White Space Backers See New Devices in a Year

WASHINGTON(Reuters) – Opening unused U.S. television channels to wirelessdevices, an idea endorsed by communications regulators this week, couldspark development of faster devices with features such ashigh-definition video within a year, backers said on Thursday.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission late on Wednesdayreleased a highly-anticipated report backing the feasibility of openingup "white spaces" — unused pockets of the spectrum. These airwaveswill become available when U.S. broadcasters are required to movecompletely to digital television next year.

"The industry in general is all ready to gear up to put out devicesas soon as possible," said Monisha Ghosh, a researcher at Philips,which is developing products using the technology. "I’d estimate withina year you’d see a fair number of different applications."

Philips, Motorola Inc, Google Inc, and Microsoft Corp are among thecompanies that want the unused spectrum for a new generation ofwireless devices.

Other applications include what some experts call "Wi-Fi onsteroids" — faster, able to go farther, and more effective wirelessnetworking in the home, including high definition video.

However, cable operators, broadcasters and wireless phone companiesoppose such unlicensed use, arguing that it would create interferenceand other technical problems.

The National Association of Broadcasters, which represents the bignetworks like Walt Disney Co’s ABC and General Electric’s NBC, wasstill reviewing the 150-page report and did not have an immediateresponse to the report.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told reporters the report’s findingsconfirm that devices can be developed with limited interference tobroadcast and cable television.

The five-member FCC will consider approving recommendations in the report at its next public meeting on November 4.

"The investment will occur immediately after an order issued by theFCC and it is looked at and people conclude, ‘gee there is anopportunity here to innovate’," said Ed Thomas, a former chief engineerfor the FCC’s Office of Engineering Technology and an adviser tocompanies developing products.

Consumer groups have generally embraced opening the spectrum to unlicensed use, similar to the way Wi-Fi already uses spectrum.

"Rural broadband is an excellent way to get connectivity in placesthat are hard to reach," Ben White, policy director at the consumergroup Free Press. "But it’s much more than that. It will reduce thecost of infrastructure so you can deploy a broadband product that ismuch cheaper."

The FCC engineering report laid out results of several years of datacollection, including field tests on Broadway in New York City and atFedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C.

(Editing by Tim Dobbyn)