WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission said it believes fixed-low-power devices can operate in the vacant TV spectrum after the transition to digital TV is completed, set for 2009.
The vacant TV channels are set aside to protect TV broadcasters from interference, and are known as white spaces.
One surprising piece of the government’s ruling is that the agency is asking whether licensed uses should be allowed in the white spaces, and if the FCC should auction the spectrum. Up until last week’s decision, the general assumption was that the FCC would only authorize unlicensed operations in the white spaces.
“The FCC looks at making sure we have a balance of licensed and unlicensed uses. Licensed and unlicensed have different benefits and different pluses and minuses and we try to make sure we have spectrum available for licensed use and we try to make sure we have some spectrum available for unlicensed use. I think we try and find a balance for that,” FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told reporters following the meeting. “This one doesn’t have a tentative conclusion, but we are asking what would be the best use of this spectrum from both a technical perspective and a policy perspective. Would it be better if it was put forth in a licensed or unlicensed manner? We’ll seek comment. We’ll ask questions on it and then we will make a decision after we have had a chance to deliberate the issues that are raised.”
Both Democrats on the commission, Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, said they would have preferred tentatively concluding that only unlicensed be allowed in the white spaces.
“Unlicensed uses most closely approach the ideal of the people’s airwaves, to be used in direct service of the public interest. With our recent advanced wireless services auction and the upcoming 700 MHz auction, we are opening up a huge swath of prime spectrum to licensed use and it seems to me, on the present record, that the appropriate balance is to open up the TV white spaces to unlicensed use,” said Copps.
The FCC has yet to decide whether personal mobile devices, such a personal digital assistants, will be allowed to operate in the band, except to say that mobile devices will not be allowed on channels 14-20 because these channels are used by public safety in 13 cities. Radio astronomers use channel 37, which is being kept off limits to fixed and mobile users. In addition, channels 52-69 are also off limits as that spectrum already has been reallocated to public safety users and set aside to be auctioned for commercial wireless use.
FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate stressed this was only a first step.
Broadcasters have fought against allowing anyone to use the white spaces, while consumer electronics companies and others have been pushing the FCC to complete the rules.
The Senate Commerce Committee has consistently signaled its support for using the DTV white spaces for unlicensed operations.
The New America Foundation, a think tank that has led the charge to make the TV white spaces available for unlicensed uses, estimates that between 40 percent and 80 percent of the TV spectrum would not be used once the DTV transition is completed. While the TV white-space allocation is not expected to be nationwide-since different channels are available in different TV markets-the concept would be the same across the country.
Proponents of allocating the TV white space for unlicensed use have said it would help meet President George Bush’s goal of universal, affordable broadband. Proponents believe that smart radios would ensure the TV white spaces could be used without causing interference to adjacent TV channels; the TV industry disagrees.
The FCC expects proponents of using the white spaces to submit technical tests proving that it will not cause interference to free-over-the-air TV, but the agency is also tasking its engineering staff to conduct its own tests.
Companies will not be allowed to market devices that operate in the band until the transition to DTV ends, set for Feb. 18, 2009.
