Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : General Instrument Corp.'98 (GIC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: md1derful who wrote (578)	5/13/1999 1:40:00 PM
From: louis mason	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 615

"U.S. FCC Seeks Retail Cable Set-Top Box Market WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal regulators Thursday adopted a compromise to speed competition for new high-tech cable boxes, expected to be the gateway to a host of gee-whiz services in coming years including high-speed Internet links, on-demand movies and interactive television. Consumers will gain set-top box choices starting next year, when, instead of being required to pay $2 or $3 a month from their local cable company to lease a box, they will be able to walk into a neighborhood electronics store and purchase their own equipment. Analog boxes generally provide only cable television channels. Cable operators are rapidly converting their networks to digital technology, allowing them to carry far more TV channels and offer new services like Internet access through newer set-top boxes. The multifunctional set-top box of the future has been the focus of recent megadeals among cable and other communications players. Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) agreed to invest $5 billion in AT&T Corp. (NYSE:T -news) to get its Windows CE operating system on more of the boxes that AT&T plans to roll out to millions of its customers in coming years. Leading manufacturers of set-top boxes include Scientific-Atlanta Inc (NYSE:SFA - news) and General Instrument Corp. (NYSE:GIC - news), but other companies could jump into the market if strong demand develops at the retail level. Manufacturers are expected to integrate the boxes into television sets, VCRs and other home electronics devices as well."