, according to the story.
Numbers-wise, Choice said that only 0.05 percent of its customers choose to use retail CableCARD devices.
For more:
- Multichannel News has this story
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