TAB opposes "White Spaces" rush to judgment

TAB is urging the FCC to stop its rush to authorize millions of unlicensed, RF-emitting, interfering, personal and portable wireless devices to operate on digital channels adjacent to those being used by TV stations.

In a pleading filed with 45 other state broadcast associations, TAB argues that the FCC proposal would allow manufacturers from all over the world would flood the U.S. market with millions of those devices for use in every nook and cranny of our nation, in homes, apartments, offices, schools, parks, playground, vehicles, etc.

Once those devices are "out there," causing billions of random acts of harmful interference to television sets, converter boxes, digital-ready cable sets and wireless microphones, it will be impossible to track them down and put a stop to the spreading electronic contagion.

In short, the FCC's proposed action risks launching an electronic interference tsunami nationwide.

TAB urges stations to call or e-mail the FCC objecting to a November 4 vote.  We also urge you to call, e-mail, or preferably visit with your Congressman and Senator, urging them to contact the FCC and register their objection to this apparent rush-to-judgment.

The Joint Comments demonstrate that any action taken by the FCC without carefully considering comments from members of the public on the Office of Engineering and Technology's 400-plus page report (any action by the FCC rests on that report), would constitute reversible "arbitrary and capricious" action by the commission.

To emphasize the rush-to-judgment aspect of the issue, the filing repeatedly asked the rhetorical question, "why the rush" given the fact
- that none of the devices tested insured adequate protection to millions of viewers
- that it will be impossible to track down the offending devices and hold their owners accountable
- that the harm caused by these devices will frustrate efforts of both DTV viewers and television stations trying to identify and solve all of the DTV problems that are likely to have emerged during the lengthy process of "finalizing" the DTV transition , or
- that the proponents of these devices would be using the spectrum without going through the auction process.

Finally, the state associations emphasized that no less than the integrity and viability of America's free, local, over-the-air television broadcasting industry, including the DTV transition, are at stake.