When it Comes to White Space Devices, Microsoft Does What it Does Best... Sucks!

I'm sure that the NAB will soon be releasing a flurry of PR decrying the failure of a white space device during FCC testing. Which device, you may ask? Why, the Microsoft one, of course. And which device failed miserably during the first round of FCC testing? Why, the Microsoft one, of course. But didn't a white space device suffer a power failure last month -- which one was that? Why, the Microsoft one, of course.

So what's the National Association of Broadcasters going to go to town on -- declaring that the technology simply won't work based on the failure of a single company's device? Why, yes, you guessed it...

So why is the National Association of Broadcasters spending so much time and energy filling the press with the continuing failure of Microsoft's device? Probably because they're scared as hell that someone might otherwise point out that the DARPA XG Project has already proofed out the viability of white space device technology.

"Hold on a second," you might ask, "white space device technology has already been proofed out and deployed by the military?!?" Indeed! In fact, on September 18, 2006 Shared Spectrum publicly announced the successful testing of DARPA XG technology for battlefield warfare. Assuming for a second that physics works the same for both military and consumer products, if white space device technology works for battlefield warfare, I'm of the opinion that it's going to work in my living room as well. In fact, DARPA XG technology was successfully tested in civilian situations at DYSPAN in Ireland on April 16-20, 2007.

So why is this even an issue? Because physics, reality, precedent, and data are coming up against a monstrously large PR and FUD campaign by one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington, DC -- the National Association of Broadcasters. Which begs the question, who sucks even more than Microsoft?