By: Politico

Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, accepted the William Randolph Hearst Fellow Award from the College of Communication on Friday afternoon.

The award, given on behalf of the college for a distinguished career in the communication industry, came amid the FCC’s establishing of rules last week for commercial use of “white spaces” — previously untapped television broadband spectrum. Wireless devices can use the white spaces to transmit Internet signals in the frequencies unused by television stations, which usually show up as static on TV.

In his acceptance speech, Martin told a crowd of about 200 people in the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center auditorium about the benefits of white spaces.

“They would serve as bigger, better Wi-Fi hotspots,” he said, adding that computers and wireless devices will be able to process more data at a faster rate.

Each city has dozens of available white space frequencies. In Austin, 37 stations between channels 2 and 51 are unoccupied by broadcasters, leaving them available to transmit broadband in the same manner as a Wi-Fi hotspot, according to the Media Tracker at the Center for Public Integrity.

Google Inc. strongly backed the new medium.

“Wi-Fi goes through two walls, and then it stops,” Google co-founder Larry Page told broadbandcensus.com. The website reported that Google favored the lower frequencies used by white spaces because it would be cheaper and reach more people than Wi-Fi.

Some TV broadcasters are concerned about the effects of white spaces.

“We’re worried because white spaces would affect our listeners and interfere with our signals,” said Ann Arnold, president of the Texas Association of Broadcasters, who was on hand for the speech.

Arnold said despite assurances from the FCC, engineers have indicated there would be problems with interference. She said it is an unusual step for the FCC to allow open commercial use of the white spaces before conducting more conclusive research.

According to an FCC news release, the rules for using white spaces will “include numerous safeguards to protect incumbent services against harmful interference.”

“I wouldn’t have gone forward with it if I thought it would endanger broadcasters,” Martin said. 

Clay Sampson reports for The Daily Texan, a student publication at University of Texas at Austin. The Daily Texan is partnering with Campus Politico for the 2008 elections.

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