STENY H. HOYER 
DEMOCRATIC WHIP 
5TH DISTRICT, MARYLAND 
Mr. Thomas Wheeler 
Chairman 
Q:ongrcss of the tlnitcd ~tatcs 
iADusc of Rcprcscntati\lcs 
~ashington, 3B <t 20515 
July 14, 2016 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 121h Street SW 
Washington, DC 20554 
Dear Chairman Wheeler: 
I am writing to express my hope that you and your fellow commissioners can find a consensus 
path forward on the worthwhile goal ofretiring the clunky and costly set-top box. Your "Unlock the Box" 
proposal is commendable for its ambitious and transformative goals. However, concerns have been 
raised--including by many Members of Congress--regarding its practicality and potential unintended 
consequences. Industry has engaged in a constructive way, including their recent "Ditch the Box" 
proposal. I believe common ground can be found. 
I hope you and your staff continue to work towards a solution that will inject some needed 
competition and innovation in the ecosystem, but without increasing the "grave risks of online piracy or 
eroding consumers' right to privacy. In particular, intellectual property rrp1st be respected in a practical 
way. Reasonable accommodations for Americans with disabilities and minority communities must also be 
accounted for. Consumers should be able to access content on a variety of devices. Some level of 
openness should be required to enable innovations like universal search, but consumers should retain 
control of their privacy. And the rules should be flexible and dynamic to reflect the rapidly changing 
environment. 
I thank you for your consideration of this letter, and your consideration of the views of all the 
Members of Congress who h!i!!ve weighed in on this important matter. 
With warmest personal regards, I am 
DEMOCRATIC WHIP OFFICE: 
H-148, THE CAPITOL 
WASHINGTON, DC 20515 
(202) 225-3130 
{202) 226-0663 (FAX) 
http://democraticwhip .house. gov 
Sincerely yours, 
WASHINGTON, DC OFFICE: 
1705 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING 
WASHINGTON, DC 20515 
(202) 225-4131 
(202) 225-4300 (FAX) 
http://www.hoye r. house .gov 
GREENBELT DISTRICT OFFICE: 
U.S. DISTRICT COURT HOUSE 
6500 CHERRYWOOD LANE, SUITE 310 
GREENBELT, MD 20770 
(301)474-0119 
(301) 474-4697 (FAX) 
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ®~11 
WALDORF DISTRICT OFFICE: 
401 PosT OFFICE ROAD, #202 
WALDORF, MD 20602 
(301) 843-1577 
(301) 843-1331 (FAX) 
571