A mishmash of players including the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the Radio & Television Digital News Association, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Open Technology Institute at New America, Public Knowledge, Free Press and Common Cause are urging the FCC to craft rules for next year's incentive auction that they argue will better protect transmissions from unlicensed devices and wireless microphones.
Specifically, the parties are jointly asking the FCC to back off a staff recommendation to relocate TV stations in the duplex gap after next year's incentive auction. "Relocating television stations in the duplex gap in certain markets will render the gap in those markets unusable by either unlicensed devices or wireless microphones in those areas where the penetration characteristics of low-band spectrum are most needed," a letter from the group states.
The letter urges the FCC to maintain its current policy of relocating TV stations, only if absolutely necessary, in the mobile carrier uplink or downlink portions of the new, post-auction 600 MHz band plan. Article