Satellite Radio Resists FCC Airwave Proposal
A Federal Communications Commission plan to expand wireless Internet access is raising the ire of Sirius XM Radio Inc. (SIRI) and its fans, who are concerned the effort to end a 13-year fight may interfere with satellite-radio programming.
The FCC is proposing to make it easier for the winners of a 1997 airwaves auction to use those airwaves for mobile wireless Internet and phone use. Until now, a dispute about power levels and potential interference has meant the companies were limited in how they could use the airwaves they own.
The FCC is scheduled to vote on the proposal in May as part of a broader effort to devote more airwaves for wireless Internet services. A FCC spokeswoman declined to comment on the specifics of the proposal.
