Opening Up the White Space

While today - Tuesday, November 4, 2008 – will be notable for the results of a historic Presidential election, it has also been marked by an important Federal Communications Commission ruling that is likely to make affordable wireless Internet access available to millions who don’t have it now.

Late this afternoon, the commission unanimously approved the use of broadband wireless devices in the “white space” radio spectrum that will be freed up when U.S. television broadcasters switch from analog to digital transmission in February 2009. 

In announcing the decision, FCC Chairman Richard Martin said:

Opening the white spaces will allow for the creation of a WiFi on steroids. It has the potential to improve wireless broadband connectivity and inspire an ever-widening array of new Internet based products and services for consumers.   Consumers across the country will have access to devices and services that they may have only dreamed about before.   I fully expect that everything from enhanced home broadband networks, to intelligent peer-to-peer devices, and even small communications networks will come into being in TV “white spaces.”

Proponents have argued that making the white space spectrum available for digital devices will help close the digital divide by providing Internet access to many who don’t have it now, particularly those in rural areas, where more than 75 percent of TV airwaves are unused.  

A coalition composed of broadcasters, performers (including Dolly Parton and Guns N’ Roses) and those who work in sports, churches, and the theater had lobbied heavily against white space use, arguing that it could potentially interfere with current broadcast transmissions.

The FCC decision relied on an 18-month study by its Office of Engineering and Technology which found that white spaces could be used without harming adjacent TV signals.

White space advocates – including Google and Microsoft - argued that the new spectrum is a technology leap over current versions of Wi-Fi; experts say white space spectrum can carry a signal that penetrates buildings and heavy foliage and that travels great distances.  The first white-spaces devices could appear on the market within 18 to 24 months.

FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said:

Wireless devices have become a central part of many of our lives.  As the market continues to expand, so too does our need for spectrum and infrastructure that can meet the rising demands.  Our job as a Commission is to pack as much data as possible over the public spectrum without causing harmful interference.  Unlicensed spectrum holds by far the most promise for maximizing the use of white spaces.  Our balanced approach in this order provides the flexibility and low barriers to entry needed to provide an opportunity for everyone to make the best use of this under-used spectrum.  It also implements safeguards to protect those that already make valuable use of the spectrum.

In its final days, the white space debate focused on a variety of technical questions – but in most respects, the more important backdrop discussion involved economics. Google’s general counsel, Richard Whitt, has argued that white spaces are a way of fostering competition in the wireless arena.  Broadcasters and wireless operators have argued that eliminating white space restrictions would be a giveaway to hardware manufacturers – such as Hewlett-Packard and Motorola - and companies like Google and Microsoft, who would benefit from increased usage and advertising on the web.

The FCC’s Martin said the Commission “will closely oversee and monitor the introduction of TV white space devices” and “will act promptly to remove from the market any equipment found to be causing harmful interference and will require the responsible parties to take appropriate actions to remedy any interference that may occur.”