Media Bureau seeks comment on Charter waiver request

The FCC Media Bureau is seeking comment on a request from Charter Communications for a two-year waiver of commission rules regarding integrated security navigation devices.

The waiver will give the cable operator the opportunity to lease to subscribers integrated set-top boxes that support downloadable security. It is necessary so Charter can complete its transition to an all-digital network that relies on downloadable security.

Charter plans to deploy devices with a chip that in the future will be used for non-integrated downloadable security and traditional integrated security to be used during the two-year transition before the downloadable security is activated. Without the waiver, Charter will be unable to deploy the dual-security devices.

In its waiver request, Charter cited Cablevision, which received a similar waiver.

Comments are due Nov. 30, 2012, and reply comments are due Dec. 10, 2012.