AT&T, BellSouth, Verizon and the Consumer Electronics Association announced March 15 a series of principles designed to ensure the commercial availability of devices that attach to Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled video networks.
The principles for the attachment of devices to IP-enabled video service provider networks are intended to give consumers the flexibility they will need to attach a variety of consumer electronic devices to video service networks and their own home networks.
The principles, laid out at the Consumer Electronics Association’s Entertainment Technology Policy in Washington, D.C., include:
- Nationwide compatibility to enable consumer electronics manufacturers to develop devices that will operate nationwide on IP-enabled video service networks.
- Open standards are critical so that consumer electronics manufacturers can play a role in the development of technologies necessary to build compatible devices.
- Reasonable licensing terms. To the extent that there are proprietary aspects to IP-enabled video service networks, reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing terms should be available.
- Reasonable testing and certification procedures should be established so consumer electronics manufacturers and IP-enabled video service providers can obtain necessary approvals for products and can bring products to market in a timely manner.
- Reasonable terms of service should allow consumers to choose among various consumer electronics products to access video services.
For more information, visit www.ce.org.
