• Marketwatch, Thursday, January 24, 2008 12:15 PM

Google and Microsoft Corp. have long been after the so-called "white spaces" that exist between the spectrum channels mobile wireless carriers license from the Federal Communications Commission. The Web giants believe that broader Internet access can be obtained from the unlicensed spectrum, but wireless operators like Sprint and T-Mobile have vehemently opposed the idea, worrying that the use of white spaces could compromise the quality of voice and data communication over their licensed networks.

On Tuesday, Google asked the FCC to ignore opposition from the wireless carriers. The search giant, which has recently entered the mobile wireless market as a software developer, wants the organization to allow unlicensed mobile devices to run over the white spaces. Google argues such a use would not cause network interference.

Earlier, Sprint and T-Mobile suggested that the white spaces be used for the data transfer needs of their own mobile networks. Google contends that that is "not the most efficient, or even marginal, use of the white spaces." Meanwhile, the FCC will soon begin a new round of testing of white spaces. Previous tests returned sub-par results.

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