MSTV last week made public a comprehensive analysis of the interference problems associated with placing unlicensed devices in TV white spaces.
According to the MSTV, the report refutes noninterference claims by unlicensed device proponents. The report “responds to the unsubstantiated claims” from proponents of unlicensed devices that such devices won’t cause interference if used in the TV band, said MSTV vice president of Policy and Technology Bruce Franca.
“The New America Foundation and other proponents simply ignore the complex engineering and technical issues associated with placing these devices in the television band,” said Franca, who also is a former chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology.
The report documents “problems with interference from out-of-band emissions, interference from operating on the first adjacent channel, and a significant potential for co-channel interference,” said MSTV senior vice president Victor Tawil.
The newly issued document shows “there is a tremendous risk of interference to new DTV receivers and government subsidized converter boxes,” said association president David Donovan.
“Proponents of unlicensed devices have relied on rhetoric, not research, to make their claims,” he said. “By focusing on science and sound engineering, this report raises serious questions about placing unlicensed devices in the television band.”
While the report focuses on the interference that unlicensed devices will cause to DTV transmission, aspects of ENG operation may be threatened as well because many wireless mics operate on VHF and UHF channels.
For more information, visit www.mstv.org/docs/NAFrebuttal.pdf.
