San Bruno Cable will put 2 Motorola DCT-700 digital cable set-top...

San Bruno wants a 2-year “expedited” CableCARD waiver on the DCT- 700 so it can convert customers to an all-digital network within 3 years, it said. “Our transition to an all-digital network will free up bandwidth for additional services, including more high definition channels, more specialty channels, higher internet bandwidth and more,” San Bruno said. Without a waiver, “we will have no choice but to purchase and deploy digital set-tops that cost significantly more with no discernible benefit to our customers,” it said: “This will derail our digital simulcast plans and push our transition date back several years at least.” CEA will oppose San Bruno’s waiver request and “will have more to say” about it “when we file our response,” a spokesman told us. The DTV transition “is vitally important to all American consumers, and the cable monopolies should not try to hold that transition hostage to their self-interested push to maintain an equipment monopoly,” he said.