谷歌意与传统媒体争夺市场

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Less than a week after emerging as the 'happy loser' in the latest U.S. wireless-spectrum auction, Google Inc. renewed a pitch to use TV 'white space' -- unlicensed and unused airwaves -- to provide Internet service.

In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, the Internet search giant pressed the government to open up the white space for unlicensed use in hopes of enabling more widespread, affordable Internet access over the airwaves.

'As Google has pointed out previously, the vast majority of viable spectrum in this country simply goes unused, or else is grossly underutilized,' Richard Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media lawyer, wrote in the letter.

Google said the white space, located between channels 2 and 51 on TV sets that aren't hooked up to satellite or cable services, offer a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband access to all Americans.'

In addition, opening up the spectrum would 'enable much-needed competition to the incumbent broadband service providers,' Mr. Whitt wrote.

The FCC wasn't available for comment. A majority of FCC commissioners, including Chairman Kevin Martin, previously have indicated that they support the use of white-space spectrum, as long as the technologies deployed are sufficiently robust to prevent interference with TV broadcast signals.

Although it wasn't the first time Google urged the FCC to open up TV white space, the company's public letter was notable, given Google's involvement in the just-ended government auction of radio spectrum. In the auction, Google was outbid by Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, but the Mountain View, Calif., Internet company had already convinced the FCC to grant an open-access provision that will allow customers to use whatever phones or software they wish on a portion of the spectrum.

Google is developing mobile-phone software, known as Android, that several device makers are using to power their coming handsets. In a conference call, Mr. Whitt said Google had no plans to submit a prototype device that would work on 'white spaces,' but he noted that the unused spectrum would be a 'very nice match' for Android phones, which currently don't 'have a home for spectrum.'

TV broadcasters oppose the use of white space, fearing it would cause interference with television programming and could cause problems with a federally mandated transition from analog to digital broadcasting signals next year.

But Google in its letter urged the FCC to adopt a series of overlapping technologies, including 'spectrum sensing,' designed to prevent signals from interfering with each other. 'Google also would be willing to provide, at no cost to third parties, the technical support necessary to make these plans happen,' Mr. Whitt said.

在最近的美国无线频段拍卖会上，谷歌(Google Inc.)成了“快乐输家”，而不到一周，谷歌又大肆宣扬起利用电视“空白频段”提供互联网服务。空白频段即未经授权和未经使用的频段。

在写给美国联邦通讯委员会(Federal Communications Commission, 简称FCC)的一封信中，这家互联网搜索巨头强烈要求政府开放未经授权使用的空白频段，以期通过电视频段实现更广泛、更低廉的互联网接入。

谷歌驻华盛顿的电信和媒体业律师理查德•威特(Richard Whitt)在信中写道，正如谷歌曾经指出的，美国大多数可用频段都处于闲置状态，或是没有得到充分利用。

谷歌表示，位于2和51电视频道之间的空白频段没有连接到卫星或有线电视服务，这提供了一个不可多得的机会，可以为所有美国人提供普遍的无线宽带接入。

威特写道，除此而外，开放这些频段还可以在现有宽带服务提供商之间营造市场所需的竞争局面。

记者没有联络到FCC就此置评。包括FCC主席凯文•马丁(Kevin Martin)在内的大多数FCC委员此前都曾表示，他们支持利用空白频段，前提是所用技术足够成熟，不会干扰电视广播信号。

虽然这并非谷歌首次敦促FCC开放空白频段，但考虑到谷歌参与了刚刚结束的无线频段拍卖，此次的公开信还是值得注意。在拍卖中，谷歌竞标输给了Verizon Wireless，但谷歌已说服FCC批准了一项开放接入条款，允许用户在一部分频段上随意使用电话或软件。Verizon Wireless是Verizon Communications Inc.和沃达丰空中通讯公司(Vodafone Group PLC)的合资企业。

广告谷歌正在开发一款名为Android的移动电话软件，有几家设备制造商在自己即将推出的手机上使用了该软件。威特在一个电话会议上表示，谷歌研发的样机模型并非针对“空白频段”而设计，但他同时也指出，未使用的频段“非常适合”目前还没有得到有效频段的Android手机。

电视广播公司反对利用空白频段，担心那会干扰电视节目，还会导致明年统一从模拟信号转为数字信号时出现问题。

但谷歌在信中敦促FCC采用“频段感应”等一系列旨在防止信号互相干扰的交叉技术。威特说，谷歌也愿意提供必要的技术支持以实现这些计划，同时不会向第三方收取任何费用。

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