BEIJING, Aug. 19 (Xinhuanet)-- Google on Monday launched a website FreetheAirwaves.com, as part of a campaign to rally support for its plan to open underutilized portions of the television broadcast spectrum for high-speed wireless Internet networking. 

    FreeTheAirwaves.com invites supporters to sign an online petition, and to record video testimonials and upload them onto YouTube.

    Google and its allies argue that opening the unused TV spectrum, called white space, to carry wireless Internet signals is crucial to making Internet access in the U.S. more affordable and more competitive with what's available elsewhere in the world.

    The National Association of Broadcasters has opposed the plan, saying that using white spaces for Internet signals will result in TV signal interference and will disrupt wireless microphones used at sporting and live events.

    Technical tests have been inconclusive, so far.

    In July, 2007, the the Federal Communications Commission's test of two prototype white space devices indicated that the devices caused interference with TV signals and wireless microphones.

    The FCC didn't immediately respond to a request to comment on whether improved prototypes have addressed interference issues.

(Agencies)