FCC starts white space testing this month

Later this week, the FCC will launch a four- to six-week test of white-space devices to take advantage of unused spectrum, PC Magazine says. After the lab test, the agency will conduct field tests "at a variety of locations to provide information on the performance of the devices under real world conditions."

The White Space Consortium wants to take advantage of the spaces that will be left between digital channels after TV broadcasters abandon their analog spectrum. Broadcasters are vehemently opposed to the idea, however.

"We are not opposed to new technology; however, given the failing grade performance and incomplete implementation of the devices submitted in the first round of tests, we have a high degree of skepticism whether tests of these devices will demonstrate that a practical service using portable devices can be introduced without jeopardizing DTV service," Dennis Wharton, NAB's executive vice president of media relations, said in a Friday statement.

This summer, white space got a setback when Microsoft provided the FCC with a defective unit, resulting in an initial rejection by a FCC engineering analysis. Now that that's been sorted out, it looks like the FCC is now taking the first steps towards forward movement.