FCC to detail white-spaces spectrum use this month?

The Federal Communications Commission soon could approve rules to open up white-spaces spectrum to commercial use, according to an article in the New York Times. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that freeing up the spectrum could enable entrepreneurs to start billion-dollar businesses. Details of device requirements for the white-spaces spectrum have yet to be announced, but could be spelled out at the commission’s Sept. 23 open meeting.
The FCC in November said it would free up white spaces as an unlicensed use. Like most spectrum issues, white-spaces spectrum, which became available with the transition to digital TV, has been rife with controversy, pitting TV broadcasters and wireless microphone users afraid of interference against high-tech companies like Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Dell Inc. Wireless carriers were in favor of auctioning white spaces spectrum as licensed frequencies. The FCC decision allowed unlicensed devices embedded with spectrum-sensing, geolocation and database-access capabilities in TV white spaces. Spectrum Bridge Inc. has been a leader in showing that white-spaces spectrum can be used without interference.