Google’s head has angrily accused officials of ‘rigging’ tests which appear to show it’s impossible to carry internet signals over the TV airwaves without the risk of interfering with existing TV broadcasts. It comes as the Federal Communications Commission continues its bid to use frequencies cleared up by the switch to digital TV for a national emergency warning system.

Larry Page (pictured), the Google chief, spoke at a Washington DC event this week and renewed his call for the FCC to allow unlicensed use of white space in the TV signal: that’s the gap in between each channel’s frequency. Google is among those insisting this space is suitable for broadcasting internet signals, which would be a boost for getting broadband in areas unsuitable for cabling.

His most striking comments involved a series of FCC tests last month which looked at spectrum-sensing devices, designed to identify gaps in the frequency spectrum big enough for broadcasting new signals. Though the results haven’t been published yet, Page insists the tests were “rigged deliberately” to fail, blaming existing broadcasters for unduly influencing the testing.

According to Google, the test involved trying to identify signals from wireless microphones. It claims the testers intentionally broadcast these signals on the same frequencies as local TV stations, making it impossible for them to be detected.

The FCC isn’t commenting, but one of the firms involved in the testing told the Washington Post the tests were based on sound science, and that they’d been held openly with the public invited to attend and monitor.

Meanwhile the FCC has launched a second attempt to set up an emergency broadcasting system over the airwaves. The idea is part of a series of auctions to give firms access to the frequencies which won’t be used once the US switches to an all-digital TV system.

The plan is that a private firm will control one set of frequencies – and use them to run a commercial wireless network – but will have to set up the emergency system, to be used by local police and firefighters. A previous attempt to set up the scheme failed because no firm was willing to make the minimum $1.3 billion bid in an auction.

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Entry was posted on Friday, September 26th, 2008 at 2:47 pm under Google, Legal, Science and technology, Technology, Wi-Fi.

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