The added big action on Nov. 4 is over wireless airwaves, and it pits tech stalwarts adjoin TV stations, evangelical preachers—even Dolly Parton

Besides the Presidential election, there's addition big political action brewing in Washington on Nov. 4. This one is over the airwaves that are acclimated to bear communications signals to consumers beyond the country, and like the chase for the White House, this challenge has created a big divide.

The aforementioned day that the country is acrimonious its next President, the Federal Communication Agency will adjudge whether to accomplish attainable a ample swath of airwaves for wireless accelerated Internet access. It would be the largest-ever abutting block of frequencies, aswell accepted as spectrum, doled out by the U.S. government for chargeless attainable use. Combatants on both abandon are out swinging.

Proponents awning FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and an odd agglomeration of tech heavyweights that includes Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Dell (DELL), Motorola (MOT), and Philips Electronics North America. The companies achievement the freed-up spectrum will activation appeal for wireless admission and the accessories and commercial that would abutment it.

Martin has already lined up the abutment he needs from two added commissioners, according to a getting accustomed with the matter. Still, action has aggregate beef in contempo days, abrogation some to brainstorm the vote on the affair may be delayed, if not ultimately defeated.

Broadcast Disruption?

The opposing band comprises even drifter bedfellows—from the National Association of Broadcasters, an industry accumulation that represents radio and TV stations, to electronics companies such as Qualcomm (QCOM) and LG Electronics. Even Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren and performers Guns N' Roses and Dolly Parton acquire advised in. "I don't apperceive all the legalese apropos this issue, so I've had some actual acute humans acquaint me about the legalities here," Parton writes in an Oct. 24 letter that begins on a aloof note. "This industry relies on wireless technology and is in accident of getting irreversibly devastated by the Commission's awaiting decision."

Parton's concern, and that of added opponents, is that new technology would agitate broadcasts and use of wireless microphones. Their aboriginal ambition is to get the FCC to adjournment its Nov. 4 vote. Even above Presidential applicant Senator Hillary Clinton apprenticed Martin in an Oct. 28 letter to accord "all due consideration" to apropos aloft by opponents of the move.

The FCC appears absorbed on captivation to its Nov. 4 time frame. On Oct. 29 the agency issued a affair calendar that includes affairs to aphorism on the airwaves, aswell accepted as white spaces, that are amid in amid channels acclimated for broadcasting TV signals. "The angle on TV white spaces is appointed for a vote Nov. 4," says an FCC spokesman. "We confused carefully with this proposal, we've taken into application attainable comments that acquire been provided over the accomplished several years." The FCC has accustomed added than 33,600 comments and will abide to acquire ascribe through Oct. 31.

Given the approaching change in Presidential administrations and the likelihood of new administration at the FCC, a diffuse adjournment could doom an action that's been in the works for added than four years, analysts say.

Why so abundant hand-wringing over white spaces? The airwaves, due to be freed up if TV channels about-face from analog to agenda in February, could acquiesce for the accelerated admeasurement of accelerated wireless casework that some allegorize to wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi—itself fabricated broadly attainable by agency of chargeless spectrum. The aboriginal Wi-Fi accessories became attainable at the alpha of the decade. Eight years later, sales of Wi-Fi accessory and casework add up to $10 billion a year, according to consulting close ABI Research.

A aggregation like Google would accretion from affairs advertisements on Web sites that would be that abundant added attainable as a aftereffect of chargeless or bargain wireless Web access. Software and accouterments makers angle to account from sales of the accessories and added accessories bare to affix users to the wireless Web. "I'd anticipate [white spaces] is a comparable-sized market," says Steve Sharkey, chief administrator of spectrum and authoritative action at Motorola.

Web admission via white spaces may be even bigger than accepted versions of Wi-Fi. The airwaves can biking best distances and admission walls and foliage abundant bigger than accepted Wi-Fi technologies. While Wi-Fi can axle signals aural a 300-foot radius, a individual white amplitude admission point ability be able to awning two to four times that distance, depending on how the FCC crafts its rules. In some instances, accompanying networks may even be able to awning several aboveboard miles. "Consumers didn't acquire this affectionate of able technology in their easily before," says Kursat Kimyacioglu, administrator of wireless business development at Philips Research.

Cheaper Broadband

Proponents say the spectrum could be acclimated for a new abundance of Wi-Fi, acclimated to axle video from one accessory to addition aural a individual home, or even through a accomplished neighborhood. A ancestors may be able to forward a home video or a feature blur anon to its neighbors. Workers could use the arrangement to canyon assets or maps throughout a factory. "The scenarios are endless," says Microsoft's authoritative counsel, Paula Boyd.

Google aswell sees this technology getting acclimated to set up cheaper broadband networks nationwide, decidedly in rural areas. "Wi-Fi opened the aperture to cerebration about adaptable Web," says Richard Whitt, Washington telecom and media admonition for Google. "It was affectionate of a aftertaste of what can be available. We do see this as a absolute technology leap." If the FCC issues a favorable accommodation on Nov. 4, the aboriginal white-spaces accessories could arise on the bazaar aural 18 to 24 months.

Google aswell sees white spaces as a way of adopting antagonism in the wireless arena. "It can affect the way the bounden players administer their own networks so they don't bind admission to applications and the Internet," Whitt says. TV providers could see online video eat into their broadcasting business as well.

Broadcasters see abeyant for arrest with their own signals and wireless microphones, however. Even an FCC-commissioned address accustomed the abeyant for interference, about small. "We are allurement the agency to adjournment the vote for a ages or two," says Dennis Wharton, a agent for the National Association of Broadcasters. "Why should Google and Microsoft get this spectrum for free?"

In years past, broadcasters agitated a lot of weight in Washington, says Craig Mathias, architect of wireless consulting close Farpoint Group. On Nov. 4 they'll acquisition out whether, and by how much, their access has waned.