• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, November 3, 2008

The Federal Communications Commission has indicated that it is likely to vote Tuesday to approve the unlicensed use of the white space spectrum for wireless broadband.

But that hasn't stopped TV broadcasters and other opponents of the plan from barraging the agency with last-minute objections arguing that allowing unlicensed devices on vacant radio airwaves will cause interference with TV signals or wireless microphones.

In the last several days, state officials from Louisiana, Nebraska and South Carolina joined the protesters. They argue that allowing the white space spectrum to be used for wireless computing could impair their ability to communicate with residents in emergencies.

"South Carolina citizens have depended on the Emergency Alert System and local broadcasters to warn them about such life-threatening emergencies as severe weather and hazardous material spills to AMBER alerts," John George, chair of the state's emergency communications committee, wrote in an FCC filing. "But if interference from 'white-space devices' degrades television reception our residents and visitors won't be able to depend on local broadcasters for this critical information."

But supporters of the proposal say this scenario is unlikely, arguing that the FCC will not approve specific devices for use without proof that they won't cause interference.

"Of course no one wants public safety communications to be interrupted," said Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press, which backs the proposal. But, Scott added that the FCC is only voting on a blueprint Tuesday, and won't certify specific devices for at least six to 12 months. "There's a perception that we are one day away from having these devices available at Best Buy, when in reality we've just met the proof-of-concept stage," he said.

The FCC released test results last month showing "proof of concept" that the spectrum could be used for wireless computing without interfering with TV or wireless microphones, provided that spectrum sensing and geo-location techniques were deployed.

Backers of the plan, including Google and Microsoft, say 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.

Opponents argue that the government's tests actually showed several instances of interference, and say that more time is needed to study the results. But supporters say the tests showed the concept is solid, which is enough for the FCC to rely on at this point.

"These tests weren't designed to make sure these prototypes protect perfectly," Scott said. "They were designed to demonstrate that the technology is feasible."

To date, dozens of federal lawmakers have asked the FCC to delay a vote on the plan, as have heads of TV networks, Broadway theaters, churches, and musicians--including, most famously, Dolly Parton.

Despite the TV networks' objections, the FCC, which has been considering the proposal for years, appears ready to okay the plan Tuesday. Chair Kevin Martin has endorsed it, and member Robert MacDowell last week said he was "optimistic" that it would pass.

Backers of the plan made their own last-ditch appeals Monday. A coalition of public interest groups including Consumers Union, Free Press and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group argued to lawmakers that allowing unlicensed use of the white space spectrum carries "the potential to help millions of people."

"Opening access to white spaces, while not a panacea for America's myriad broadband concerns, is a major step in the right direction," the advocacy groups wrote in a letter sent to lawmakers Monday. "There is simply no reason for further delay."

The Los Angeles Times weighed in over the weekend with an editorial endorsing the plan, provided the FCC caps signal strength and imposes other limits. "With these kinds of safeguards for existing users of the TV band, wireless innovators should be free to see what they can do with the spaces in between," the Times wrote.