NAB and the Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV) sent a letter today to all 535 members of Congress, urging lawmakers to oppose opening broadcast spectrum to portable unlicensed devices.

Referencing a coalition of technology companies, which include Microsoft, Dell, Intel and Google, NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr and MSTV President David Donovan explained, "Unfortunately, the White Spaces Coalition is asking members of Congress and the FCC to pursue a policy that could jeopardize the success of the impending DTV transition."

The letter went on to say that “Opening up the digital broadcast spectrum to portable unlicensed devices as the White Spaces Coalition is proposing, however, would turn the DTV transition on its head. The coalition wants to allow millions of transmitting devices to operate on television frequencies, without a license.”

It then cited a March 30, 2007, FCC study that they said showed that interference from such unlicensed devices to digital TV sets will be substantial. “When analyzed, the FCC data indicates that digital television sets will be susceptible to interference from these devices in 80% to 87% of a typical television station's service area.”

And, it added, “the interference from unlicensed devices will not only affect television sets, but will also interfere with the digital-to-analog converter boxes that are necessary for the DTV transition to succeed.”

Listing the billions of dollars being spent by both government and the broadcast industry on making the analog-to-digital conversion, it said “it would be a monumental mistake to allow portable unlicensed devices into the broadcast spectrum before the transition was allowed to flourish and succeed.”