U.S. sports dispute "white space" airwaves plan

By Peter Kaplan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of major U.S. sports leagues raised doubts on Thursday about a proposal to allow more wireless devices to operate over airwaves to become available next year when television broadcasters go digital.

A trade group that includes the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League expressed fears that allowing devices to access the "white space" airwaves between television channels would lead to interference with wireless microphones used in sporting events.

"We are deeply troubled by the very serious disruption and harm that portable device interference will cause to sport broadcast programming, whether prerecorded or live, and the conduct of the games themselves," the Sports Technology Alliance, said in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission.

The additional space between channels will become available in February 2009, when TV broadcasters switch from analog to more efficient digital signals.

The FCC currently is testing equipment to see if the white-space spectrum can be used without interfering with television broadcasts.

The sports group singled out a proposal made by Google Inc in March to access the white space spectrum, calling it "flawed" and saying it relies on "unproven, yet-to-be-developed technical fixes."

Google responded saying: "It's really too bad that some people prefer the comfort of the past to the promise of the future, and defend the status quo instead of working to bring the Internet to more Americans.

"We enjoy the Super Bowl and NCAA tournament as much as the next sports fan, and wouldn't support any plan that interferes with professional sports," the company said in a statement.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has also urged the FCC to free up the white-space spectrum so it could be used to expand access to wireless broadband.

Google and Microsoft are part of a coalition of technology companies that has been lobbying the FCC for unlicensed use of the white-space spectrum.

The group also includes Dell Inc, Intel Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co and the North American unit of Philips Electronics.

(Reporting by Peter Kaplan; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)