The Federal Communications Commission just voted to end cable companies' control over the set-top box market.

The new rules will mandate that cable companies share necessary information with third-party manufacturers. This would enable other hardware makers to build and sell competitor devices to what the cable companies offer.

Today, most customers have to rent set-top boxes from their cable providers. These uninspiring devices cost the average American household $231 a year in additional charge on their cable bill, according to a Re/code essay by FCC chairman Tom Wheeler arguing for the change.

During arguments before the vote Thursday, Republican-appointed commissioners argued that the rule was irrelevant in a world in which many people get video over the internet. Commissioner Ajit Pai said it would become an unnecessary burden:

Right now we are en route to eliminating the need for a set top box altogether, and apps can turn the iPad or phone into a navigation device ... The commission should be encouraging those efforts. But this proposal would do the opposite. It would divert the industry's energies from app development and toward the slog of complying with the new regulatory scheme for unwanted hardware.

The proposal has faced a strong backlash from the cable industry, which makes $20 billion a year on its rented cable boxes, according to Reuters. Comcast argued in an online post that the new regulations would hurt consumers by making it harder for cable companies to innovate.

At the same time, other companies in the tech market have shown an interest in getting into the set-top box game. Google demonstrated a system for congressional staffers days after Wheeler's announcement that could replace traditional cable boxes — an event cable companies strongly objected to in an email. Apple has also shown an interest in the cable box market in the past.