Pressure ounting in white space debate

By Sue Marek Comment | Forward Lobbyists are getting Capitol Hill involved in the white space debate. Earlier this week eight members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin asking the FCC to adopt rules governing white space spectrum within the next 90 days so that the spectrum can be used to establish low-cost broadband connectivity in rural areas and across the country. And just last week Representatives Anna Eshoo and Edward Markey wrote a similar letter to Martin, warning him that wireless carriers are "seeking unnecessary and unprecedented testing delays to prevent new innovative competitors from entering the market." The FCC is wrapping up tests of prototype devices that access unused television airwaves, called "white spaces," to see if they will interfere with television broadcasts. Companies such as Google and Microsoft want to use this spectrum to develop new mobile communications devices. However, the initiative has raised the ire of the National Association of Broadcasters, which argues that "white space" devices may interfere with existing television broadcasts.