FCC chimes in on 'white space' device from Google, Microsoft and others: it doesn't work

It's hard not to love the promise of the White Space Coalition, which includes players like Google, Microsoft, Dell, Earthlink, HP, Intel and Philips. Those crazy kids want to bring us wireless internet over the "white space" bandwidth in between TV broadcast channels, and we say let 'em. One little problem though, FCC says the concept doesn't work. The prototype that the Coalition submitted for review was designed to sense existing TV signals and transmit around them, but the FCC found it inconsistent in this aim, and won't be giving its stamp approval to a device that interferes with existing broadcasts. The FCC does say that it's open to looking at the next generation of the technology, since better performance is certainly possible, and the White Space Coalition wasn't too downhearted: the group is "encouraged that FCC engineers did not find fault with our operating parameters and remain confident that unlicensed television spectrum can be used without interference." Between this fledgling technology and that upcoming 700MHz auction, things are really looking up for WiFi-jilted mobile internet users across the States.

[Andir3.0 @ Aug 7th 2007 12:57PM]

Yet GSM is still in operation throughout the US... I cringe every time I hear speakers crackle or the phone crackling on a conference call and someone on the other end is getting a phone call.

I guess its a good thing that they are cracking down on interference before it hits market this time.

[Dave @ Aug 7th 2007 1:24PM]

The pops are more annoying when a GSM blackberry is used as every calendar update and email causes a broadcast. Although it can be fun to as a user what the email is about a second before the phone actually vibrates.

[Brian @ Aug 7th 2007 4:29PM]

Isn't the "whitespace" going away in 2009 when analog TV shuts down?

[Andrew @ Aug 9th 2007 1:18PM]

To Brian, no, analog TV shutting down is going to create more whitespace.

[mat goebel @ Aug 14th 2007 1:00AM]

The often overlooked part of this entire issue is that the "white"space between broadcasting stations is actually already in use.

Wireless microphone, intercoms, and monitoring systems operate in this spectrum. They are the backbone for all live concerts, sporting events, product releases, political caucuses, etc.

The joke will be on these corporations when they can't use wireless microphones at their own product release because the product interferes with wireless microphone operation!