Another day, another inbox full of white spaces-related press releases.

Election Day is just six days away, but so is a scheduled vote at the Federal Communications Commission on a white spaces rule, and both sides are up in arms. Depending on who you ask, the vote on this issue is either too premature or long overdue.

For those who have not been following the issue, white spaces are bits of unused spectrum between TV channels that Internet companies such as Google and Microsoft want to use for mobile broadband purposes. This spectrum will open up once broadcasters switch from analog to digital TV signals in February 2009, and advocates are anxious to take advantage of this powerful spectrum.

However, broadcasters, led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), are convinced that using white spaces for broadband purposes will disrupt TV signals.

After months of testing, the FCC is not too concerned and gave conditional support to a plan that will allow certain white spaces devices to come to market in the near future. That plan will be the subject of the Nov. 4 vote.

NAB wants the FCC to delay and open up a public comment period; advocates want it to proceed immediately. Who are the latest groups, members of Congress, and entertainers to weigh in on the topic?

Just a few of those who oppose are TV set manufacturers, the MGM Mirage, and Sen. Hillary Clinton. Supporting? Cell phone and computer manufacturers, Google, and Dell.

Snippets from letters sent in the past few days to the FCC and Congress after the jump.

HOLD OFF ON WHITE SPACES:

LG Electronics, Mitsubishi Digital Electronic, Panasonic North America, Samsung Electronics, TTE Corporation
"These unlicensed devices can neither be recalled nor reengineered if the commission does not get its rules right the first time, and the massive investments in DTV equipment already made by consumers and industry in the DTV transition, as encouraged by the FCC and the Federal government, also stand at risk."

NAB president and CEO David Rehr

"Broadcasters want to emphasize that we do not oppose the use of vacant channels in the television broadcast bands. We support the concept of geo-location in combination with an accurate database as a method of avoiding interference with television broadcasts and wireless microphones. However, spectrum sensing alone, as the data within the OET report actually show, does not provide adequate interference protection."

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.
"I share your goals of expanding rural broadband access, improving emergency and public safety communications, and offering more advanced services to mobile technology consumers. [But] given the indispensable role that wireless technologies have for New York's industries - whether they are wireless microphones for our Broadway performers or for the players and coaches of the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and Super Bowl champion New York Giants - I believe that these interference questions should be addressed first."

J. Terrence Lanni, chairman and CEO, MGM Mirage
"The audio production of a modern show on the Las Vegas Strip, or anywhere live entertainment is hosted at large venues, is premised on the availability of wireless microphone systems operating in unassigned TV channels. The very first day producers design a show it is decided how many systems are needed, how many channels are needed to host those systems, and what frequencies are available in those channels to meet the show's demands. If these proposed new devices fail to protect wireless microphone operation, virtually every convention center, concert hall, and wedding chapel across the country would be negatively impacted.

Group of 28 Democratic and Republican House members "The commission's usual practice of seeking public comment prior to adopting a major rule should be not disregarded on an issue of this magnitude and in light of the discrepancy between the OET data and the public conclusions put forth in your plan."

APPROVE IT NOW:

Craig Mundie, Microsoft chief research and strategy officer
"This proceeding has been open for over 4 years. The FCC has taken over a year to do field and lab tests and has received 32,811 comments which have helped it to develop proposed rules. The reports of the FCC's proposed rules suggest that they have taken a much stricter approach than even the conservative proposals made by white spaces advocates. From what we understand, the draft order includes a substantial power reduction; reserves plenty of channels below channel 21 for wireless microphones; creates a reserved channel and emission mask for medical telemetry; and imposes severe adjacent channel limits. In light of the diligence with which the FCC has approached this proceeding there is simply no reason to further delay a decision."

Michael Dell, chairman and CEO, Dell Inc.
"Your approval of the white spaces order will trigger a boom in investment, job creation, and consumer demand in the high-tech sector, which has been the engine of our information economy. We fully anticipate seeing billions of dollars of much needed new investment support R&D and deployment for this exciting new technology."

Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO, Google
"Unfortunately, groups that have long opposed opening up the white spaces are now employing stalling tactics to derail the technology - before the FCC can write up rules for this spectrum. I urge you and your fellow commissioners to ignore these baseless entreaties."

Democratic Reps. Jay Inslee of Washington, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Anna Eshoo of California, as well as Republican Reps. Nathan Deal of Georgia, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and Mike Rogers of Michigan.
"The broadband potential offered by the white spaces remains too great an opportunity for there to be any further delay in concluding the proceeding and allocating the spectrum for unlicensed broadband uses. We are simply at a point in time in which we can no longer squander any available broadband opportunities. The Commission must take the next steps to make this spectrum available to our innovators to deliver new and interesting broadband opportunities to all consumers including those that live in underserved and rural areas."

Rural service providers and groups, including the Mountain Area Information Network and the Center for Rural Strategies
"These 'white spaces' devices may be our last best hope for a cost-effective bridge for our nation's urban-rural Digital Divide, a divide that is measured not simply by access to the Internet, but by access to high-quality, high-speed broadband services. The broadband needs of rural America have been neglected long enough."

Technology CEO Council, (Motorola, Dell, HP, Intel, IBM, EMC, and others)
"Broadband is critical to near-term economic growth and long-term national competitiveness. American citizens and students will benefit from connecting to the longer range, wireless services that become possible via "white space" spectrum, and we all stand to gain from increasing market-based competition among service providers and infrastructure builders."