NAB rags on ‘unrealized benefits of these theoretical, unproven devices’ in white spaces

The National Association of Broadcasters warned Congress that allowing unlicensed wireless operations in vacant television spectrum could jeopardize the transition to digital TV, continuing the highly charged debate with tech companies over a proposal to expand Wi-Fi into white spaces.
“For more than a year, these companies have tried to convince the Federal Communications Commission and members of Congress that they can make devices that will not cause interference to broadcasters, wireless microphone users and other parties that currently use this spectrum,” said NAB President David Rehr in a letter to lawmakers. “Unfortunately, based upon the results of FCC testing to date, their technical prowess does not match their rhetoric.”
Microsoft Corp. white-spaces devices have had glitches in FCC laboratory testing, though gear submitted by other companies has fared better insofar as sensing broadcast signals to avoid interference with them.
“They would rather you focus on the unrealized benefits of these theoretical, unproven devices rather than the legitimate interference these devices cause to televisions and wireless microphones,” Rehr said.
Some wireless carriers say white spaces could be deployed for wireless backhaul.
Meantime, the Wireless Innovation Alliance – a pro-white-spaces group – said Motorola Inc. has become a member. Motorola has developed a white-spaces solution – one embraced by Google Inc. – that combines a geo-location database of incumbent users with radio sensing and beacon technologies. The WIA said Motorola has successfully demonstrated its white-spaces approach in a variety of conditions, including in the presence of strong adjacent channel signals.