New Microsoft White Spaces Device Failure Creates More Uncertainty
The FCC lab in Columbia, Md., has terminated testing of a white spaces sensing device that Microsoft submitted for the latest round of bench tests, the firm said late Friday. The announcement injects a note of uncertainty into the proceeding, with the FCC set to take up an order on the future of the white spaces within the next few months. The key question is whether the FCC will permit portable devices to access the Internet using the white spaces spectrum.
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“The Microsoft devices were designed and developed by a third party for white spaces research purposes only and are not production or go-to-market devices,” Microsoft said in a statement. “The Microsoft device has been delivering meaningful results over several weeks but unexpectedly shut down on March 26.”
“In baseball, it’s three strikes and you're out,” replied NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton. “How many strikes does Microsoft and its allies get? If they can’t get the device to work in the lab, how are they going to get it to work in the real world?”
A Microsoft source said the company did not withdraw the device, but the FCC decided to stop testing it after it shutdown. Other devices the company submitted have also encountered problems during tests by the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology. Last summer, OET said a Microsoft device failed tests and the company later said it was broken.
Microsoft had submitted two devices this time when testing began anew on Jan. 24 (CD Jan 25 p2). The first stopped worked when it appeared to overheat and testing began on the second device (CD Feb 12 p1). “These are experimental devices; of course they'll break,” said one supporter of white spaces access. Motorola, Philips and Silicon Valley start-up Adaptrum also submitted devices for testing and those tests are continuing. The Philips device passed initial tests last summer.
Microsoft acknowledged the development was disappointing. “We have every confidence that the FCC has many avenues available to finish gathering the information it needs to develop final white spaces rules and allow a variety of services and devices to effectively use the white spaces,” the company said. “The FCC has tremendous technical expertise and will continue to rely on its own substantive knowledge.”
The Wireless Innovation Alliance cautioned against reading too much into the latest white spaces twist. “Microsoft’s submission produced valuable information for engineers at the FCC and it’s unfortunate the device will no longer be tested,” the alliance said. “Any characterization of this as a failure is a red herring and disingenuous at best, dishonest at worst.”
“Once again, the Microsoft device failed to perform, ceased functioning, and apparently has been withdrawn,” said Association for Maximum Service TV President David Donovan. “By not making it out of the lab, the device failed to provide any useful evidence or data to help the FCC,” he said. “Because of this failure, and the failure of other devices as well, the FCC has insufficient data on which to write appropriate standards for unlicensed devices relying on ’sensing’ to avoid interference.”