Cable Asks FCC To Modify White Spaces Decision

The Federal Communications Commission has received a number of requests that it reconsider its decision concerning the use of "white spaces" by unlicensed devices. The Commission decided unanimously back in the fall to allow fixed and mobile unlicensed devices like laptops and so-called smart radios to share the spectrum with TV station's digital TV signals and wireless microphones, but with interference protections and a certification procedure it said protected incumbent users. In its petition, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association said that the FCC had failed to strike its intended balance between allowing the devices and protecting existing services, specifically cable.