FCC Will Begin White Space Database Tests On Sep 19, 2011

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-

“Wi-Fi on steroids” Promised With FCC's Vote On White Spaces

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Yesterday FCC concluded with the final technical rules regarding the whitespaces, the empty airwaves between "broadcast" TV channels. Many people, including Google, thinks it will lead to a wide spread WiFI deployments, servicing the communities all across America. We do not hesitate to call that, “Wi-Fi on steroids”

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. In particular, this spectrum can provide robust infrastructure to serve the needs of under-deployed rural areas, as well as first responders and others in the public safety community. Moreover, use of this spectrum will enable much-needed competition to the incumbent broadband service providers.{Specially Cable Carriers, like to be giants Comcast-NBC U Merger}

FCC already conducted WHITE SPACE PROTOTYPE TESTING, in 2008 and for several years since then, the tech industry, the public interest community, and entrepreneurs were waiting for the green light to begin innovating and building new products for these airwaves on an unlicensed basis. Some like Google even conducted their own trials.
FCC’s order issued yesterday finally sets the stage for the next generation of wireless technologies to emerge, and is an important victory for Internet users across the country.

Today’s focus is on unlicensed spectrum, which offers unique opportunities to innovators and entrepreneurs. Today’s Order marks the Commission’s first significant release of unlicensed spectrum in 25 years.
This new unlicensed spectrum will be a powerful platform for innovation. And as we’ve seen time and again, when we unleash American ingenuity, great things happen. We know from experience that unlicensed spectrum can trigger unexpected but hugely beneficial innovation. For example, years ago, there was a band of low-quality spectrum that was lying fallow. Nobody could figure out what to do with this so-called “junk band,” so the FCC decided to free it up as unlicensed spectrum.
The result was a wave of new technologies – baby monitors, cordless phones, and eventually a real game changer: Wi-Fi. Today, Wi-Fi is a multi-billion industry and an essential part of the mobile ecosystem." said the FCC Chairman Genachowski in an statement

We need to take our hats off for Chairman Genachowski and his fellow Commissioners for adopting rules that ultimately will lead to better and faster wireless broadband connections in the hands of the public. Most notable is the fact that the FCC seems to have rejected calls to enact burdensome and unnecessary constraints that would have restricted anything on these airwaves. FCC has chosen common-sense rules that will help encourage innovation, while fully safeguarding incumbent signals from interference.
Next step will be to assign administrators of the geolocation database, following up with the ground rules for its operation. Once these are accomplished, we all can expect to find devices and ways to utilize the found pathway to the NET.
FCC Announcement DOC, PDF

USA Becomes A Also-Ran Broadband Country - ITIF International Broadband Rankings And How We Could Change.

Click on the image for a readable size

ITIF International Broadband Rankings (2008) http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a US-based not-for-profit organisation has published the 2008 ITIF International Broadband Rankings. (PDF)
South Korea (Country Profile PFD) is the top ranked country in the world with 93 percent adoption with average download bandwith of 49.5 Mbps and at a cost per Mbps being US $ 0.37. Read the country profile to find out how they managed it.Japan (Country Profile PDF) leads in both download speed (63.6 Mbps) and lowest cost (US $ 0.13).
Contrary to some analysts and advocates claim, the United States’ broaband ranking has fallen steadily for this decade. The country is now 15th in 30 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, dropping from 12th position in 2007. The chard belows shows the OECD ranking of the same countries and again USA is #15.
IETF recommend that U.S. policymakers take the following steps:

1. Enact more favorable tax policies to encourage investment in broadband networks, such as accelerated depreciation and exempting broadband services from federal, state, and local taxation.

2. Continue to make more spectrum, including “white spaces,” available for next-generation wireless data networks.

3. Expand the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service Broadband Program and target the program to places that currently do not have non-satellite broadband available.

4. Reform the federal Universal Service Fund program to extend support for rural broadband to all carriers, and consider providing the funding through a reverse auction mechanism.

5. Fund a national program to co-fund state-level broadband support programs, such as Connect Kentucky or North Carolina e-NC Authority.

6. Promote the widespread use of a national, user-generated, Internet-based broadband mapping system that would track location, speed, and price of broadband.

7. State and local governments should take action to make it easier for providers to deploy broadband services, including making it easier to access rights-of-way.

To encourage the growth of consumer demand for broadband, we recommend that U.S. policymakers take these steps:

8. Support initiatives around the nation to encourage broadband usage and digital literacy.

9. Fund a revitalized Technology Opportunities Program, with a particular focus on the development of nationally scalable Web-based projects that address particular social needs, including law enforcement, health care, education, and access for persons with disabilities.

10. Exempt broadband Internet access from federal, state, and local taxes.

11. Support new applications, including putting more public content online, improving e-government, and supporting telework, telemedicine, and online learning programs.

Google to FCC, Let Us Make Some Digital Noise In That White Space.

Following is the file submitted by Google regarding the white space in TV Broadcasts. Google would like this space offered in a dynamic fashion, highest bidder at the time will receive the broadcasting medium for the given time slot. The white spaces are currently goes unused and TV Broadcasters are reluctant to let this space go. FCC already conducted WHITE SPACE PROTOTYPE TESTING, earlier this year. In any case the submission below is a good reading and you may find some valuable information, including some business acumen. To me it is all about getting your point across.

Ex Parte via Electronic Filing
Marlene H. Dortch

Office of the Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554

Re: Authorized Ex Parte Contact – Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Bands (ET Docket No. 04-186)

Dear Ms. Dortch:
Google Inc. (“Google”), by its attorney, respectfully submits this ex parte letter in the above-referenced docket. We herein present our plans for mobile broadband services using the TV “white space,” along with an enhanced spectrum protection proposal that we are confident will eliminate any remaining legitimate concerns about the merits of using the white space for unlicensed personal/portable devices.

TV white space: unique opportunity, unique benefits

As Google has pointed out previously, the vast majority of viable spectrum in this country simply goes unused, or else is grossly underutilized. Our nation typically uses only about five percent of one of our most precious resources. Unlike other natural resources, there is no benefit to allowing this spectrum to lie fallow. The airwaves can provide huge economic and social gains if used more efficiently, as seen today with the relatively tiny slices utilized by mobile phones and WiFi services.

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. In particular, this spectrum can provide robust infrastructure to serve the needs of under-deployed rural areas, as well as first responders and others in the public safety community. Moreover, use of this spectrum will enable much-needed competition to the incumbent broadband service providers.

Google’s plans for open mobile platforms

Google is working diligently to lay the technological groundwork so that Americans may begin to see the benefits of utilizing this unused spectrum for wireless Internet access. There are several interrelated components to our current plans:

(1) In our December 17, 2007 letter to the Commission, we explained that we see considerable utility in a network that combines elements of both fixed/access unlicensed devices and personal/portable unlicensed devices. This “hybrid” approach will join together the tangible benefits of mobility, low cost, and ease of installation and use.

(2) Coupled with the “Android” open source platform for mobile consumer devices, TV white spaces can provide uniquely low-cost mobile broadband coverage for all Americans. As announced last fall, over thirty other companies are working with Google through the Open Handset Alliance to develop a fully open source software stack, including the operating system, middleware, and user applications. Android-powered handsets should begin appearing commercially later this year, and would be an excellent match for the TV white space.

(3) In the 700 MHz auction proceeding, Google advocated for openness at various network layers. In the context of TV white space, consumers will be able to enjoy robust access to the Internet, including the ability to download and utilize any lawful applications or content that is desired.

(4) Google also would be willing to provide, at no cost to third parties, the technical support necessary to make these plans happen; this could include intellectual property and reference designs for underlying technologies, open geo-databases maintained by Google, and other supporting infrastructure. Of course we welcome others as well with an interest in helping to provide such support.

No risk: an enhanced spectrum protection proposal

There are many ways to safely and reliably protect DTVs and wireless microphones, not all of which require spectrum sensing. Last fall, Motorola submitted a proposal in this proceeding that relies on a combination of geo-location (to protect broadcast TV) and beacons (to protect wireless microphones) Google believes both concepts, along with a “safe harbor” approach, should be seriously considered for incorporation into the FCC’s service requirements for the spectrum.

Under our own enhanced protection proposal, a TV white space device will not transmit on a channel until it first has received an "all clear" signal for that channel, either directly from a database of licensed transmitters in that area, or from a geo-located device with access to that database. That “permission to transmit” signal (at a maximum power level of 4W EIRP) would be sent on channels the geo-located device already knows are clear of licensed users. Any device without geo-location and database access would not transmit at all, unless and until it has successfully received advance permission from such a device.

Further, all TV white space devices would be blocked from transmitting by any wireless microphone beacon in that channel, using signals specifically designed to be easy to reliably detect, and coded to be identifiable to prevent abuse. These beacons should be quite inexpensive, and would be used in conjunction with existing wireless microphones, so there would be no need to replace legacy devices.

In addition, we are proposing a "safe harbor" for wireless microphones in channels 36-38. No TV white space device would be permitted to transmit in these channels. This will also protect medical telemetry devices and radio astronomy services, which are licensed to use channel 37.

Even in the absence of spectrum sensing, then, these enhanced measures should be more than adequate to protect all licensed uses.

Politics as usual: a potential stumbling block to the future

It is an unfortunate, yet not surprising, fact that some entities prefer the comfort of the past to the promise of the future, and use their influence to convince policymakers to protect legacy applications -- at any and all costs. Technological innovation, and the significant changes it brings, can be a scary prospect for some. But it should not be the government’s role to protect the status quo, especially by blocking access to the new.

Clearly the rules for unlicensed use of TV white spaces should be written to amply protect licensed uses, while permitting useful services to be deployed. Those rules should include important constraints like reasonable detection thresholds, power limits, spectral masks, and geo-location requirements. But those rules should not select any particular technology. Nor should rulemaking be contingent on the existence of any specific technology implementing those rules. And certainly the TV white space should not be "earmarked" for any particular use or users, as has been proposed by some cellular carriers for their use specifically as backhaul (which, as we already have pointed out, would be a particularly inefficient use of this spectrum).

In short, FCC rules should specify only what is allowed, not how that result is to be achieved, or by whom. Much like the Internet itself, the agency’s specifications should as much as possible enable “innovation without permission” (although with necessary technical constraints). For example, the Part 15 rules permitting WiFi were written years before the IEEE 802.11 technology was even contemplated, much less existed. If those rules had been contingent on the pre-existence of WiFi, one of the most successful and efficient uses of spectrum in the history of wireless communications likely never would have happened.

The state of testing and the state of the technology

Much has been made of recent issues with third party equipment in the OET's spectrum sensing tests. In our view, particularly in light of our enhanced protection proposal, these issues should be moot. Simply put, no product will come to market unless the FCC can verify that the device does not interfere with TV or wireless microphone signals. And the combination of geo-location, beacons, and “safe harbors” is more than sufficient to ensure the protection of all licensed uses.

Spectrum sensing already has demonstrated its effectiveness in other settings. In fact, spectrum sensing capabilities are being deployed and used extensively in the field, and are being relied on to protect America’s troops and our national defense. Widely used 802.11a-based WiFi currently supports spectrum sensing to protect military radar from interference. Moreover, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) neXt Generation (XG) program has graduated from lab experiments to field use of the technology. Both examples represent an important existence proof for the viability of spectrum sensing, where the risks of failure inarguably are far greater than those potentially posed to broadcast TV and wireless microphones.

Creating a glidepath: TV white spaces as a spectrum sensing testbed

Google is a firm believer in the capabilities of spectrum sensing. Nonetheless, in order to clarify the record on the use of spectrum sensing on a standalone basis for unlicensed devices, the Commission should consider issuing a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to address any lingering questions.

In particular, while using a combination of geo-location and beacons guarantees more than adequate levels of protection for all licensed uses, the TV white space also could provide a way of validating the spectrum sensing concept. By using spectrum sensing as well as geo-location/beacons, and reporting back to a central database any discrepancies, there will be more than enough data for the FCC unambiguously to validate spectrum sensing as a viable technology. This would be a much larger sample size than otherwise would be possible with any testing program, and would be backed up by geo-location and beacons, so no harm could come during this provisional period. Once enough confirmatory data has been obtained, we can begin relying exclusively on spectrum sensing, under more permissive FCC rules that do not depend on geo-location or beacons.

The vast promise of spectrum sensing technologies

Modern spectrum sensing technologies enabled by low-cost computers in communications devices can provide one obvious mechanism for restoring our nation's spectrum resource to practical use. These technologies allow devices to use spectrum on a secondary basis without interfering or causing any harm to primary users or uses.

Once demonstrated in the TV white spaces, this method can become the technical basis for extending spectrum sensing to other bands, and perhaps ultimately to all bands.

A specific approach to increasing the efficiency of spectrum utilization is our "dynamic auction" proposal. One form this potentially could take, enabled by spectrum sensing technologies, is a real-time airwaves auction model:
For each available spectrum band, the licensee could bestow the right to transmit an amount of power for a unit of time, with the total amount of power in any location being limited to a specified cap. This cap would be enforced by measurements made by the communications devices. For channel capacity efficiency reasons, bands should be allocated in as large chunks as possible. The airwaves auction would be managed via the Internet by a central clearinghouse.

This large amount of spectrum, coupled with advanced signal processing techniques made practical by the exponential growth in computing power (Moore's law), can make data rates in the gigabits-per-second available in the not-to-distant future. As a result, we soon could see a low-cost and open infrastructure, supporting a near-unlimited bandwidth Internet service, improving every year as computer and radio technologies continue to evolve. This would be akin to a faster, longer range, higher data rate WiFi service – “WiFi 2.0” if you will.

Conclusion: The future is now

We appreciate the opportunity to discuss Google’s mobile broadband service plans, and our enhanced spectrum protection proposal. While we continue to believe that spectrum sensing alone is more than sufficient to protect the legitimate concerns of the broadcasters and wireless microphone communities, we are willing to go considerably farther in order to secure a positive outcome for all. The value of the TV white space to all Americans simply is too great to allow this unique opportunity to be blocked by unfounded fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.

Respectfully submitted,
Richard S. Whitt, Esq.
Washington Telecom and
Media Counsel
Google Inc. Google to FCC, Let Us Make Some Digital Noise In That White Space.

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