WASHINGTON, DC – NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr sent a letter late yesterday to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin asking a series of questions related to the agency's plan to allow unlicensed 'white space' devices to operate in television spectrum. Rehr's letter reinforced NAB's support for the concept of geolocation as an alternative to spectrum-sensing, but urged the Commission to seek public comment on a 400-page technical report recently released by the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology.
The technical report, which shows that spectrum-sensing technology is inadequate and threatens the viability of interference-free television, will reportedly serve as the basis for a November 4 FCC vote on whether to allow 'white space' devices to operate in television spectrum.
Rehr's letter addressed several questions concerning the FCC's 'white space' plan, including issues related to spectrum-sensing and device power limits.
"Broadcasters again want to emphasize that we do not oppose the use of vacant channels in the television broadcast bands. We support the concept of geolocation in combination with an accurate database as a method of avoiding interference with television broadcasts and wireless microphones," wrote Rehr. "However, spectrum sensing alone, as the data within the OET report actually show, does not provide adequate interference protection."
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association that advocates on behalf of more than 8,300 free, local radio and television stations and also broadcast networks before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Courts. Information about NAB can be found at www.nab.org.
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