Will greenlighting white spaces haunt the FCC?

Independent analyst Andy Seybold penned a column today over at FierceWireless entitled, “White Spaces Decision Will Haunt FCC” and a healthy discussion has erupted in the comments below. Seybold argues that the FCC’s decision to allow devices to make use of the unlicensed white spaces spectrum will result in ”thousands of people [finding] their ability to watch TV… compromised and their ability to hear what is happening at concerts… interrupted by interference caused by these new white space ’smart’ devices.”

One commenter writes in: “As a sound mixer who regularly relies on wireless microphones to bring all of you your television programming… Television Production, Sports, Conventions, Theaters, Stage, Churches… rely on hundreds of thousands of existing RF microphones… I think we are in for lots of bad sound and interferrence. Momentary splats, buzzes… constantly intruding into your life.”

Certainly an interesting read. Did the FCC rush to make a decision on this one or will white spaces prove to be fertile ground for future wireless start-ups and subsequent competition?

White white spaces remain controversial, it’s not too surprising that the economy had an impact on T-Mobile USA’s bottom line this past quarter (with a little help from AT&T Mobility, which reportedly snagged a few converts.) T-Mobile’s post-paid net additions were only 293,000 for the quarter an all-time low for the carrier.  

Finally, check out this week’s Mobile Internet Watch by Rethink Research’s Caroline Gabriel to find out how LG is teaming up with Microsoft to help Windows Mobile take on Symbian.

• Qualcomm, Amobee team for mobile ads
• Nokia launches web services for the emerging market
• CC: Green light for White Spaces
• AT&T offers GPS exercise app
• Amdocs to acquire ChangingWorlds
• Analyst: Mobile video infrastructure market to ramp up
• Analyst: 82M LBS social networking subs by 2013
• Analyst: White spaces decision will “haunt” FCC