Following a 45-day trial earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology granted approval for Google to operate its white space administration tool, also known as the “TV bands database system.”
As part of the approval, Google is providing “facilities” for the registration of equipment designed to use spectrum in the white spaces, which is unused channels in the spectrum bands used by television broadcasters. The registration and administration process will allow users to see where spectrum may be available for use as well as to track the usage of equipment in those bands to ensure there is no interference with the television broadcasters.
The FCC noted that the specific rules for the space will protect broadcast television stations; fixed broadcast auxiliary service links; receive sites of “TV translator, low power TV, and Class A TV stations and multichannel video programming distributors; private land mobile and commercial mobile radio service operations; offshore radio telephone service operations; radio astronomy operations; and low-power auxiliary service operations.
Google was initially selected as one of nine firms to coordinate white spaces in early 2011, along with Comsearch; Frequency Finder; KB Enterprises and LS Telcom (jointly); Key Bridge Global; Neustar; Spectrum Bridge; Telcordia Technologies; and WSdb.
Various technology entities have for years been pressuring the FCC to open up unused or under-used spectrum assets to serve as wireless transmission bands for electronic devices. The FCC moved forward with freeing up some of those spectrum assets in 2010. The commercial wireless industry has been averse to the move for fear of unlicensed usage interfering with licensed services.
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