Technologie i telekomunikacja · 10/15/2004

Telecommunications Services Inside Wiring, Customer Premises Equipment and Implementation of the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992: Cable Home Wiring

In this document, the Commission addresses an amendment to a Note in its rules to include wiring behind sheet rock as an example, along with wiring located behind brick, metal conduit or cinder blocks, as wiring considered to be "physically inaccessible" as that term is used regarding the Commission's cable television inside wiring rules. The consequence of that conclusion is to move the point at which a competing multichannel video programming distributor ("MVPD") can gain access to wiring located behind sheet rock closer to the incumbent cable operator's junction box, thereby facilitating competition between MVPD providers to serve an MDU. The Court of Appeals found that the Commission offered no reasoned basis for the amendment to add sheet rock and remanded the case back to the Commission for further consideration. This document seeks additional comment from interested parties regarding the Commission's conclusion that cable wiring located behind sheet rock is "physically inaccessible" as that term is used in our rules.