FCC to Comcast: Get Moving on CableCARD

The FCC has told cable companies to get moving in supporting CableCARD technology, rejecting a bid Wednesday by Comcast to receive more time to implement the platform in set-top boxes it provides by July.

Speaking at CES in Las Vegas, chairman Kevin Martin chastised the cable industry for dragging its feet in offering the technology, and said its advent would lead to new options for consumers in viewing cable television.

Instead of renting boxes from the cable providers, long a cash cow for companies like Comcast, devices would be able to be shipped from the factory "cable ready" for today's digital cable networks. Additionally, boxes would be able to be sold at retail.

Comcast has vowed to appeal the decision. The company says the FCC policy carries no benefit for consumers, and may cause rates to increase as much as $2 to $3 per month. While smaller operators would have more time to comply, the bigger providers would be required to comply by the July deadline.

The technology is more than a decade late. Congress passed laws in the mid-1990s saying that cable companies were to come up with technology that would allow consumers to plug cable lines directly into televisions to receive advanced services.

However, the cable industry won repeated delays, and only in the past few years has CableCARD technology been offered as a solution. While the first implementation did not support the advanced features, newer versions do.