DCT Redux: Moto Moving Forward With Industry's Set-Top Transition

Motorola is taking orders for the DCT-700 in the US after Nov 15—there’s just no guarantee operators will be able to get them (Cfax, 11/21). The vendor is preparing for an FCC deadline of July 1 that will prevent US operators from deploying the 700 and other boxes that don’t contain a CableCARD or some sort of separate security. Motorola informed all US MSOs in a letter last month that orders received after Nov 15 "will place continued pressure on supply capabilities and will not allow us to guarantee product availability." Larry Robinson, Moto’s sr dir, digital video solutions product mgmt, says not to take the date as D-Day for the cost effective, low-end DCT-700 in the US. "We’ve been working with out customers for several months to make sure they’re ready to go" for the July 1 deadline, he said. "That’s one piece of an ongoing dialogue. … We’re definitely in the position to support the industry." NCTC confirmed that Moto has been open in communicating these issues, with the 2 working together to promote Webinars and live seminars on the separable security issue. The Nov 15 date serves as a reminder that the FCC has still not acted on a growing list of set-top waiver requests, several of which are many months old, forcing the industry to continue forward with transition plans to costlier boxes. (Motorola has supported the industry’s request to have certain low-end boxes exempted from the July 1 embedded security deadline) What would happen if the FCC suddenly decided to grant the waivers at this late date? "A late change would create challenges for the industry because it’s a quick shift back," Robinson said. "But that said, I think we’re in a position to go whatever direction the FCC drives us [and] ultimately what direction our customers need us to go." Meanwhile, Moto will continue manufacturing the box for customers outside the US.