Comcast will charge subscribers to use their Roku as a cable box

Comcast announced yesterday that it’s starting a beta program for people who want to try using their Roku in place of a cable box. But what it didn’t state very loudly is that, once the beta program ends, it’s going to start charging.

As spotted by Variety, a Comcast support page notes that charges will be put into place at the conclusion of the beta. At that point, people using the beta will have to decide whether they want to continue using the device and pay up.

This isn’t exactly a new practice for Comcast. It already charges subscribers $9.95 per month to rent a cable box, and it even charges a $7.45 per month “additional outlet” fee when you supply a box of your own, according to Variety.

Comcast is yet to say what it’ll charge Roku users.

This is a great example of why cable providers have been so opposed to the FCC’s attempts to overhaul the cable box market. The commission’s plans would have taken control over TV streams away from providers and let customers do what they want with them — the most recent version of the plan would have even required a free-to-use Roku app.

The cable box overhaul is almost certainly not going to happen now that Democrats have lost control of the FCC, which means Comcast is free to continue adding fees for using your own equipment.

Disclosure: Comcast is an investor in Vox Media, The Verge’s parent company.

The article was published on : theverge