• USA Today , Thursday, February 1, 2007 10:45 AM

In a surprisingly progressive turn of events, the Federal Communications Commission could be on track to open up the cable TV and telecom industries. On the mobile phone side, FCC chairman Kevin Martin appears to be in favor of allowing cell phones to work with any wireless carrier in the same way a landline telephone works no matter what company you use. Such wireless handset neutrality would likely result in lower prices.

On the cable side, the proposed change would unbundle the cable companies' software to allow anyone from TiVo to Google access to Comcast or Time Warner Cable's network. Cue incredible innovation and lower prices for consumers.

And cue Google, Microsoft and Apple's aggressive entrance into TV--either on their own or through partnerships with the cable providers. Not only are the Web's giants dying to offer TV and Internet services together, they want to bring the Web's ad measurement technology to TV.

Currently, cable companies have special dispensation from the FCC to maintain dominion over the hardware that accesses their networks, but that runs out July 1, and Martin says he doesn't want them to get another extension. This would certainly kill their "triple-play" business.

Read the whole story at USA Today »