The FCC is expected to issue a report on its tests on white space devices sometime in September. What do you think the results will be?
I hope the results show that White Space devices cause problematic interference, and the conclusion is that it isn't a viable use of the spectrum. The FCC has scheduled a vote on Nov. 4 to allow the use of unlicensed devices in the TV broadcast spectrum. Proponents tout this new use as a way to provide more wireless broadband services, opponents claim that, based on the commission's tests, that the devices will interfere with broadcasters' DTV signals, and could spell the demise of over the air broadcasting in the U.S.
Who is right? Are broadcasters justified in trying to stop this? Should they ask the FCC to ask for more public input?
Have broadcasters lost the fight?
What do you think? A likely common "worst case" situation would be in an apartment house, where one tennant has a DTV set in the bedroom with rabbit ears, with weak but good enough to decode the signal reception, and a neighbor tennant with a computer equipped with a white space device in a room immediately adjacent to the first tennant's DTV set. I'd want the rules to say that the white space devide must not degrate any further the already weak reception licensed DTV signal for that DTV set. Depending on how good the DTV set's front end is, even 4 channels away from the DTV station might not be enough.
THis would probably rule out white space devices in New York City, and in rural areas ther'ed be plenty of spectrum outside the TV bands avaliable anyway. Thus no real need or usability for white space devices.
This problem will not occur as TVBDs are required to check with the geo-location database which will prevent a TVBD from operating on the same channel as an existing DTV system. The use of sensing technology alone is not supported at this time.