Google Co-Founder Makes Pitch for Unused Airwaves Access
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Google Co-Founder Larry Page this week made an unprecedented appeal to policy makers for access to unused television airwaves.
Page made his first trip to Washington, D.C., Wednesday and Thursday to meet with members of Congress and the Federal Communications Commission.
Speaking at a public event Thursday, Page said the unused airwaves, dubbed "white space," would hasten the goal of blanketing the country with Internet access.
Page said current "WiFi" wireless technology that allows Internet connections in many urban areas is less useful in rural parts of the country because its range is limited. Using TV white spaces, "You can really get a lot more range," he said.
"I like to think of it as WiFi on steroids," Page said.
Page's visit to Washington shows Google's efforts to step up its presence here and go head to head with opponents.
Page singled out the National Association of Broadcasters as its main adversary in the battle over TV's unused spectrum.
"Part of why I'm here is I just I don't want people to be misled by people who have an interest in this to cause the country to do the wrong thing," Page said. "Should you really be listening to the NAB which wants to keep the spectrum for its own use?"
Other groups, such as wireless microphone manufacturers and sports leagues, also have expressed concerns about white space devices interfering with their own wireless communications equipment.
NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton responded to Page's comments. "Given the numerous device failures that have resulted during FCC testing, it seems a little disingenuous for Mr. Page to simply dismiss the interference concerns," Wharton said.
Page said the debate over unused airwaves has been politicized by questions about interference.
Brandishing a wireless microphone, Page said, "Many of the people who complain about interference are the ones who should be causing interference, such as the people who make this microphone," he said. "It's broadcasting on some TV channel."
The FCC is testing a white space device from Motorola. Other companies, including Microsoft and Philips Electronics, have submitted devices for testing. White space devices have malfunctioned at the FCC on several occasions.
The FCC is remaining mum about whether such devices should be permitted and whether the unused television space should be licensed. The commission is unlikely to make a policy decision on those points until it is presented with a device that is proven to work without interference.
Page said he is confident a successful device is in the works. "I bet 100% that it will happen. It's just a question of what year it happens in," he said.
In Page's visit to Washington, he met with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and Commissioner Michael Copps, one of two Democrats on the commission.
Page also met with three senior members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee - Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., the subcommittee's senior Republican.
During Page's Thursday presentation, Page also said Google is "concerned" about the prospects of a merger between Microsoft and Yahoo.
Merger talks between Microsoft and Yahoo broke down earlier this month, but the two companies recently have reopened discussions.
"If Yahoo and Microsoft were to merge, they'd have something like 90% of all the communications market," Page said. "I think that's a really big risk."
Separately, Google and Yahoo are negotiating an advertising deal in which Yahoo would carry search ads served by Google. Civic groups have criticized that deal as all but monopolizing the Internet advertising market.
Page responded to that critique. "Obviously, we do have a large advertising share and so on, but we also feel like there are ways in which to structure a deal with Yahoo that would be reasonable from that standpoint," he said.
The New America Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, sponsored the event.
-By Fawn Johnson, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9263; fawn.johnson@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
Posted to the site on 22nd May 2008