The National Football League (NFL) is indeed ready for some white spaces.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will test several white spaces devices at the August 9 pre-season game between the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills, to be held at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

The commission will then head to the Big Apple during the week of August 11 to test the devices during an undisclosed Broadway show.

In June, the NFL and ESPN offered up the use of their fields during game time ostensibly for "assistance and expertise," but the NFL has previously voiced its concern about the possibility of white spaces devices interfering with broadcasts of its football games, as well as the troubles some of the devices have encountered during testing.

When broadcasters shift from analog to digital signals in February 2009, there will be open, unregulated spectrum between the digital channels, or white spaces, that Internet companies like Google and Microsoft want to use for wireless broadband service. Broadcasters, however, believe that allowing access to this spectrum could disrupt TV signals.

The FCC in January started to test devices that can access white spaces. The commission has tested these devices - produced by Motorola, Philips, Microsoft, and Adaptrum - in the FCC labs, and recently moved to outdoor testing in the Washington, DC metro area.

Producers of sporting events or live stage shows are concerned that white spaces devices might interfere with the wireless microphones used by sports commentators as well as singers and actors onstage.

A coalition of music organizations including the Country Music Association, the Grand Ole' Opry, and MTV Networks submitted a joint filing to the FCC in June urging it not to act until the commission can adequately protect wireless microphones and DTV.

Last week, National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) also expressed its concern.

Initial results of prototype white space devices have "not been promising," NRB president and CEO Frank Wright said in a letter to the FCC. The group is also "disturbed to hear that some are saying that the rulemaking show proceed in anticipation of the new devices eventually being proved adequate."

Testing at the football game and on Broadway will be done before and during the actual live events, according to the FCC.