More opposition to "white spaces" devices

Major US sports organizations have filed their opposition to allowing unlicensed wireless devices to operate in the "white spaces" of the UHF and VHF TV bands. The members of the Sports Technology Alliance read like alphabet soup: MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, ESPN and The PGA Tour. What they have in common is a lot of money riding on public viewing of sports events on television. In their letter to all of the FCC members, the sports organization note that licensed wireless microphones and other audio equipment already use white spaces in the TV spectrum for sports event broadcasts. "any interference caused by new devices operating in the 'white spaces' spectrum will seriously impair US sports event programming and deny the American public full enjoyment of their passion for sports," the letter said. The Sports Technology Alliance says the FCC should only allow fixed devices for rural broadband services in the TV band white spaces. Since those locations would be known, incumbent users such as the sports operations would be able to coordinate spectrum usage with them. In a separate letter, Learfield Communications, which manages multi-media rights for 35 college athletic programs, said it also opposes allowing unlicensed personal portable devices to operate in the broadcast spectrum. Have an opinion on this article? Post your comment below.

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