As we've discussed for years, the CableCARD has struggled to see adoption, with incompetent regulators certainly playing a starring role in the saga. Cable operators deserve their fair share of the blame as well. To protect set top box rental revenues, operators rarely advertised the technology and made installations frequently nightmarish and expensive. When sub-par CableCARD adoption stats emerged annually, the cable industry then just shrugged and incorrectly insisted consumers weren't interested.

Last October the FCC passed new rules (pdf) aimed at fixing some of the dysfunction in the CableCARD world. Part of those rules involved ensuring that cable operators provide interested users with a self-installation option -- if that company allows users to install their own broadband line. The rules also required that cable companies provide a credit to customers who have a CableCARD installed in a customer owned device, and if the customer subscribes to a Comcast video service which includes equipment as a part of the service.

An insider at Comcast tells us Comcast will soon provide self-install option for CableCARDs, and is preparing to issue credits. According to internal Comcast documents obtained by Broadband Reports, users interested in self-installing CableCARDs will be able to obtain a self-install kit starting on August 1. However, interested users won't be mailed the kits, and will have to visit a Comcast service center to obtain one. Credits will begin showing up on existing CableCARD users bills starting with the July billing cycle. Credits will vary by region and in-home setup.

Some of this reform may come a bit too late. A far more contentious debate awaits as the FCC begins to pursue their AllVid initiative, which as we discussed last year is aimed at creating an open, broadband-powered competitive set top market with cross-carrier compatibility. Granted there's an ocean of meetings, public commenting periods and a lobbying gauntlet this effort will have to wade through before we see the end result.