FCC set to again test white-spaces devices

The Federal Communications Commission said it will begin field testing prototype TV white-spaces devices next week, a strong signal that agency chairman Kevin Martin remains committed to opening up more airwaves to Wi-Fi and other unlicensed wireless devices if interference to digital broadcast signals can be avoided.
The commission has been conducting lab testing of white-spaces devices over the past 12 months, with results yielding some successes as well as failures. The high-tech sector maintains that testing to date proves that the technology exists to enable low-power white-spaces gadgets to sense and avoid digital TV transmissions, (though there were a handful of glitches.) High-tech companies must also ensure that white-spaces devices do not interfere with wireless microphones and wireless medical telemetry equipment.
“Today’s announcement by the FCC affirms what we have known all along, white-space technology works, and as a result, the FCC continues to move the process forward,” said Jake Ward, spokesman for the Wireless Innovation Alliance. “Given the extensive information gathered by the FCC as well as the work done by the FCC, we expect the FCC to move forward with their final order immediately after this round of testing. Our members stand ready to work with the FCC to resolve any outstanding questions and deliver the benefits of white spaces technologies to consumers.”
Field testing, like lab testing previously, will be open to the public.
The broadcasting industry took a totally different view of white spaces device testing so far.
“NAB has no quarrel with field tests, but based upon multiple failures of unlicensed devices in laboratory testing thus far, we remain highly skeptical that this technology will ever work as advertised,” said Dennis Wharton, executive VP of the National Association of Broadcasters.
An FCC spokesman said Martin would like to approve white-spaces rules before the end of the year if testing shows it can be done without disruption to other services and products. He said the FCC is considering where field testing in sports and entertainment venues will be conducted, with the objective being to assess the impact on wireless microphones.