Ahead of a Dec. 1 FCC deadline for a cable progress report on dep...
Ahead of a Dec. 1 FCC deadline for a cable progress report on deployment of downloadable security for set-top boxes, Comcast told the Commission in an ex parte filing progress is being made in development of downloadable conditional access.…
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Comcast, Motorola, Nagravision and Scientific-Atlanta representatives met July 15 with officials from the FCC’s Media Bureau and Office of Engineering & Technology, the filing said. “These companies all successfully demonstrated their ability to download their respective conditional access systems over a cable system to set-top boxes” not equipped with embedded security, the filing said. In the demonstrations, each used its own “differentiated” headend equipment to download “entitlement management messages” allowing customers access to “individually authorized” levels of service, Comcast said. “Additional work is in progress to enable conditional access systems to be downloaded to a variety of set-top boxes and to consumer electronics products in this manner,” it said. Under a March 17 Commission order, cable’s progress report must discuss the feasibility of downloadable security and a proposed “timeline for deployment.” If the report finds downloadable security feasible, cable must commit to deploy it in its own set-tops and those to be sold at retail, the order says. The report must determine whether such security can be realized by July 1, 2007, and if not, propose a new deadline.