Cable Industry Jumps Into White Space Fight – Tells FCC White Space will disrupt cable broadband…

27 Mar 2009

Last year, the National Association Of Broadcasters (NAB) did everything in their power to derail White Space broadband, from declaring the technology would inherently create interference armageddon (something not supported by FCC testing) to trotting out celebrities like Dolly Parton to feign interest. While white space broadband can cause interference if done incorrectly, NAB and others are equally concerned about the competitive impact a new video broadcast mechanism would have on revenues.

After extensive testing, and with support from giants like Google and Microsoft, unlicensed White Space broadband finally saw unanimous approval last year by the FCC. NAB found an ally this week in the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), who issued a filing (pdf) with the FCC urging the agency to reconsider their approval of white space broadband. While NAB has traditionally argued that white space services will harm TV broadcasts, the NCTA goes a step further, claiming it could harm regular cable broadband users:

the 100 mW power output level adopted for personal/portable devices will interfere with cable television viewing, especially in adjoining housing units, and could adversely impact cable modem Internet access and other cable services in the home. . .while the Commission took several important steps to mitigate potential harmful interference to cable headend facilities that bring distant broadcast signals to communities, especially in rural areas, its cable headend protections are inadequate and some provisions need further clarification.

In short, the cable industry is looking for rules that lower the allowable power level of unlicensed devices.
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