Cable companies have long been required to offer unencrypted (unscrambled) versions of basic broadcast channels, including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS and local public-access channels to their subscribers. This was ideal for people who subscribe to basic cable packages and do not wish to pay rental fees for a set-top box.
The FCC decision declaring that cable companies are no longer mandated to provide these in-the-clear channels means as cable companies begin to encrypt these channels, cable subscribers will now need a set-top box or CableCARD for every room in which they want cable making it impossible to watch TV without such a device.