White Spaces debate becomes blood stained bare fist fight.

Google's Larry Page proclaims wireless mic use is illegal.  Click here for pics of Larry and Sergey gleefully participating in the "illegal" act of wireless microphone use!

The FCC white spaces quandary is really leaving a sour taste in my mouth.  It is astounding how many of our own peers are not in tune and not educating themselves on the very products that either they or we, are installing, specifying or operating on a daily basis.  Therefore they are completely unaware that the future welfare of wireless products in only a mere five months from now is in grave danger.  I can’t stress enough that if anyone doubts the severity of this situation know this.  The FCC has already voted unanimously to prohibit the use of any wireless microphones (licensed or unlicensed) above 700 megahertz starting February 17th, 2009.  Further yet they are contemplating a complete ban of production, sale, import or shipment of these wireless devices.  This decision was made in spite of the failure of all proposed sensing devices, the lack of any new proposed sensing devices to be considered as a result of the repeated failures and some evidence that the very supporters of these devices such as laptops and smart radios have shown to on occasion interfere with DTV transmission and reception. 

One great thing about the audio/video industry whether consumer or commercial is that it doesn’t have a hidden political agenda lurking beneath the surface waiting for the right time to rear it’s ugly head.  In fact if we had a fault to make light of, it would probably be the lack of political interest displayed by most.  So leave it to Google to poison the well and then dawn the mask of the white knight fighting for the greater good of public interests.  I find it increasingly worrisome that many people within our own industry are unaware that this struggle is even taking place.  It has long since graduated from the initial focal point of what is best for the public and moved entirely in to the political arena.  As soon as it did the objectivity became tainted and companies such as Google immediately saw the opportunity to replace public interest with the almighty dollar.   

The struggle between the White Space Coalition and wireless entertainment manufacturers (microphones, assisted listening, wirelessly controlled rigging and wireless instruments) is heating up just as you would expect.  Sadly a consumer activist group known as the PISC (Public Interest Spectrum Coalition) has filed a complaint with the FCC and is making such outlandish requests such as banning wireless microphones completely stating they are (and have been) using these airwaves illegally.  The PISC is accusing manufacturers of misleading advertising campaigns and being deceptive in the way they market and sell their microphones.  I could be wrong but I don’t recall seeing any wireless mic ads in Newsweek or Sports Illustrated.  The only advertisements I have witnessed are in publications intended for industry professionals. 

Here are a couple of interesting facts to ponder about these “public interest” groups.  The PISC has gone on record identifying it self as an “ad hoc” association or a group of organizations working together towards a common cause.  So who are these organizations looking to protect our best interest so unselfishly?  We have the New America Foundation in Washington D.C. who’s chairman of the board is none other than Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, convenient wouldn’t you say.  Next is Media Access Project, who also has some curious board members.  Director Kathleen Wallman is a known lobbyist for companies such as AT&T and U.S. Telecom Association, again awfully convenient.  Board member Albert Kramer of Dickstein Shapiro, LLC was previously council for North American Telecommunications Association and currently represents clients such as internet service providers and VoIP companies, once again very convenient.

In a nutshell until now everyone has been able to strongly express their concerns and suggestions as well as present their own solutions to the FCC for consideration.  Then everyone would move forward harmoniously towards a common goal; which was providing available bandwidth for networking while not disrupting the entire entertainment industry and reserved emergency airwaves.  However when you’re dealing with entities such as Google, HP, Motorola and Yahoo it was only a matter of time before the matter at hand would lose focus and become a battle to be fought in the political arena while the scientific considerations get lost in a cacophony of lobbyists, congressional boards, special interests groups and plenty of other ill advised expenditures of your tax money while people with little or no knowledge of the technology are put in charge of it’s fate.  Some have even tried to skew reports in their favor.  Some of the initial tests which; failed conclusively were chalked up to devices that were damaged in shipping.  Now it is true that the devices were damaged however they followed with a statement saying that the undamaged devices worked with 100% accuracy.  There are two problems with this statement.  First it is absolutely false.  The devices have never under any circumstances achieved a 100% detection rate.  At best they have managed to sporadically identify the occupied channels.  They also left out one minor detail; the ones that worked did so in a controlled environment and were not done in the same environment (time or place) as the devices that failed.

It is a true shame that this transition has taken place because it typically means that no party emerges benefiting from the decisions made.  The number of special interest groups that have emerged quite suddenly and the names on these committees is of great interest.  A large number of the companies that comprise the white space coalition have members on these many special interests groups. 

Shure Microphones has taken great care in unifying the other manufactures and making sure they are all informed and have a constant presence on the front lines.  Shure has been diligent in remaining informed on the wants and needs of the white space coalition group and the best possible way to address their needs without disrupting the entire entertainment industry.  The white space coalition however has done nothing to educate themselves on the entertainment industry, the functionality of wireless microphones and the plethora of other wireless devices used as well.  Judging by their very own statements they have proven without a doubt they understand very little on the operational parameters, operational range, and the shear volume that wireless  devices are employed throughout entertainment and commercial installations in businesses and schools.  Mr. Larry Page from Google made obvious his ignorance for the world to see in a current statement while in Washington D.C. claiming that wireless microphones have never caused interference issues with other devices for the several years that these devices have been used illegally and no one made an issue of it then, so why now?  Well, first and most obvious is wireless broadband is intended to cover much larger geographical areas, meaning higher amplitude and potential for interference over a much larger area.  Wireless microphones are intended to cover no more than a conference room, gymnasium or auditorium.  At best wireless mics may be asked to cover a stadium or arena whereas this wireless broadband is intended to cover city blocks or entire neighborhoods.  With such a considerable difference it’s hard to see how such intelligent men can either fail to recognize such glaring differences or simply not comprehend them.

by Jason Levert