WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to open up unused, unlicensed portions of the television airwaves known as “white spaces” to deliver wireless broadband service.
The vote is a big victory for public-interest groups and technology companies such as Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. that say white spaces could be used to bring broadband to underserved parts of the country.
“White spaces are the blank pages on which we which we will write our broadband future,” said Jonathan Adelstein, one of two Democrats on the five-member commission. Adelstein added that white spaces could represent a “third channel” to reach consumers beyond the telephone and cable networks that represent the primary competition in today’s broadband market.
The vote came over the objections of the nation’s big TV broadcasters, which argue that using the fallow spectrum to deliver wireless Internet access could disrupt their over-the-air signals.
Manufacturers and users of wireless microphones — including sports leagues, church leaders and performers — have also raised concerns about interference.
The next step for the main opponent, the National Association of Broadcasters, could be a lawsuit to stop the FCC plan from taking effect.
