OTI Statement on the “Unlock the Box” Delay

Today the Federal Communications Commission postponed a planned vote on the “Unlock the Box” proposal, which aims to end the cable industry’s stranglehold on the set-top box market. “Unlock the Box” has the strong support of President Obama, editorial boards, and New America’s Open Technology Institute. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, whose nomination for a second term is being blocked by Senate Republicans, was widely seen as the swing vote on the proposal.

The following statement can be attributed to Joshua Stager, policy counsel for New America’s Open Technology Institute:

“We are disappointed by today’s delay. Congress directed the FCC to end the set-top box monopoly in 1996, and consumers have been waiting ever since. We recognize the desire to get these reforms right, but consumers can’t afford to wait another two decades. The FCC must move swiftly and Congress should not stand in its way.”