Why did the FCC give a failing grade to a controversial Microsoft prototype that sends high-speed Internet signals over unused television airwaves? It was broken. At least, that's the word from Microsoft.
On July 31, the Federal Communications Commission released an 85-page report saying that Microsoft's "white space" prototype was unable to detect unused TV spectrum and that it interfered with other wireless devices. But after discussions with the commission, Redmond is now claiming that the device tested by the FCC was defective. As if we didn't already know that.
"During meetings with FCC engineers last week, Microsoft determined that the prototype device tested by the Commission was working improperly and an internal component was broken. This accounted for the FCC's aberrant test results," said Jack Krumholtz, Microsoft's managing director for federal government affairs. "We remain confident that the unused channels in the television spectrum band can successfully be used without harmful interference to incumbent licensees such as television and wireless microphone services."
When contacted, the FCC declined to comment - that's typically way it works with ongoing investigations like this one - but Chairman Kevin Martin is on record as saying the commission hopes to find a way of transmitting Internet service over "white spaces," portions of television spectrum that go used by local TV channels. Just this afternoon, the commission's office of engineering announced that it plans to discuss the matter with "interested parties" on Thursday. Microsoft's prototype is also backed by big-name tech companies like Dell, Google, Intel, and Philips. (Yes, Microsoft and Google are working together.)
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