Pastor Joel Osteen joins white spaces debate

Joel Osteen, the pastor of Lakewood Church in Texas, who's weekly service attracts 40,000 people and a television audience of more than 7 million, has joined the white space debate and notified the FCC that he is concerned about the possibility that unlicensed white space devices may interfere with wireless systems, particularly wireless microphones.

In a letter to the FCC, Osteen said that his church services could not operate without wireless microphone technology, which allows pastors and musicians to interact more closely with members of the congregation. Osteen asks that the FCC protect wireless microphones by not authorizing unlicensed wireless devices that may cause interference.

The FCC is conducting tests of prototype devices that access unused television airwaves, called "white spaces," to see if they will interfere with television broadcasts. Companies such as Google and Microsoft want to use this spectrum to develop new mobile communications devices. However, the initiative has raised the ire of the National Association of Broadcasters, which argues that "white space" devices may interfere with existing television broadcasts. 

For more:
- see a copy of Osteen's letter to the FCC

Related articles:
Professional sports leagues concerned about white space spectrum
Companies step up push to license white-space spectrum