Super WiFi tests http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
FCC announced that it will begin testing a new database of that will allow a bunch of new gadgets, devices and systems to traverse the white space airwaves and determine if they could participate in the
Super WiFi initiative that the agency, nearly a year ago.
The tests will continue for 45 days but could extend if FCC determines that it is necessary. Wireless MIc and cable operators are invited to register with the database to test it.
The
site for testing Spectrum Bridge is up but if you visit it you will find that the links are not alive yet. I guess it will become really liVe on Now. 19TH.
Office of Engineering and Technology Announces the Opening of Public Testing for Spectrum Bridge's TV Band Database System
ET Docket No. 04-186
The Commission's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) announces
that on September 19, 2011, it will commence a 45-day public trial of
Spectrum Bridge Inc.'s TV band database system. This is a limited trial
that is intended principally to allow the public to access and test
Spectrum Bridge's database system to ensure that it correctly identifies
channels that are available for unlicensed TV band devices, properly
registers those facilities entitled to protection, and provides
protection to authorized services and registered facilities as specified
in the rules. We encourage all interested parties to test the database
and provide appropriate feedback to Spectrum Bridge.
The Commission's Part 15 rules (47 C.F.R. § 15.701 et seq.) require
that unlicensed TV band devices contact an authorized database system to
obtain a list of channels that are available for their operation (i.e.,
channels not occupied by authorized radio services) at their individual
locations and must operate only on those channels. Such devices are
required to provide their geographic location, by means of a secure
Internet connection, to a TV band database system authorized by the
Commission. The database will then return a list of the channels
available for operation by the device for its reported location.
As part of its authorization process for TV band database systems, the
Commission stated that each database will be subject to a public trial
period of not less than 45 days to ensure that the database is providing
accurate results before it is allowed to be made available for regular
public use. OET has examined Spectrum Bridge's channel availability
calculator and finds that it is ready for trial testing by the public.
Trial Access and Details
Parties may participate in the trial by accessing Spectrum Bridge's TV
band database test facility at:
http://whitespaces.spectrumbridge.com/Trial.aspx. This website provides a
description of the trial, instructions for participation, details on
use of the database system, access to the database's various
capabilities, and a link for providing feedback to Spectrum Bridge. Note
that the test facility will not be active before the date the trial is
scheduled to commence.
During this trial, participants are encouraged to test
• the channel availability calculator;
• the cable headend and broadcast auxiliary temporary receive site registration utilities; and
• the wireless microphone registration utility
to ensure that each of these elements of the database system is
working properly and providing the interference protection required
under our rules.
In addition, participants are encouraged to report any inaccuracies or
other issues with any aspect of the database system to Spectrum Bridge
through the response facility on the trial's website. Spectrum Bridge
will respond, as appropriate, to such reports with an explanation and
notification of any responsive actions it may take, as appropriate.
During the trial, Spectrum Bridge may apply any corrective measures it
determines are needed and will advise participants of such measures
through the trial's website.
As indicated above, the trial of the Spectrum Bridge database system
is currently scheduled to last for 45 days and will end on November 2,
2011. However, if the results of the trial indicate that additional
testing is necessary, OET may extend the trial period.
After the close of the trial, Spectrum Bridge will provide a summary
report to OET that identifies: (1) problems reported and their
disposition; and (2) descriptions of changes made to the channel
availability calculator or registration systems. Once Spectrum Bridge
submits its report, we will provide a short period of time for
interested parties to submit comments on the report. Note that the
successful performance of the database system through this trial is only
one element in the commission's evaluation of a system for approval to
operate. Other requirements for TV band database systems are set forth
in 47 C.F.R. 15.701 et seq. and OET's January 26, 2011 Order on TV band
database administrators (see Order in ET Docket No. 04-186, DA 11-131).
OET would grant final approval for Spectrum Bridge to operate its
database system with certified TV band devices once it determines that
the system complies with all of the applicable rules and requirements.
The public will be informed of such decision through a Public Notice.
The FCC rules require that TV band database systems protect the
following radio services: (1) broadcast television stations (including
full power, TV translator, low power TV, and Class A stations); (2)
fixed broadcast auxiliary service links; (3) receive sites (and received
channels) of TV translator, low power TV and Class A TV stations and
multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs); (4) private land
mobile radio service and commercial mobile radio service operations; (5)
offshore radio telephone service operations; (6) radio astronomy
operations at specific sites; and (7) low power auxiliary service
operations (principally licensed and certain approved unlicensed
wireless microphone venue sites). Except for MVPD receive sites, sites
where licensed wireless microphones are used, and approved unlicensed
wireless microphone venues, the necessary protection data will either be
extracted by Spectrum Bridge from the Commission's databases or are
specified in the rules. Operators of facilities for which information is
contained in the Commission's records or provided in the rules do not
need to take any action to obtain protection from TV band devices.
Operators of MVPD receive sites and wireless microphones users must
specifically register their sites to receive protection from TV band
devices. As required under the rules, Spectrum Bridge is providing a
registration capability for these facilities. These registration
capabilities are available through the database test facility at:
http://whitespaces.spectrumbridge.com/Trial.aspx. The rules also provide
that responsible parties may request that the Commission approve
registrations for protection of venues where large numbers of unlicensed
wireless microphones are used. Such requests for registration will
first be made available for public comment, and the Commission will
subsequently review them for approval. However, the Commission has not
yet completed the development of its process for acceptance and approval
of registrations for these venues. In the interim and for purposes of
this trial, Spectrum Bridge, with OET's approval, has implemented a test
registration capability for registration of venues where unlicensed
wireless microphones are used; this test registration capability is also
available through Spectrum Bridge's the database test facility.
Registrations for MVPD receive sites, sites where licensed wireless
microphones are used, and venues where large numbers of wireless
microphones are used that are made during the trial period will be
deleted by Spectrum Bridge after the trial. Parties will be able to
register their MVPD receive sites and sites where licensed wireless
microphones are used in the database once general operation of the
database for use by TV band devices is approved and implemented. Parties
responsible for venues where large numbers of wireless microphones are
used will need to request registration approval by the Commission once
the Commission's process for that function is activated. We encourage
parties responsible for MVPD receive sites and licensed wireless
microphone operations to enter trial registrations and make use of these
capabilities in their testing of Spectrum Bridge's database. OET will
provide notice of, and time for, affected parties to enter active
registrations into Spectrum Bridge's database during the process for
final approval of the Spectrum Bridge database system for full
operation. We also note that once one or more additional database
systems are approved and active, all registrations entered with a given
database will be communicated to the other database(s) so that
registrations will not need to be entered with multiple databases.
The TV bands database systems are the subject of a docketed
proceeding, ET Docket No. 04-186, and responses to the trial of Spectrum
Bridge's database system conducted pursuant to this public notice may
be filed with the Commission at any time using the FCC's Electronic
Comment Filing System (ECFS) as described below. A simplified interface
for ECFS has been implemented to facilitate consumer comment. Documents
filed on ECFS may be accessed and reviewed on that system, which
contains copies of written submissions and summaries of oral submissions
regarding the white spaces proceeding.
Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR
§§ 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments and reply
comments on the trial of Spectrum Bridge's database system at any time
during and after the trial period. Comments may be filed using the
Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic
Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998).
• Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the
Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/.
• Paper Filers: Parties that choose to file by paper must file an
original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket or
rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must
submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking
number.
Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial
overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service
mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary,
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
• All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the
Commission's Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th
St., SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00
a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber
bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before
entering the building.
• Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express
Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol
Heights, MD 20743.
• U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington DC 20554.
People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats
for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files,
audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer
& Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432
(tty).
All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Marlene
H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission,
445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. Parties should also send a
copy of their filings to Hugh L. Van Tuyl, Office of Engineering and
Technology, Federal Communications Commission, Room 7-A162, 445 12th
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554, or by e-mail to Hugh.VanTuyl@fcc.gov.
Parties must also serve one copy with the Commission's copy contractor,
Best Copy and Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW,
Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 488-5300, or via e-mail to
fcc@bcpiweb.com.
Documents in ET Docket No. 04-186 are available for public inspection
and copying during business hours at the FCC Reference Information
Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY A257, Washington, DC
20554. The documents may also be purchased from BCPI, telephone (202)
488-5300, facsimile (202) 488-5563, TTY (202) 488-5562, e-mail
fcc@bcpiweb.com.
Questions regarding this Public Notice may be directed to Alan
Stillwell at (202) 418-2470 or Hugh L. Van Tuyl at (202) 418-7506.
By the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology.
-FCC-
