Tech firms go after white spaces

Washington -- Technology companies are lobbying for access to white spaces in U.S. airwaves to improve high-speed Internet access, industry analysts said.

White spaces are the unlicensed airwaves between television stations.

"The vacant spaces available within the high quality TV broadcast spectrum, underutilized for decades, hold the key to advances in wireless communications, broadband deployment and accessibility, and mobile television and video services," the Wireless Innovation Alliance said in a statement on its Web site.

The Federal Communications Commission is testing white-space devices developed by Motorola, Philips and two start-up companies, The Washington Post said Thursday.

Broadcasters are concerned that the technology will interfere with over-the-air television signals, the newspaper said. There are also concerns about interference with wireless microphones.

The Wireless Innovation Alliance said white space devices can identify vacant channels in a local market and operate without interfering with digital television reception for neighboring channels.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.