NCTC to lift membership moratorium, but are telcos eligible?

Today, three years after the moratorium, the landscape for TV providers in the United States has changed significantly. It is getting more difficult for the NCTC to ignore the telecom side of business, Arnason said. Joining forces could ultimately help both the cable and satellite companies in overall subscriber additions if they combine their bases. However, even if the NCTC does welcome telcos next year, it is unlikely that there will be a mass exodus of former NRTC members flocking to the NCTC, he said. Telcos today have other options for content aggregators as well, including some less-known consortiums like TeleChannel and the National Telco TV Consortium.

“I think that small rural telcos are like any other business; they are going to evaluate all options, and they are going to choose the provider that they think gives them the best value,” Arnason said. “It is possible that some companies will look at the value that the NCTC provides and decide it’s the best for them, but I think there are obviously benefits that NRTC and other content aggregators like Telechannel can provide as well.”

There will be no clear line in the sand, Arnason added; many telcos will think twice about cozying up with cable competitors, but the cable companies won’t likely be keen on the idea either. Of course, this will depend on whether or not the NCTC actually lets telcos in – in policy or in practice.

Information regarding the NCTC, as well as the membership moratorium, on the NCTC’s Web site has remained unchanged since July, but the spokesperson said this will be updated as the NCTC completes its new policies and procedures.