Broadcasters Working To Mitigate White Spaces Decision
Broadcasters have been working to mitigate an expected final decision by the FCC at a meeting later this month on a proposal to allow unused parts of television spectrum known as white spaces to be used for wireless broadband and other advanced Wi-Fi technologies.
The FCC announced Thursday that it would vote on taking final action on the white spaces proposal at its Sept. 23 meeting. The National Association of Broadcasters and the Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV), a group that focuses on engineering and technical issues related to television, have been urging the FCC to ensure the proposal will not lead to intereference with broadcast television. In 2009, NAB and MSTV filed a lawsuit, which is still pending, to block the FCC's whitespaces proposal.
While the NAB declined to comment on the FCC's decision to act on the white spaces issue at its next meeting, NAB and MSTV urged the commission in letters last month not to eliminate "spectrum sensing protections" as requested by some device manufacturers.
"We urge the commission to adhere to its decision that spectrum sensing is a necessary companion to the geolocation/database requirement," lawyers for the groups wrote in an Aug. 12 filing with the FCC. "The two together are essential to achieving the commission's stated goal of avoiding harmful interference to the public's television service."
The FCC's decision to take final action on the white space issue was praised by Microsoft and others. "If the FCC adopts the right policy framework interesting user experiences can emerge," Microsoft Regulatory Affairs Counsel Paula Boyd wrote in a blog post early Friday. "TV white spaces can facilitate the emerging 'Internet of Things' in which devices in the home and office share data more seamlessly."
Public Knowledge Legal Director Harold Feld said the FCC's move was an important step in helping to meet the growing demand for wireless broadband and in promoting what he and others describe as "Wi-Fi on steroids."
"The FCC's decision will also unleash millions of dollars in investment that will create new jobs and help American maintain its technology edge in wireless," Feld added in a statement.
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