Updated: Today, Google is launching a new advocacy campaign, Free The Airwaves, an effort by the company to get some traction around white spaces, the tiny slivers of spectrum that resides in the 700 MHz band spectrum vacated by analog television’s switch to digital transmissions. It even launched a lobbying web site, though the “supported by Google” text needs a magnifying glass to be found.

Google has been lobbying hard to get this spectrum unlicensed and make it open to all unlicensed devices. While no one is being more vocal about white spaces than Google, other backers of the white space idea include Intel, Microsoft and Motorola.

While I am all for more and easier broadband for the masses, I cannot miss the irony that a search-monopoly that is printing money wants to get access to more free spectrum so it can eventually start printing more money by getting more search traffic. I have long since stopped believing the “Google for good” mantra. At least the company admits as much. On the Google blog, Google’s Minnie Ingersoll, product manager, Alternative Access Team writes:

When it comes to opening these airwaves, we believe the public interest is clear. But we also want to be transparent about our involvement: Google has a clear business interest in expanding access to the web. There’s no doubt that if these airwaves are opened up to unlicensed use, more people will be using the Internet. That’s certainly good for Google (not to mention many of our industry peers) but we also think that it’s good for consumers.

Regardless, there are many questions facing the white space effort. First, the plan is meeting opposition from NAB and others, such as those who use wireless microphones. Cell-phone companies don’t like the idea either. Why? Because they all argue that the devices using these slivers of spectrum are going to cause interference with their devices and services. So far all tests to make it work haven’t worked out, and a lot needs to be done before it can become a reality. FCC is expected to announce its findings next month.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, with an eye on a political future, is backing this idea — after all, it can be a vote winner. In today’s Wall Street Journal Martin says, “Spectrum is very valuable and we want to make sure it’s being used as efficiently as possible…The idea of trying to utilize the ‘white spaces’ from a consumer perspective would be a good win for everyone.” In other words, Google’s lobbying efforts and Martin’s own political ambitions are going to push this through. However, there are certain doubts.

Update: I got on the conference call hosted by Google to talk about this new effort to get more details but walked away empty handed. A couple of points to note were that rhetoric coming out of Mountain View is going to rise in coming months around this issue, especially ahead of FCC’s decision next month. When I asked Google executives about the timeline of the networks rolling out to the public, I was handed an obfuscation. I am going to re-listen to the whole conference call, which I have taped again, and add more. On that note, anyone know what is the best way to share audio notes with readers?

Related Posts:

• Google’s White Space Proposal
• White Space, The New Wireless Frontier?
• Philips Joins The White Space Device Race

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