Washington - Google (NASD: GOOG) on Monday sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), urging the agency to allow unused portions of the TV spectrum -- or "white space" -- to be used to provide wireless Internet access nationwide. "The unique qualities of the TV white space -- unused spectrum, large amounts of bandwidth, and excellent propagation characteristics -- offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide ubiquitous wireless broadband access to all Americans," Richard Whitt, Google's Washington telecom and media counsel, writes in the letter.

Google did not come out a winner in the FCC's recent 700 MHz spectrum auction, which awarded the major chunks up for grabs to Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T (NYSE: T).

Along with Google, fellow technology firms including Microsoft (NASD: MSFT), Intel (NASD: INTC) and Philips (NYSE: PHG) have lobbied the FCC to open up white space for broadband.

Google and others have also already submitted prototype mobile devices to the FCC that would be able to access the Internet via white space spectrum.

The main opposition to the idea of using white space for broadband comes from TV broadcasters, who fear the use of TV spectrum for such a service would create interference, and hamper the impending transition to digital broadcasting.

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