The DSA/White Space Database Interoperability Work Group will support white space database administrators and all entities that must communicate with them by defining the application layer communications of spectrum administration databases. Two separate documents will be developed by this group: ”Database Synchronization Guidelines” providing recommendations on database to database communications, and “Device Interoperability Specifications” which will establish methods, policies and best practice implementations, including system operation, data ownership and confidentiality, information assurance and ecosystem integrity, integration with service provider operations, interference avoidance, mediation and incident response. The work of this group will build on years of previous activity in this area, and has participation from a broad base of industry stakeholders, including multiple candidate database administrators, TV band device manufacturers and incumbent representatives.
“The TV White Spaces represent an important new public resource,” states Jesse Caulfield of Key Bridge Global LLC and chair of this new work group. “Key Bridge strongly believes that spectrum must be administered in an open and neutral manner, and we have found the Wireless Innovation Forum to be an excellent location to establish consensus through open, deliberative exchange. We are very pleased to participate and add our contributions to the success of this important effort.”
The newly repurposed white space, and related database that organizations need to make use of it, could go live as early as April 24.
You’ve probably heard about how the FCC has moved to advance wireless by freeing up unused spectrum in the broadcast TV band. What you may not be aware of, however, is just how wide-ranging this white space effort is and what it could portend not just for wireless Internet service providers, but for virtually every organization that has a campus network, every consumer electronics and network infrastructure outfit, and every wireless and wireline service provider. >> Full story
The FCC and the public have learned that spectrum, free and open, creates lots of business and huge opportunities. In just 10 years, WiFi went from almost being unknown to more than 250 million WiFi access devices. WiFi devices and WiFi service has become ubiquitous. Will the same happen with the new TV White Space spectrum?
Key Bridge Global LLC of McLean, VA has been conditionally designated by the Federal Communications Commission to operate a TV Bands “White Space” database and to administer unlicensed use of approximately 300 MHz spectrum in the UHF and VHF bands.
"Over the past two and a half years Key Bridge has been a thought leader and frequent contributor to the Commission with improvements for White Space spectrum sharing. Key Bridge contributions were cited over 28 times in the Commission’s final report and order, a fact which highlights the strengths of our proposal. I am very proud of our progress so far and proud to have contributed to this important milestone to implement the Commission’s broadband plan. " said Jesse Caulfield, Key Bridge President.
"The FCC’s stated goal throughout this process, and now our mandate, is to provide neutral spectrum administration. That means providing robust and meaningful protections for existing television operators and service providers while making the maximum amount of spectrum available for wireless broadband."
In its designating order the FCC laid out a final set of requirements and a schedule to bring the TV band White Spaces to market. "I look forward to working with the FCC and the other designates in the coming weeks and months to make the TV White Spaces a runaway success" said Jesse Caulfield.
The White House’s Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, members
of Congress, and representatives from top tech companies including Google
and Dell gathered for Politico’s “What’s Next for Technology: How Washington
Will Act on Key Policy Issues in 2011.” Discussions focused on
the cross section of ideas and innovation in technology- and what we
can expect to see policy-wise from the 112th congress. Broadband played
a key role in many of the discussions- among the White House’s top initiatives
for next year is spectrum policy, namely solidifying a voluntary
process for incentive auctions, according to Chopra. Members
from both chambers of Congress had similar outlooks on the importance
of broadband; Senator John Ensign (R-NV) explained that we should
let the internet continue to flourish and stressed the importance
of USF reform. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) stated that as mobile
broadband growth continues to accelerate, we need to conduct spectrum
inventory and evaluate opportunities to make more spectrum
available to meet growing demand.
Politico
This report outlines the approach that NTIA will take in collaboration
with the FCC and Federal agencies to achieve the President’s goal to
make 500 megahertz of spectrum available for fixed and mobile wireless
broadband within ten years. The report includes a list of bands for
consideration under the plan.
NTIA
This week Ofcom, the "independent regulator and competition authority
for the United Kingdom communications industries"
announced release of a
Consultation on implementing geolocation for white space devices
operating on unused TV channels in the United Kingdom. The proposed
plan is similar to the recent FCC ruling allowing white-space devices
in the United States to use geolocation to determine what frequencies
were available.
Ofcom
This is the first test demonstrating the high-level functionality
of the CHIRP sensor, operating through the Orbital Secondary Payload
Interface (SPI), and commanded from the CHIRP Mission Analysis Center
(CMAC) interface, located in Seal Beach, Calif. The CMAC monitored activities
from Orbital as the team successfully passed test images through the
system. The CHIRP sensor was delivered to Orbital by SAIC in July.
Defense Aerospace
Two parties filed applications for experimental white-space devices
in October, 2010.
Steven J. Crowley, P.E.
Internet Protocol Routing in Space (IRIS) is now offered as a part
of Cisco’s Next Generation Global Services (NGGS) through the General
Services Administration (GSA) Satellite Communications-II (GSA SATCOM-II)
contract.
DISA
The FCC late Thursday put out a forecast for the wireless future
that pointed to spectrum auctions being much more expensive in the future.
The US agency expected 3G and 4G data to surge 35 times higher in the
next five years and need another 300MHz of spectrum that would cost
$120 billion. The value is more than twice as much as what was paid
for extra frequency access in 2008.
FCC Staff Paper
With a unanimous vote, the FCC has released a Memorandum Opinion
and Order that approves the unlicensed use of 'white space' spectrum,
laying down long-awaited rules in an effort to balance the needs of
...
FCC MO&O
The commission proposes to set up an inventory of existing spectrum
uses, technologies and applications to track inefficiencies and cope
with future ...
Telecompaper
Senator John D. Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) has introduced a bill directing
the FCC to move forward with its plans to auction off unused broadcast
spectrum and promote the deployment of a nationwide wireless broadband
network for public safety.
The bill