Several days after Microsoft chairman Bill Gates jumped into the white spaces debate, the software giant reiterated its commitment to white spaces and called on the Federal Communications Commission to quickly approve rules that would allow for the emerging technology to come to market.
"We're pretty convinced that there's virtually no risk" to digital TV signals posed by white spaces devices, Craig Mundie, Microsoft's chief research and strategy officer, said during a Monday conference call with reporters.
Utilizing white spaces is "a great opportunity for the U.S. not to just develop the technology but lead in its deployment," something that has not been done with broadband deployment, Mundie said.
When TV stations switch from analog to digital signals in February 2009, there will be unused spectrum or white spaces that companies like Microsoft and Google want to use for mobile broadband. Broadcasters, led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), argue that such activity could disrupt TV signals.
White spaces advocates deny that this will occur, and claim that access to white spaces will help speed to the deployment of broadband services. Instead of powering one home like Wi-Fi might do, a white spaces device has the potential to extend broadband capabilities for miles, which could be particularly helpful in underserved, rural areas, according to supporters.
Earlier this year, the FCC kicked off a second round of testing of white spaces devices submitted by Microsoft, Motorola, Philips, and others. The commission's Office of Engineering Technology (OET) recently released a report that gave conditional support to the use of white spaces devices.
The commission is scheduled to vote on the report's recommendations at its November 4 meeting, but broadcasters and white spaces opponents have been pushing the agency to delay that vote. NAB has requested a public comment period of the OET report, which could run between 45 and 60 days.
A comment period would be wholly unnecessary, Mundie said Monday.
"The pressure that's been created largely by the NAB is completely consistent with their positions along the way, and I just don't think there's any reason to request or consider their emergency petition," he said. "This is probably the most open testing proceedings that the FCC has ever done for any type of novel radio system, and one of few where prototypes were brought forth at the expense of corporations, prior to any rulemaking being sought." Next: What Types of Devices?