The technology companies, which have submitted a prototype device to the Federal Communications Commission for testing, say their aim is to make broadband Internet connections accessible and affordable to millions more Americans.
Broadcasters, though, fear the unproven device could interfere with TV service, and even some technology experts have reservations about how well the device will actually perform. Matters could get even more complicated, broadcasters say, when the industry switches from analog to digital signals in 2009.
At the center of this dispute are unused and unlicensed TV airwaves, part of the spectrum known as "white spaces." These white spaces are located between channels 2 and 51 on televisions that aren't hooked up to satellite or cable, though use of these services would not preclude anyone from accessing the Internet over unused spectrum in their region.
