NY Times
ON Feb. 17, 2009, all broadcast television stations will end their analog transmissions and shift to digital signals. This is a complex process that involves spending billions of dollars to build new towers and antennas and to subsidize converter boxes for consumers who don’t have digital TVs.
In all this planning and spending on the transition to digital transmission, however, we have yet to address the question of “white spaces.” White spaces are the intervals between television channel frequencies to ensure that TV reception is not interrupted by other signals.
The usefulness of these white spaces is about to be compromised by a proposal before the Federal Communications Commission by some of the nation’s largest technology companies. Microsoft, Google and others are asking permission to use white spaces — free of charge — for millions of unregulated and unlicensed devices for personal networking systems that they would like to sell, including P.D.A.’s, wireless broadband devices and even toys.
These devices could disrupt the new digital TV signals that government and industry have spent so much time and money to promote.
In my district, which includes New York’s theater district, performers use wireless microphones on these “unused” frequencies, as do news crews conducting live interviews on the street. Every major sports franchise relies on these channels for in-game communications and sideline interviews. And in rural areas, white spaces are often used for broadband access.
Unlicensed devices, like wireless laptops and remote-controlled toys, operating in the white spaces will probably cause havoc to TV viewers, theater goers and sports fans. They could potentially render digital television sets and the government-subsidized converter boxes inoperable. Low-income households, the elderly and people living in multifamily buildings who don’t have cable service and rely on antenna systems could be prevented from watching their favorite programs and from receiving important emergency information — nationwide, that’s 45 million to 60 million people.
Unlicensed-device advocates say not to worry. They say they’ll fix the problem if it arises. But last year, when the F.C.C. tested the “sensing” mechanism of some of these unlicensed devices, none of them detected broadcast and wireless signals consistently enough to avoid interfering with them.
New Yorkers should be especially concerned. A person walking down the block looking up an address in his new P.D.A. could easily cause a television set to go blank or silence the wireless microphones worn by performers in a Broadway musical. At Giants Stadium, a quarterback could mess up an important play because he didn’t hear directions being given to him by his coach through a wireless mike. And because these personal devices would be unregistered, there would be no effective way of recalling them or curtailing their use, much less assuring that standards were adhered to their manufacture.
Legislation has been introduced in the House that calls for more research and testing of these devices and creates a timeline for their approval, giving priority to devices that provide broadband access to rural areas. Other devices would be considered only after the F.C.C. thoroughly tests the new digital transmission system.
While we should encourage technical developments, we should urge the F.C.C. to proceed with caution.
We cannot let these new developments undermine television service or hurt key sectors of our entertainment industry.
Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat, is a congressman who represents parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/opinion/09nadler.html
ON Feb. 17, 2009, all broadcast television stations will end their analog transmissions and shift to digital signals. This is a complex process that involves spending billions of dollars to build new towers and antennas and to subsidize converter boxes for consumers who don’t have digital TVs.
In all this planning and spending on the transition to digital transmission, however, we have yet to address the question of “white spaces.” White spaces are the intervals between television channel frequencies to ensure that TV reception is not interrupted by other signals.
The usefulness of these white spaces is about to be compromised by a proposal before the Federal Communications Commission by some of the nation’s largest technology companies. Microsoft, Google and others are asking permission to use white spaces — free of charge — for millions of unregulated and unlicensed devices for personal networking systems that they would like to sell, including P.D.A.’s, wireless broadband devices and even toys.
These devices could disrupt the new digital TV signals that government and industry have spent so much time and money to promote.
In my district, which includes New York’s theater district, performers use wireless microphones on these “unused” frequencies, as do news crews conducting live interviews on the street. Every major sports franchise relies on these channels for in-game communications and sideline interviews. And in rural areas, white spaces are often used for broadband access.
Unlicensed devices, like wireless laptops and remote-controlled toys, operating in the white spaces will probably cause havoc to TV viewers, theater goers and sports fans. They could potentially render digital television sets and the government-subsidized converter boxes inoperable. Low-income households, the elderly and people living in multifamily buildings who don’t have cable service and rely on antenna systems could be prevented from watching their favorite programs and from receiving important emergency information — nationwide, that’s 45 million to 60 million people.
Unlicensed-device advocates say not to worry. They say they’ll fix the problem if it arises. But last year, when the F.C.C. tested the “sensing” mechanism of some of these unlicensed devices, none of them detected broadcast and wireless signals consistently enough to avoid interfering with them.
New Yorkers should be especially concerned. A person walking down the block looking up an address in his new P.D.A. could easily cause a television set to go blank or silence the wireless microphones worn by performers in a Broadway musical. At Giants Stadium, a quarterback could mess up an important play because he didn’t hear directions being given to him by his coach through a wireless mike. And because these personal devices would be unregistered, there would be no effective way of recalling them or curtailing their use, much less assuring that standards were adhered to their manufacture.
Legislation has been introduced in the House that calls for more research and testing of these devices and creates a timeline for their approval, giving priority to devices that provide broadband access to rural areas. Other devices would be considered only after the F.C.C. thoroughly tests the new digital transmission system.
While we should encourage technical developments, we should urge the F.C.C. to proceed with caution.
We cannot let these new developments undermine television service or hurt key sectors of our entertainment industry.
Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat, is a congressman who represents parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/opinion/09nadler.html
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