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FCC waiver enables Puerto Rico's Choice Cable TV to sell HD DVRs

The FCC put a stop on selling non-CableCARD-equipped set-top-boxes in the United States around this time last year, but it did leave open the possibility for small cable carriers and other providers in strange market conditions to sidestep the new rule. Choice Cable TV, which services parts of rural Puerto Rico and the cities of Ponce and Mayaguez, finally received its long-awaited FCC waiver which will enable it to start selling HD DVRs that lack CableCARD support. It's hoping that this will rekindle demand for high-def service and consequently allow it to add more HD content. On a related note, the island's Liberty Cablevision is also applying for a similar waiver, as it argues that the low median annual household income in its service area constitutes a "idiosyncratic factual situation."