• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, October 29, 2008

Despite increasing pressure to delay a vote on the unlicensed use of the white space spectrum for broadband, the Federal Communications Commission intends to proceed on Tuesday. Furthermore, at least one commissioner thinks the measure will succeed.

"I'm very optimistic. I think this could be a 5-to-0 vote," FCC member Robert McDowell said, according to Reuters.

The proposal, backed by FCC chair Kevin Martin, would allow companies to use vacant radio airwaves between TV stations for wireless broadband.

A wide range of groups and lawmakers have expressed opinions about the proposal, both pro and con, to the FCC. Among the latest to get involved is Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), who urged the FCC to consider whether allowing unlicensed use of white spaces would interfere with television networks and other users of the spectrum.

Microsoft and Google support the proposal, as do broadband access advocates like Free Press. They argue that it will lead to greater broadband availability because radio waves are powerful enough to transmit signals through walls and across large swaths of space.

But TV broadcasters, live performers and other users of the radio airwaves oppose it. The TV broadcasters say they fear that wireless broadband on the spectrum could interfere with television signals. Broadway theaters, musicians and other current wireless microphone users say their performances could suffer sound outages if the plan goes through.

Clinton this week joined the ranks of those questioning the agency about the wisdom of the proposal. While she did not specifically request that the vote be delayed, she urged the commissioners to address "legitimate questions" about recent testing.

"Given the indispensable role that wireless technologies have for New York's industries--whether they are wireless microphones for our Broadway performers or for the players and coaches of the Buffalo bills, New York Jets and Super Bowl Champion New York Giants--I believe that these interference questions should be addressed first," she wrote.

The FCC said two weeks ago that testing showed that white spaces could be harnessed without interfering with TV or wireless microphones, provided that spectrum-sensing and geo-location technologies were used. But TV broadcasters and others have questioned the FCC's interpretation of the tests.

As of Wednesday, more than three dozen lawmakers had chimed in on both sides of the issue, as did entertainers like Dolly Parton, who opposes the plan, and technology experts like Bill Gates, who supports it.