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FCC denies Comcast's CableCARD appeal
Chalk another one up for the FCC, as its chairman Kevin Martin slapped down Comcast's waiver to continue deploying specific Motorola, Scientific Atlanta, and Pace Micro Technology set-top boxes right on through the July 1 deadline. Contrary to the wishes of the cable provider, the FCC showed no mercy, and continued to insist that customers should be issued a new digital STB with CableCARD slots as scheduled. The cable provider stated that it would "seek full Commission review," and if that didn't work out, it just might clash with the Federal Communications Commission in court. Comcast claims that the costs to implement such a change, in addition to eventually phasing out all analog transmissions, places an unfair burden on the consumer (of all people), and even proclaimed that the rejection of the waiver would mean that "millions of American consumers won't have the opportunity to enter the age of digital television easily and affordably." Although the ruling has been made, the FCC will very likely be hearing from Comcast again regarding the issue, and also has eight other cable / telecommunications providers to deal with that have filed similar requests, which it probably doesn't think is very Comcastic at all.
