White Spaces Debate is White Hot

On Monday, more than 20 groups sent a pair of letters to the Federal Communications Commission urging the agency to postpone a scheduled Nov 4 vote to adopt rules affecting television white spaces. Among the organizations signing the letters include the Government Accountability Project, Media Freedom Project, Americans for Tax Reform and the Liberty Coalition. Addressed to Chairman Kevin Martin, the letters urge the FCC to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and open the proposed rules for public scrutiny and comment. The organizations are not taking a position on the final disposition of the white spaces, instead, they say they are concerned regarding various media reports that the FCC has abandoned a public comment period for proposed rules and will go straight to rulemaking. The first letter, which addresses sound and responsible regulatory governance states: "Federal regulatory agencies, such as the FCC, should be completely transparent in consideration of new rules, particularly those that impact every household in America that owns a television set." The second letter addresses the process by which the FCC intends to make spectrum available for use. It notes: "To depart from the government's 15-year old practice of electromagnetic spectrum auctions, particularly in light of the current economic climate, is irresponsible." The National Cable and Telecommunication Association also urged the FCC to issue a public notice seeking review of the recently released Office of Engineering and Technology report detailing the results of testing devices that are designed to use the TV band white spaces.