FCC considering delay of white space vote at NAB's request
In a series of events that's becoming all too reminiscent of the National Association of Broadcasters' attempts to stifle the XM / Sirius merger, the FCC now says that it is considering the NAB's recent last-minute request to delay the forthcoming November 4 vote on authorizing unlicensed white space devices (or WSDs). According to Ars Technica, however, while the FCC is considering the proposal, it's hardly enthused about it, with agency spokesperson Rob Kenny saying that it is "important to note that this proceeding has been open for several years and recently included multiple rounds of testing in the lab and field, which were open to the public and provided all interested parties with ample opportunities to comment and provide input." For its part, the NAB and a consortium of other broadcasters say that the FCC is relying on a "a flawed reading of the OET test results," and that if the vote passses, "WSDs will be let into the broadcast band without the protections that are necessary to prevent widespread interference to television and cable reception." As you might expect, the FCC hasn't yet tipped its hand as to when it might rule on the NAB's request, but if it does get its way, the vote would be delayed 70 days for a public comment cycle, or conceivably longer if the NAB finds another wrench to throw into the works.
[Via CNET News]
