Google Co-Founder Pitches 'White Spaces' in DC

On Thursday, Google co-founder Larry Page visited Washington, D.C. to talk up his company's proposal for a new generation of wireless devices that can run on "white spaces."

"White spaces" are the unused wireless spectrum between broadcast TV channels. Google and others have been lobbying for this spectrum to be made available to the public for free, unlicensed use, like Wi-Fi networks.

'Huge Difference'

But there has a great deal of opposition, including cellular companies that want the spectrum sold and wireless microphone makers, commercial TV broadcasters, and even medical technology companies that think use of white spaces will cause interference.

In February of next year, TV broadcasters in the U.S. will be moving from their current frequencies to new ones, as they transition from analog to digital TV. Devices using the white spaces would utilize a new class of Wi-Fi, and advocates contend that users could have access speeds in the billions of bits per second.

A ruling by the FCC is expected by late summer. Page's visit to D.C. included meetings with federal legislators and with officials at the FCC.

Page told one group that he thought white spaces transmission would "make a huge difference to everybody." Google has been joined in advocating this approach by a coalition of technology companies, including Microsoft, Dell, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, and the North American unit of Philips Electronics.

'Very Google'

But there are still substantial technical hurdles. The FCC has been conducting tests about whether transmission in the white spaces would interfere with commercial use of adjacent bands. Some reports have indicated that the agency has encountered problems with the transmission scheme in its tests, but Page and others have said those technical problems can be solved.

The National Association of Broadcasters, among others, isn't buying it. In a statement to news media, Executive Vice President...