▁continue ▁to ▁receive ▁satellite ▁television ▁( and ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁it ) ▁in ▁two ▁ways : ▁by ▁author izing ▁the ▁desc r amb ling ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁satellite ▁fe eds ▁to ▁the ▁cable ▁television ▁operators , ▁and ▁with ▁new ▁direct ▁broadcast ▁satellite ▁television ▁services ▁using ▁their ▁own ▁sat ell ites . ▁These ▁latter ▁services , ▁which ▁began ▁operating ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s , ▁offer ▁programming ▁similar ▁to ▁cable ▁television . ▁ ▁Dire c TV ▁and ▁D ish ▁Network ▁are ▁the ▁major ▁DB S ▁prov iders ▁in ▁the ▁country , ▁with ▁ 2 0 ▁and ▁ 1 4 ▁million ▁customers ▁respectively ▁. ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁major ▁cable ▁television ▁prov iders ▁are ▁Com cast ▁with ▁ 2 2 ▁million ▁customers , ▁Time ▁Warner ▁C able ▁with ▁ 1 1 ▁million , ▁and ▁C ox ▁Communic ations , ▁Char ter ▁Communic ations , ▁AT & T ▁U - verse ▁and ▁Ver izon ▁F i OS ▁with ▁five ▁to ▁six ▁million ▁each . ▁ ▁Although ▁most ▁networks ▁make ▁view ers ▁pay ▁a ▁fee ▁to ▁receive ▁their ▁programming , ▁some ▁networks ▁broadcast ▁using ▁un enc rypted ▁fe eds . ▁After ▁broadcast ▁television ▁switched ▁to ▁a ▁digital ▁infrastr ucture , ▁new ▁channels ▁became ▁available ▁on ▁un enc rypted ▁sat ell ites ▁to ▁bring ▁more ▁free ▁television ▁to ▁Americans ; ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁are ▁available ▁as ▁a ▁digital ▁sub channel ▁to ▁local ▁broad c aster s , ▁this ▁reason ▁may ▁be ▁for ▁the ▁expensive ▁costs ▁of ▁the ▁D VB - S ▁equipment .