Why DC Lobbyists Fear 'White Spaces'

What if I told you we could use empty TV channels to connect millions of people to the Internet?

The technology exists to do just that. But a powerful corporate lobby is standing in the way with a multimillion-dollar misinformation campaign aimed at Congress and the Federal Communications Commission.

This month and next Washington will face a critical choice: Use new technology to open the Internet for everyone, or side with the lobbyists and prevent millions from getting connected.

This latest front in the battle over the future of the Internet is about "white spaces" -- empty frequencies between TV channels on the public airwaves.

If you remember the days of rabbit ears on your set, white spaces are the static between the network channels as you turned the dial.

New technology can open this unused spectrum to powerful high-speed Internet services -- sending open and ubiquitous broadband signals over mountains and through buildings, potentially connecting tens of millions of Americans now left off the grid.

Washington Smoke Screens

Here's the problem: The National Association of Broadcasters and cell phone companies want to hoard this publicly owned resource. Their lobbyists have been blitzing Washington with misinformation to prevent white spaces from being used to benefit millions of people.

Unfortunately, many key decision makers simply lack the bandwidth to look into white spaces technology and decide for themselves. Instead they rely upon the lobbyists who come knocking with lies and spin meant to paint this technology as a danger to mankind.

But broadcasters are simply blowing smoke to protect their FCC granted broadcast fiefdoms. As a result, we're being kept from using airwaves that could help fill one of the biggest holes in our national infrastructure.

Spanning the Divide

Too many Americans have been left on the wrong side of the digital divide -- sidelined in a nation that increasingly demands high-speed Internet access to get things done, keep up in school and find out what's happening in the world. The answer to this problem is right in front of us.

This week tens of thousands of people have signed a letter urging Congress and the FCC to skewer the industry spin and serve the public by opening white spaces to unlicensed, high speed Internet services.

Members of the Wireless Innovation Alliance (including Free Press) have declared this Wednesday "White Spaces Day." We will bring your letters to the Hill and deliver them to your member of Congress.

Unless we urge Congress and the FCC to push back against industry and open up white spaces, Washington could side with the lobbyists and deny us one of our last, best opportunities to build a better Internet.

It's a familiar story. Big media companies use any means possible to squash new ideas that threaten their control over information.

It's time we changed that status quo and opened up white spaces for everyone.

Follow Timothy Karr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TimKarr

Comments

[LinearBob]

05:30 PM on 09/24/2008

This post is in two parts, to fit the 250 word comment maximum. This is part 2 of 2.

Now add nearby transmitte­rs in the "white spaces" between existing DTV stations. Although "white space" transmitte­rs are low power devices, the signals from them will still be many times stronger than over the air DTV signals because of the Inverse Square Law. The Inverse Square Law is High School Physics. Now add the attenuatio­n a DTV signal experience­s passing through walls on its way to your "Rabbit Ears". You are likely to experience an interestin­g problem, for which I see no solution, called Brute Force Overload, or BFO.

This Brute Force Overload problem is the reason turning loose a bunch of unlicensed "white space" devices is likely to damage over the air TV reception. Once there are a bunch of unlicensed "white space" devices transmitti­ng in your neighborho­od, how would you locate the source of the interferen­ce that prevents you from watching an over the air DTV signal? THIS is the reason the broadcast industry is fighting to delay the use "white space" devices until AFTER the transition to DTV has taken place.

I do not think anyone will be able to put the BFO Genie back into the bottle, once it has been turned loose by a proliferat­ion of unlicensed "white space" devices. As I said before, How anxious are you to force everyone to pay the likes of Comcast several dollars a day FOREVER, to watch "free" TV?

[LinearBob]

05:28 PM on 09/24/2008

This post is in two parts, to fit the 250 word comment maximum. This is part 1 of 2.

How anxious are you to force everyone to pay the likes of Comcast or DISH Network several dollars everyday FOREVER, just to watch "free" over the air TV? You don't think being forced to pay for Cable or satellite TV just to watch "free"TV is in your future? THINK AGAIN!!!

The FCC made a number assumption­s when they planned our digital TV broadcast system. They assumed:

1) the viewer would have an OUTDOOR, directiona­l TV antenna
2) located 30 feet above the ground
3) with a rotator
4) and a mast mounted signal amplifier.

Do you know many people able to put up such an antenna system? I don't. Most of the people I know live in apartments or condo complexes and they are prohibited from putting up ANY outdoor TV antennas. Until quite recently, few DTV sets had tuners sensitive enough to receive more than 1 or 2 DTV signals with an indoor "Rabbit Ear" style antenna of any kind.

[CaptainStormfield]

10:51 AM on 09/24/2008

Wow.. is this like Wi Max?

[Sciguy]

01:31 PM on 09/23/2008

Wow! I had no idea this was possible. Thanks for the info! As one of those who has a slow and expen$ive connection­, I'd love to see this happen.

[tompoe]

12:04 PM on 09/23/2008

Good post. Might be worth reminding readers the lobbyists represent corporate media, publishers­, telcos, cablecos, and others that want to control what we see, hear, and read.

[thecanadian]

02:17 PM on 09/24/2008

Oh yes tompoe! McCain Lobbyist prevail and have for years. Check out the McCain Lobbyist connected to your post above. They are everywhere - prepared to be shocked and share link
Time to expose

http://www­.mccainslo­bbyists.co­m