The Bush administration, seeking to make more efficient use of the nation’s dwindling supply of airwaves, took another step toward creating a test bed for sharing spectrum among federal agencies, commercial users and state and local governments.
But even with an advisory committee’s recommendations last week on the broad parameters of the test-bed, the project remains very much a work-in-progress as key technical, legal, economic and testing issues having yet to be resolved. For example, there remains differences over whether testing in lightly occupied frequencies in rural areas is preferable to urban areas. The latter might better simulate real-world conditions, but could complicate testing itself. Moreover, there is the question of money. Federal agencies may not have the budgets to participate in the test-bed and may need private-sector support. But commercial entities themselves likely will require incentives for the investment required.
The idea for a spectrum-sharing pilot, whose results could have major implications, grew out of an ambitious Bush spectrum initiative in 2003 that to date has produced few tangible results. The only deliverable the administration can point to is the June 2006 directive that requires federal agencies to pursue cost-effective, spectrally efficient solutions in future telecom procurements.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a unit of the Commerce Department, and the Federal Communications Commission each are tasked with identifying about 10 megahertz of spectrum for test bed. Public comments have been filed with both agencies on the matter. It remains unclear when NTIA and the FCC will name the frequency bands for the test-bed.
Room for hope
Still, there is room for optimism. The Department of Defense and high-tech industry succeeded in developing a dynamic frequency technology that would allow greater unlicensed use-for Wi-Fi, for example-in the 5 GHz band without interfering with military radars.
Shared Spectrum Co., a Vienna, Va., company, is working with the DoD to develop wireless products capable of grabbing hold of unoccupied frequencies across a broad swath of frequencies. Shared Spectrum sees the greatest potential for spectrum sharing below 1 GHz.
Cellular pioneer Marty Cooper, a member of the NTIA advisory committee and executive chairman of ArrayCom L.L.C., questioned whether the Bush administration is missing the big picture. “There are [spectrum efficient] technologies out there,” Cooper said. If those technologies were widely utilized, observed Cooper, perhaps there would not be a need for a high-profile advisory committee to erect a spectrum sharing test-bed. Moreover, Cooper said the situation likely will only be exacerbated by upcoming auction of prime 700 MHz spectrum that winning bidders will deploy the “old way.” As such, Cooper said the government is relieving pressure on the private sector to adopt more efficient wireless technologies.
NTIA chief John Kneuer replied it was unfair to prejudge how 700 MHz auction winners might utilize their spectrum. The four technologies and services identified for the test bed are dynamic access radio; broadband; airborne video; and mobile satellite service with an ancillary terrestrial component. Of those four, cognitive radio and broadband satisfied all eight test-bed selection criteria set by NTIA advisory panel.
Last week, that panel issued draft recommendations on the test bed. They include the following:
- The test-bed should be available for a wide variety of testing utilizing a variety of technologies.
- To the extent feasible, there should be multiple test beds located in different geographic areas to permit simultaneous testing of different, potentially incompatible, technologies.
- Test-beds should be authorized pursuant to Part 5 of FCC rules.
- The test-bed program should be controlled by the government and should not become a vehicle for endorsing a single, proprietary technology.
- Initial test-beds may be most effectively tested in less congested spectrum environments; ultimately test beds may tackle more congested spectrum settings.
- The sharing promoted by test-bed technologies should first be aimed at less congested and thus less utilized bands, where the potential increase in efficiencies through sharing are most dramatic.
- Applicants for test-bed participation must demonstrate that the proposed experiment will not cause harmful interference to any incumbent operator.
- Public reports detailing the progress and, ultimately, the final results of the test bed should be required.
- Given the spectrum policy initiative’s emphasis on public safety and homeland security, special attention in the test-bed process should be given to technologies that would facilitate spectrum sharing between the federal government and state/local public safety entities.
