Link: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2278655,00.asp

03.24.08
by Chloe Albanesius

Google on Monday submitted a white spaces proposal to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it believes provides a "foolproof" way to access unused spectrum for wireless broadband, but denied that the plan means Google will soon become a wireless carrier.

"We do not intend to support opening up the white spaces just so Google can become a wireless carrier or build a wireless network," Rick Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media counsel, said during a conference call with reporters.

Google's only interest in white spaces is that they could provide Americans with "more opportunities to access the 'Net," he said.

When broadcasters shift from analog to digital signals in February 2009, there will be open, unregulated spectrum between the digital channels, or white spaces, that companies like Google and Microsoft want to use for wireless broadband service. Broadcasters, led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), however, believe that allowing access to this spectrum could disrupt TV signals.

Google already submitted a white spaces plan to the FCC in December 2007 that endorsed a technology known as spectrum sensing, which scans spectrum to detect unused frequencies. Monday's plan goes beyond that to request additional safeguards, but Whitt stressed that Google still believes that spectrum sensing alone would do the trick.

"Spectrum sensing capabilities should be more than adequate," he said. "However, we just decided, in talking amongst ourselves, that we want to move the ball forward. We want everybody satisfied with this process."

What's new in Google's plan

Google's new additions to the plan include support for a combination of geolocation services, designed to protect broadcast TV, and beacons, which protect wireless microphones, Whitt said.

The plan is similar to a proposal introduced last fall by Motorola. Google is "largely agreeing with where Motorola's coming from" with its own proposal, though Google does not get into as much specificity as Motorola did, Whitt said.

In addition, Google is also proposing "safe harbors" for wireless microphones, which would not allow white space devices to transmit on channels 36 to 38. Google said that would provide additional safeguards for medical telemetry devices and radio astronomy devices, which use channel 37.

Beacons and safe harbors, together with spectrum sensing, "should put any reasonable minds at ease whether there's any interference with wireless microphones," Whitt said. "The beacon approach, in particular, seems to be almost foolproof."

Whitt accused broadcasters of clinging to "the comfort of the past [rather than] the promise of the future." Organizations like NAB "use their influence to convince policymakers to protect legacy applications – at any and all costs," according to the FCC filing.

NAB executive vice president Dennis Wharton said Monday night that he is "pleased that Google now seems to realize that spectrum sensing alone won't protect viewers against interference from unlicensed devices."

Wharton was doubtful, however, that adding geolocation and beacon sensing would do the trick. "Portable, mobile personal device operation in the same band as TV broadcasting continues to be a guaranteed recipe for producing interference and should not be allowed under any circumstances," he said in a statement.

"Google hopes to have a sit down [with broadcasters] to talk about the technology, and hopes that we can reach some sort of combination with them, if possible," Whitt said.

Google's filing follows the close last week of the FCC's 700-MHz auction. Google was approved to participate in the auction, but did not place any winning bids.

The FCC's anti-collusion rules regarding the auction are in effect until April 3, so Whitt was limited in what he could say. "I can't say that the proposal is not linked to the 700 [-MHz] situation," he said. Whitt promised that Google will have more to say on the issue once the rules are lifted.

Product plans

Whitt did suggest, however, that white spaces access could help the company's Android open-source mobile platform partnership.

"Android-powered handsets should begin appearing commercially later this year, and would be an excellent match for the TV white space," Whitt said.

Google hopes to have devices that access white spaces by the 2009 holiday season, Whitt said. "Once the DTV transition is over, our hope is when the commission has rules in places, we'll be able to start to have consumer devices," he said.

The FCC in January kicked off a four-to-six week lab test of equipment that will allow ISPs to access white spaces.

A February power issue with a Microsoft-backed device prompted NAB to state that "unlicensed devices are not ready for prime time." Microsoft stressed that the device is just a prototype, and that an identical device also submitted to the FCC for testing had not malfunctioned.

"The device got a bit warm," Paula Boyd, Microsoft's regulatory counsel, said at the time. "Once we powered off the device and allowed it to sit for a little bit, it was working effectively."

Microsoft also ran into difficulties during testing last year when a device submitted to the FCC failed to function properly due to a malfunctioning scanner, according to an August report from the White Spaces Coalition.

Google does not have any plans to submit a prototype device to the FCC, Whitt said.

"Google did do our own demonstration in early December [with FCC engineers]. We may put additional data into the record, but there are no current plans to put our own device into the record," Whitt said.

Google is part of the White Spaces Coalition and the Wireless Innovation Alliance, which also counts companies like Microsoft, HP and Dell as its members.

Whitt said that Google would "welcome the support" of the White Spaces Coalition and Innovation Alliance members. However, Google decided to take its specific plans to the FCC alone, he said.

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