One way to alleviate the coming spectrum crunch is to make sure the receivers consumers are using to access wireless broadband are effective at blocking unwanted signals on nearby frequencies. NAB’s Gordon Smith wrote to key Congressional leaders asking them to consider this side of the equation moving forward.
The letter went to Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) in the Senate and Fred Upton (R-MI) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) in the House.
“As you may know, interference experienced in receivers is determined both by the characteristics of RF transmission systems and the ability of receives to reject unwanted signals, i.e. their interference immunity,” wrote Smith. “Poor RF performance quality of wireless receivers thus can contribute to a capacity crunch for wireless services just as significantly as inadequate spectrum supply.”
The upshot is that this is yet another area worthy of serious scrutiny before powers that be in Washington look at taking television spectrum on anything other than a purely voluntary basis.
