WASHINGTON—The FCC has officially amended its rules regarding TV white spaces, expanding the use of spectrum for unlicensed wireless services. The FCC believes that the new rules will allow for the delivery of broadband services in rural and underserved communities while also protecting broadcast TV stations and other licensed services from harmful interference.

The expansion comes as a result of a Report and Order approved by the FCC today, Oct. 27, during its Open Commission Meeting.

With the new rules, the FCC says it will now allow for more flexibility in how wireless services are provided within white spaces, better reflecting technological and geographical realities. This includes increasing the maximum permissible power and antenna height for fixed white space devices operating in “less congested” areas in the TV bands; generally rural and unserved areas, per the FCC. Also, the minimum required separation distances between protected services and entities operating in the band and white space devices operating at the new higher power levels and higher heights above average terrain have been increased in an effort to ensure TV stations and protected from interference.

Additional components to the new rules include permitting higher power mobile operations using white space devices in “less congested” areas within defined geo-fenced areas (school bus routes and farm boundaries) and providing flexibility for new narrowband white space devices in an effort to capitalize on Internet of Things applications.

A Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was also adopted to explore whether to modify FCC rules on permitting the use of terrain-based models to determine available TV channels for white space devices.

In the run up to this decision, there had been debate about the potential for interference that may result in expanded unlicensed wireless use of TV white spaces. But the FCC gave broadcasters a victory when they sided with the NAB over the question of allowing higher-powered unlicensed device use on channels adjacent to TV channels.

As a result, NAB praised the effort by the FCC on this decision, as did CTA and Connect Americans Now.

“NAB thanks the FCC for approving an order that would provide greater flexibility for white spaces operations without undermining the fundamental principle that these operations must not cause interference to licensed services, such as radio and TV stations. We commend the commission staff for their hard work on this item and their commitment to a consensus-based approach,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Ann Marie Cumming.

“Today’s vote by the FCC is a victory for those across the country whose lives have been made more difficult from lack of access to a reliable internet connection,” said Jamie Susskind, vice president, Policy and Regulatory Affairs, CTA. “Leveraging TV white spaces for broadband use is an innovative solution that will help families across the United States live better lives—from better access to remote work and education to life saving digital health services and more.”

CAN added: “We commend the FCC for demonstrating bipartisan commitment to maximizing spectrum resources to expand broadband connectivity, a critical need for millions of Americans made more urgent by the pandemic.”

The proposal was adopted unanimously by the FCC commissioners.

WASHINGTON—Broadcasters have scored a victory in the debate with Microsoft over how the FCC should allow for more unlicensed broadband in the so-called white spaces between TV channels.

The FCC had signaled it wanted to allow more flexible use of the TV band by broadband providers, pushed by Microsoft—which petitioned for the changes to the Airband initiative to use white spaces spectrum to extend rural broadband access. Advancing rural broadband is an avowed priority for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

Given that the FCC was likely to have the votes to expand unlicensed use—the Democratic commissioners historically support expanded unlicensed use—the National Association of Broadcasters have worked with Microsoft on a compromise on four of five big relevant issues, but the fifth, allowing higher-powered unlicensed device use on channels adjacent to TV channels, had been the sticking point. NAB opposed it while Microsoft backed that use.

According to a draft of the item to be voted at the FCC's October public meeting, the FCC declined "at this time to allow higher power operation by white space devices when operating within the service contour of an adjacent channel TV station." It also said it would not change the methodology it used to protect authorized services—licensed TV broadcasters—from unlicensed signal interference.

While Microsoft and broadcasters had come to some meeting of the minds on other issues, the computer company remained opposed to broadcasters retaining the first channel adjacent to a TV station's channel as a buffer between stations and unlicensed users, something broadcasters said they need to protect against interference, certainly in the near term. 

The FCC has given them that near-term buffer. 

“The draft order would provide greater flexibility for white spaces operations without undermining the fundamental principle that unlicensed operations must not cause interference to licensed services," said NAB spokesperson Anne Marie Cumming. "We commend the Commission staff for their hard work on this item and their commitment to a consensus-based approach.”

WASHINGTON—NAB, in reply to comments regarding the FCC’s TV white space (TVWS) device proposed rulemaking notice, told the commission that consistent with Part 15 rules and as “a matter of law” that harmful interference from an unlicensed service must not be allowed to cause harmful interference to licensed users.

In the filing, the association said it and Microsoft had worked for several months to negotiate a “set of beneficial adjustments” to the FCC’s existing rules that would allow improvement in TVWS service while protecting TV broadcasters from interference.

“Unfortunately, some commenters seek to expand the scope of this proceeding into areas that have already been fully debated and where there have been no new developments that would warrant changes,” said NAB in its comments.

The baseline for any adopted rule changes must be that they don’t increase the risk of harmful interference, it reiterated. 

The association urged the FCC to dismiss what it dubbed “extraneous proposals,” such as alternative propagation models, power increases and reduced frequency coordination requirements, because the agency “cannot conclude they will not increase the potential for harmful interference,” the filing said.

PLUS: Senators Push for FCC Action on White Spaces

In opposition to the assertion of the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition (PISC) and the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) that television service is “overprotected” based on “free-space propagation models and worst-case assumptions” about TV receiver performance, NAB told the FCC that contour protection is the only reasonable way to protect consumer TV receivers, which operate as “hidden nodes.”

NAB reminded the FCC that the contours used to protect TV service in an area are from “the empirically derived R-6602 propagation curves as codified in the Commission’s rules,” not on free-space propagation.

Further, it told the FCC that TVWS protection requirements are “relaxed” when compared to the commission’s other broadcast protection rules. It also disputed a WISPA assertion that ATSC 3.0 is more robust against interference, saying there is no basis for the statement.

“The Commission should not change its protection methodology with respect to television receivers until a far more substantial technical record based on real world experience with ATSC 3.0 deployments is available,” NAB said. 

The association told the FCC that it should not permit increased transmitter power for TVWS devices. Doing so inevitably will lead to “inadvertent or intentional overpower operation,” it said.

NAB also told the commission that it should allow geo-fenced TVWS operation but that restrictions are warranted and that the protection distances for T-Band land-mobile radio protection should be increased.

The association recommended the FCC adopt Microsoft’s proposed coordination requirement for TVWS operations where the height above average terrain (HAAT) exceeds 250 meters.

“NAB continues to believe that the alternative notification process suggested in the NPRM will lead to interference that will be difficult to identify,” it said. However, if the commission favors the notification process rather than Microsoft’s proposed coordination procedures, the advanced notice should be longer than 48 hours.

NAB also urged the FCC to maintain rules for first-adjacent channel operation. Microsoft submitted test results it said supported allowing higher power on first-adjacent channels. NAB countered that those tests only used 2018-2019 model TV receivers, which “provides no useable information whatsoever with respect to older receivers,” NAB said.

Similarly, Microsoft used an ATSC 3.0 dongle costing about $1,000 and marketed as a “professional grade” receiver to test first-adjacent channels with respect to NextGen TV. “The consumer ATSC 3.0 receiver market is plainly in a nascent stage, and without a wider base of tested receivers the Commission cannot draw any conclusions about the susceptibility of future 3.0 receivers to interference,” it said.

NAB also asked the commission to reject adjustments to TVWS protections based on the use of directional antennas. While it agrees that directional antennas can reduce the potential for interference, “there is absolutely no way of determining whether a directional antenna has been installed properly” without the help of a licensed land surveyor, it said.

NAB concluded by urging the FCC to move forward in an expeditious manner “with the proposals set forth in the NPRM that are uncontroversial and technically supported.”

The NAB comments are available in full online.  

CHELMSFORD, Mass.—The White Space Alliance, a group advocating for the use of TV band white spaces for wireless applications, has said new use cases for the devices that will take advantage of unoccupied TV channels are emerging.

TV white spaces are used around the world and in some instances provide those without access to wireless internet service, including lower-income households and those in rural areas, with broadband service. They can be used to provide middle- and last-mile connectivity where it is not cost-effective to deploy wired infrastructure, said the White Space Alliance.

“Beyond its distance advantages, TV white space infrastructure is proving to be a versatile solution to a variety of communications challenges,” said Parag Naik, CEO of Saankhya Labs, a White Space Alliance member company.

Saankhya Labs technology has been deployed around the world. In New Zealand, its base station and customer premise equipment are being used to navigate logging machines through areas with dangerously steep slopes. 

PLUS: White Space Changes Proposed by FCC

Another application used by a rural cable TV provider is based on Saankhya white space equipment and its Broadcast Radio Head. The technology allows the provider to intelligently direct video traffic over the air while using TV white space for two-way communications for interactive and educational TV, the company said.

The company’s technology is also being used in support of video surveillance and for backhaul lines for Internet of Things applications, it said. 

The company’s products conform to international standards for wireless regional area networks. They are based on the IEEE 802.22 specification and comply with Wi-FAR.

More information is available on the White Space Alliance website.

WASHINGTON—ONE Media LLC has asked the FCC to consider the impact that the use of white space devices in the broadcast band could have on the deployment of ATSC 3.0 (aka “NextGen TV”). 

The company—a division of Sinclair Broadcast Group focused on NextGen TV—reminded the commission in comments this week that terrestrial over-the-air broadcasting is still a critical asset to the nation’s communications infrastructure. The commission is seeking public comment on the viability of expanding the use of unlicensed devices in unused parts of the broadcast spectrum (aka “white space devices” or WSD).

“Terrestrial broadcast deployment is not frozen in time to the existing licensed stations; the platform is rapidly evolving,” the company said. “To that end, the commission must ensure that broadcasters can use their spectrum to realize the benefits inherent in the transition to ATSC 3.0 fully, while continuing to meet their public interest responsibilities.

“Broadcasters provide significant public interest benefits with their use of licensed channels,” ONE Media added. “The deployment of NextGen TV services promises compelling increases to those public services. The commission should further ensure that all parties—broadcasters, WSD providers and the commission itself—have the practical tools necessary to calculate interference theoretically and in the field.”

As NextGen TV rolls out across the U.S. this year, a number of broadcasters are considering using signal frequency networks (aka “distributed transmission systems”) to expand and improve signal coverage in their markets. As opposed to traditional transmission setups that employ a single transmission site and repeaters to enhance coverage, SFNs use multiple transmitters on the same frequency. 

ONE Media asked the FCC to ensure that WSDs don’t take priority over existing licensed operations, and if they do interfere, the WSDs should cease operations, adding that NextGen TV signals may be especially vulnerable to interference while stations are transitioning to ATSC 3.0 because multiple stations in a market will be cooperating in “co-hosting” local OTA signals. 

“In the ATSC 3.0 transition, some host stations may not be able to handle all signals, which in turn may require these stations to shift to a less robust (but permissible) modulation scheme,” the company wrote. “Under these circumstances, the modified modulation scheme could leave the coverage area more susceptible to interference from WSDs. It is critical that the commission again make clear that even under such circumstances, WSDs remain obligated to prevent harmful interference and cease operations where necessary to do so.”

ONE Media suggested that “at a minimum” the FCC’s TVStudy should be modified to account for WSD registration information available in the TV White Space Database.

“Broadcasters could better predict potential interference if the commission also defines an extension to TVStudy showing benchmark desired-to-undesired ratios (“D/U ratios”),” the company said. 

The FCC also has a separate proceeding seeking public comment on the use of SFNs for terrestrial broadcasting. 

For more information on ATSC 3.0, visit TVT’s hub page on NextGen TV.

WASHINGTON—Two U.S. senators are urging the FCC to move forward with its proposal to allow wireless companies to operate within unused spectrum in the TV bands to provide wireless broadband access to rural areas. 

In February, the FCC unanimously issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would update the FCC’s rules regarding white spaces—the portions of broadcast television bands that are not used by TV stations (aka “TVWS”)—to allow “for more robust service and efficient use of white space devices particularly in rural areas, without increasing the risk of harmful interference to protected services in the TV bands.”

Hailing from two rural states, the senators, Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Angus King (I-Maine) pointed to the “digital divide” facing rural areas when it comes to accessing high-speed broadband.

“Many of our constituents who live in remote and rural areas without access to reliable broadband internet face immense challenges in all aspects of their lives,” they wrote to the FCC. “The digital divide is holding back too many students, seniors, farmers, small businesses and Indian reservations in our home states. These members of our community deserve the same opportunities as our constituents living in connected urban and suburban areas.”

The senators mentioned specific applications important to rural areas such as “precision agriculture” and moving platforms such as school buses that could arise from the use of TVWS. They also cited the importance of TVWS spectrum, “which allows for better coverage with signals travelling further and penetrating trees and walls better than other spectrum bands.” 

Broadcasters have urged the FCC to tread carefully on allowing the use of white spaces, warning that without proper regulatory oversight, this portion of the spectrum band could interfere with over-the-air broadcast signals.  

“By updating its TVWS spectrum rules, the commission would allow for more flexibility and uses of TVWS technology enabling greater broadband opportunities like the Internet of Things (IoT) and better broadband service coverage by increased antenna height and power, while also protecting licensed incumbents,” the senators told the FCC. 

WASHINGTON—The FCC could be opening up TV white spaces to a wider range of devices if proposed changes go through.

In response to a petition field by Microsoft, the FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (passed unanimously among Chairman Ajit Pai and the commissioners) that would update the FCC’s rules to allow “for more robust service and efficient use of white space devices particularly in rural areas, without increasing the risk of harmful interference to protected services in the TV bands.”

White space refers to the portions of the broadcast television bands that are not used by TV stations, which proponents for these rules believe can be used to provide improved broadband coverage for rural Americans.

The specifics of the NPRM includes allowing higher transmit power and antenna height above average terrain for fixed white space devices in less congested geographic areas to create greater reach by white space devices. It would also permit higher power mobile operation within defined geographical areas and revise the rules to provide flexibility for these devices to participate in the Internet of Things.

The FCC is now seeking comment on methods that could be used to allow higher power operation by white space devices when adjacent TV channels are occupied.

The debate over white space has been developing for several months, with broadcasters open to collaboration, but clear that their services should not be interfered with.

Dennis Wharton, NAB executive vice president of communications, issued the following statement on the FCC’s NPRM:

“The NPRM the FCC has adopted reflects significant discussion and compromise. We hope the commission will continue to pursue a consensus-based approach in this proceeding, and we hope the commission will move swiftly.”

Connect Americans Now Executive Director Richard T. Cullen had his own statement praising the FCC for this action.

“By supporting innovative solutions, like TV white space, as part of a mixed-technology approach, more of America’s farmers and ranchers will be able to capitalize on advancements in precision agriculture that can increase yields and conserve resources; more seniors and veterans will have access to telehealth solutions that can reduce costs and enhance quality of life; more students will be empowered to reach their full potential out from behind the homework gap; and economic opportunity can be increased in thousands of rural communities. With so much at stake, we encourage the commission to move swiftly to finalize and implement rules in 2020 that support greater utilization of TV white space to enhance the pace, scale and cost-effectiveness of rural broadband deployments.”

WASHINGTON—The FCC has released the agenda for its open commission meeting set for Friday, Feb. 28, and TV spectrum is a crucial aspect of what will be discussed.

First off, after Chairman Ajit Pai revealed his proposal for how spectrum should be made available in the C-band and the process for which the auction will take place, the FCC will hold its official votes on the reforming of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band to help with the development of 5G. There will also be a vote on the procedures for the C-band auction.

A number of organizations, including the NAB and AT&T, have filed comments with the FCC on specific tweaks they would like to see to the proposal.

White spaces are also set to be discussed. The specific proposal under consideration is for targeted changes to white space device rules in the TV bands (Channel 2-35) in an effort to improve broadband coverage for rural and underserved areas. While broadcasters have seemed willing to work with the computer companies interested in the white space, they maintain that any effort must be done with the protection of current TV services in mind.

The full agenda for the FCC’s open meeting is available online.

The meeting will take place on Feb. 28 at 10:30 a.m. at FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON—Microsoft is expanding its Airband Initiative, which uses unlicensed "white spaces" spectrum in the TV band to deploy broadband to rural and underserved communities, and wants the government to contribute some money to incentivize that expansion, with the money going to deployment 'partners' like ISPs.

It had initially planned to bring access to 2 million people by July 2022, but Microsoft President Brad Smith announced in Washington Tuesday (Dec. 4), that it was ahead of schedule and was upping the ante to 3 million by that date.

He said that by December of next year the initiative would be in 25 states and added that the company would continue to "advocate for public policies to accelerate the investment in TV white spaces technologies that are needed."

[Read: Microsoft’s White Space Redux]

The FCC is currently working out the framework for the additional white spaces spectrum sharing made possible by the broadcast incentive auction. Broadcasters are concerned that the FCC needs to do more vetting of the process, particularly the database managers responsible for making sure that broadband service avoid the licensed TV services in the band. The National Association of Broadcasters declined to comment on the expansion, which Microsoft is arguing the government should invest in as well as clear the regulatory runway.

"As we deepen our commitment to bringing broadband to rural America, we believe the country can raise its ambition as well," Smith blogged.

"We think it’s time to look at how the country spends public money and re-target a small portion of those funds in ways that will close the broadband gap more quickly. To date, almost 90 percent of the money spent by the federal government on rural broadband has been spent on laying fixed lines, primarily fiber-optic cables — a solution that costs at least three to four times more than wireless technologies. We think there is a better way. If the federal government reallocates just a small additional fraction of public money toward incentives for TV white spaces devices, it will help accelerate adoption, bring costs of devices down and help the ecosystem lift off."

Smith said Microsoft isn't asking for the government handout, which makes sense given that the company is one of the largest in the world. "None of this funding would go from the government to Microsoft," he said, "but it would be available to the telecommunications partners [ISPs] whom we are working to assist."

But he is also looking for regulatory help.

"Moving faster will also require updating federal regulations governing the use of TV white spaces to free up this often unused and plentiful spectrum for rural broadband," he added.

 Smith says the government needs to get a move on. "It took 50 years to electrify the nation," he says. "The millions of Americans waiting for broadband don’t have the luxury of time." Broadcasters, by contrast, want the FCC to pause long enough to make sure that licensed broadcasters won't be harmed in the rush to unlicensed broadband.

Microsoft, which has long eagerly eyed the low-band TV spectrum, also joined with ACT: The App Association and various rural and education groups to form the Connect Americans Now (CAN) coalition to push for closing the rural divide using TV white spaces.

WASHINGTON—NAB has asked the FCC to reject requests from Microsoft and other TV white space device advocates to guarantee spectrum access rights for unlicensed TV-band white space devices that would block broadcasters from using unoccupied in-band TV channels to maintain ATSC 1.0 services as they transition to ATSC 3.0 Next-Gen TV.

The NAB request, made March 20 in Reply Comments to those of filers in the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Next-Gen TV deployment, brands Microsoft’s position as a “bait and switch.”

“Microsoft has thus shifted from seeking to use unoccupied channels [as authorized in a 2008 FCC] to asking the Commission to create unoccupied channels at the expense of innovation, preservation of service and new entry by broadcast television stations,” the NAB filing said.

[Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Publishes New TV White Space Rules]

NAB noted that to date, efforts to deploy white space devices to enable new services have fallen far short of expectation. “Eight years after the current rule framework was put in place, white spaces technology continues to be a myth,” the comments said. Fewer than 1,000 TV white space devices operate in the United States on any given day, it said, adding “[t]he Microsoft Zune and Windows Phone had vastly better track records than white spaces.”

Vacant channels in the TV band could make the transition to ATSC 3.0 easier by minimizing consumer disruptions during voluntary Next-Gen TV deployment, the filing said.

“As NAB has previously explained, because broadcasters will not have a second channel (as they did in nearly every cast during the DTV transition) it may not always be possible to duplicate current coverage, maintain signal quality, or maintain all of a station’s existing multicasting,” it said. However, by using available vacant channels it may be possible to minimize these issues.

[The Spectrum Crunch Cometh]

The filing also addressed requests from cable TV interests like the American Television Alliance (ATVA) and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NTCA) to grant narrowly targeted waivers or none at all of the FCC’s ATSC 1.0-3.0 simulcasting requirement for stations transitioning to Next-Gen TV.

NAB urged the agency to “adopt a reasonable waiver standard for its local simulcasting requirement that will ensure that viewers in small and rural markets are not shut out of the benefits of Next Gen if stations in those markets are unable to find viable simulcasting partners.”

REDMOND, WASH.—Computer companies, led by Microsoft, have formed the Connect Americans Now coalition and are seeking to access the so-called TV white spaces to close the rural digital divide. Broadcasters, meanwhile, want more of the broadcast spectrum to simulcast ATSC 3.0 signals, as well as low power and translators displaced in the post incentive auction repack looking for new spectrum homes.

Find out more by reading the full article on TVT’s sister publication B&C.

For more information on the repack, visit TV Technology's repack silo.

WASHINGTON—The Voices for Innovation is a group of tech companies that are rallying behind a proposal from Microsoft that the FCC reserve channels in the white spaces of the broadcast TV band for unlicensed devices could be used to promote rural broadband deployment. “This emerging technology has the capability to bring affordable, reliable, high-speed internet to 34 million Americans who currently lack access,” the group told the FCC.

However, broadcasters argue that using that spectrum will reduce the space for licensed TV stations in the post-incentive auction repack.

Read the full story on TVT’s sister publication B&C.

WASHINGTON—Microsoft delivered a proposal to the FCC to use white space “vacant channels” in the broadcast spectrum range below 900 MHz to create a rural broadband service. Working with other computer industry stalwarts who were “ready to commit substantial resources,” Microsoft vowed to pursue a “White-Fi” system to expand internet access at a low price into areas that traditional wired and wireless Internet Service Providers were ignoring.

In mid-July, Microsoft President Brad Smith updated the TV white spaces proposal to an overflow Washington audience.

That was in 2007. 

In the past decade, Microsoft tried several times to establish a two-way inroad into the broadcast spectrum, pushing for the 802.11af WiFi standard that enables wireless Local Area Networks to operate in the TV white spaces (TVWS) spectrum on VHF and UHF bands. The standard, adopted in 2014, has a data rate of nearly 27 Mbps in a six-MHz channel.

But enough about decade-old visions.

‘CLOSE THE RURAL BROADBAND GAP’

In mid-July, Microsoft President Brad Smith updated the TV white spaces proposal to an overflow Washington audience, which included members of Congress, FCC staff and other policy makers. The company’s new “Rural Airband Initiative” envisions a three-channel system that would reach more than 23 million Americans at a cost of less than $12 billion, a fraction of the price of fiber optics or 5G wireless technology, Smith said.

The two-way wireless technologies used in the TVWS system would use the same frequencies for both downstream and upstream transmissions, similar to other time division duplex technologies, a Microsoft spokesperson told TV Technology.

Smith set a July 4, 2022, goal for the Microsoft plan to “close the rural broadband gap.”

“The necessary standards are in place” and “innovative business models” are being developed, he said with bold bravura. “This is now ready to scale. It is time for a new company to set a new course.”

The ambitious plan immediately triggered a backlash from broadcasters, low-power TV advocates (who were trying to assess how they figured into the plan) and endorsements from high-tech organizations. Earlier this month, a bipartisan coalition of 43 members of Congress sent a letter to the FCC also supporting the measure.

“We believe that the television white spaces (TVWS) have strong potential to revolutionize broadband internet accessibility in rural areas,” the representatives said in their letter. “TVWS allows a broadband internet connection to cover 9 miles, while navigating the physical terrain that at times can make wireless broadband connectivity difficult. Because of this range, these internet connections are extremely cost-effective requiring minimal infrastructure investments, and are far more dependable than the limited connections that many rural areas currently have.”

The regulatory battleground on which the Microsoft plan will be examined is still unclear, although a Microsoft spokesperson told TV Technology that the company “is already participating in the FCC’s relevant proceedings impacting the availability of TV white spaces and has filed several ex parte letters and other submissions with the FCC.”

In his presentation at the Media Institute monthly luncheon, Smith cited the importance of including low power TV in the plan, pointing out that recent spectrum reallocations have created 210 MHz for broadcasters, 140 MHz for mobile carriers and only 18 MHz for “public” services. He said that federal and government funding “will accelerate this work” to distribute the proposed services.

Smith said that the proposal—running on what he called “underutilized broadcast TV airwaves”—would cost $8–$12 billion nationwide to reach rural areas, which he deemed “more affordable” than fiber optics or Fifth Generation (5G) wireless broadband ventures that could cost up to $50 billion. Smith said that Microsoft will offer a free license for some of its white spaces technology to “stimulate the market,” including community investments.

The proposed system will be able to carry data at speeds up to 400 Mbps, Smith said as he showed prototype receivers now operating at 25 Mbps and 40 Mbps. He said that Microsoft has run about 20 projects worldwide reaching 185,000 users, insisting that “this technology is ready to take off.”

Smith explained that by bundling white space spectrum from several channels, throughput speeds could go even higher, bolstering his push for more bandwidth.

‘THE HEIGHT OF ARROGANCE’

On the day before the public presentation, Smith posted a blog offering some details of the plan, which was then covered in detail in a New York Times story. Those revelations prompted the National Association of Broadcasters to issue a statement several hours before Smith’s speech, denouncing Microsoft’s Rural Airband Initiative as “the height of arrogance.” NAB’s preemptive attack focused on the plan to use broadcast spectrum, although Microsoft “refused to bid on broadcast TV airwaves in the recent FCC incentive auction.”

When TV Technology asked Smith about the NAB invective during a Q&A session after his long but sparsely detailed speech, the Microsoft executive said he did not want to “hurl insults at each other.” He proposed that Microsoft “should sit down with [NAB President/CEO] Gordon Smith” to see how they could “work together” on Microsoft’s vision to bring digital education, telemedicine, agribusiness and other data services to rural America.

“We all have the opportunity to learn from each other,” Smith said.

LPTV: ‘THIS FIGHT IS OUR FIGHT’

The role of LPTV is a major factor, since many rural venues are served by LPTV and translator services.

“The vacant channel order is dead on arrival, simply because it doesn’t work.... It takes channel availability away from low power,” Mike Gravino, director of the LPTV Spectrum Rights Coalition told TV Technology shortly after Microsoft’s announcement. “To get a channel in a larger market, you might have to displace several low powers. This will raise new problems.”

“This fight is our fight,” Gravino said grittily. Describing the Microsoft plan as “fantastic” (as in “fantasy”), he characterized, “everything is fantastic except the enabling mechanism. Our licenses cannot be revoked because we don’t have any place to move.” He said that if the vacant channel order were to happen, that could displace [channels] in the middle of the displacement process... of the repack.”

“We cannot introduce that kind of complexity into the repack,” he added.

By early August, Gravino had laid down his weapons. In a member newsletter blast, the coalition said it was “declaring a truce to end the vacant channel war over LPTV spectrum rights.” Gravino told TV Technology that his intent is “to make love, not war with the tech companies.” 

Referring to spectrum, Gravino said, “If they want it and we got it, let’s make a deal.” Although he would not amplify the status of his group’s discussions, Gravino said “the coalition is in active talks with those who want to use spectrum.

By mid-August we’ll be able to announce a plan for a public common for lowband spectrum uses,” he said.

Separately, the Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance, a coalition of full and low-power TV stations designed to “promote the efficient and effective use of all television broadcast spectrum,” said the Microsoft plan would “destroy” hundreds of LPTV and translator stations, which are not protected in the repack. ABTA said its prime concern is that Microsoft would get access to rural airwaves while ABTA member stations are awaiting their assignments after full-power channels are assigned in the repack. It recommended that the FCC withhold action on the Microsoft plan until the repack and displacement windows for LPTV and translator stations is completed.

ABTA also acknowledged that TVWS and NextGen TV are “excellent partners,” but that there should be time to establish the ATSC 3.0 IP operations before use of vacant channels is authorized.

CHALLENGERS WHO SUPPORT MICROSOFT’S PLAN

Consumer Technology Association President/CEO Gary Shapiro complimented Microsoft for “generously offering” to bring broadband access to rural America, including “training for new jobs and volunteer Microsoft time, patents and expertise.”

“They are suggesting an incredibly cost-efficient way of getting broadband to most of the rural community needing broadband,” Shapiro told TV Technology. “We look forward to understanding any regulatory changes needed to begin deployment of services using TVWS devices and are excited that this promising technology will see more widespread global use.”

Public Knowledge, an advocacy group, also endorsed the proposal. Senior Vice President Harold Feld pointed out that until now “the cost of equipment [for TVWS] has discouraged widespread adoption,” also noting that “resistance from the National Association of Broadcasters has consistently delayed FCC action.”

“Microsoft’s proposal to ‘seed’ TVWS technology guarantees that if the FCC will prioritize rural broadband over broadcast lobbyists, we can solve the digital divide and make affordable broadband available to all Americans,” Feld added. “It’s time for the FCC to put broadcast lobbyists on mute and manage the public airwaves for the benefit of the public.”

FreedomWorks Foundation, which calls itself “an online community of 6.9 million that promotes market-based solutions to public policy issues,” said, in a filing to the FCC proceeding just before the Microsoft announcement, that it supports FCC actions that would “unleash free-market TV white space Internet services.” 

THE DETAILS AND PARTNERS

Microsoft characterized its proposal as a blend of “broadband and cloud computing” which would start with 12 TVWS projects in 12 states in the next 12 months (Washington, Arizona, North and South Dakota, Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, George, Virginia, New York and Maine.) Smith said that the first phase could connect up to two million people in rural areas.

He suggested that the initial efforts would trigger “community investments,” vowing that Microsoft will stimulate the market “by licensing our technology,” based on 39 patents, including 14 dealing with white space delivery. He indicated that some of the patents would be licensed at no cost.

“We want to be a catalyst,” he said.

Smith envisioned that white space technology in major urban markets would incentivize equipment makers to enter the business, which would spur expansion into rural areas. He described use of Channel 37, which the FCC has approved for sharing with wireless medical telemetry systems, and pointed to the “vacant channel proceeding” (described in the white paper booklet he distributed) as proving that even more spectrum will be available for the Microsoft proposal.

Current transceiver units are priced under $800; Smith said prices would fall to $200 or less. They will be able to carry data at speeds up to 400 Mbps, he said, with initial models now operating at 25 Mbps and 40 Mbps.

Smith explained that by bundling white space spectrum from several channels, throughput speeds could go even higher, bolstering his push for more bandwidth.

WASHINGTON—Members on both sides of the aisle in Congress are calling on the FCC to emphasize TV white spaces as a potential resource for future broadband as the spectrum repack begins. In a letter to Chairman Pai and Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Michael O’Rielly, 43 House members—led by Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)—make the case that the FCC should preserve three white space channels in every local market for the possible use of broadband internet connections in rural communities across the country.

White space, according to Cramer’s official release, has been tested by the FCC and proven to be a way to make access to broadband available in remote areas where Wi-Fi connection is difficult. The FCC’s 2016 Broadband Progress Report indicated that 24 million of the total 34 million Americans that do not have access to broadband internet live in rural communities that lack the network infrastructure needed for reliable broadband connection.

“We believe that the television white spaces (TVWS) have strong potential to revolutionize broadband internet accessibility in rural areas,” the letter reads. “TVWS allows a broadband internet connection over 9 miles, while navigating the physical terrain that at times can make wireless broadband connectivity difficult. Because of this range, these internet connections are extremely cost-effective, requiring minimal infrastructure investments, and are far more dependable than the limited connections that many rural areas currently have.”

“If TV white spaces technology can be the ultimate disrupter to reduce these massive costs, eliminate the digital divide and revolutionize the broadband industry, then the FCC should give it the attention it deserves,” said Cramer in his release.

To read the full letter, click here.

WASHINGTON—How about ruling on white-space device geolocation already, the broadcast lobby told regulators recently. Representatives from the National Association of Broadcasters met with staff members of the Federal Communications Commission to discuss the operation of unlicensed devices on unoccupied TV channels, referred to in this case as “white spaces.”

“The commission should either adopt and enforce effective rules that will allow TVWS devices to coexist with licensed operations, or it should eliminate or suspend TVWS operations,” the NAB said in an ex parte filing documenting the Nov. 16 meeting between the NAB team and commission staff.

The problem, according to the NAB, is that the FCC’s database system for keeping track of white-space devices doesn’t work, so in the event these devices cause interference to TV signals, broadcasters won’t be able to track them down. The extent of the problem was such that in March of 2015, the NAB petitioned the commission to shut down the database system because, “at various points, more than one-third of fixed TV band devices in the database contained patently inaccurate location information, including multiple devices registered in the middle of empty fields, or to a single family home, and some even registered in foreign countries,” the NAB petition said.

NAB thought the issue was hashed out in July of 2015, when it struck up an agreement with white-space device makers to incorporate automatic geolocation in the devices. (See “NAB and White Space Device Makers Agree on Geolocation,” July 22, 2015) The commission responded seven months later with an Order to clean up the databases rather than shut them down, and an accompanying Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the integration of geolocation technology.

Since then, le crickets.

“Nearly nine months have passed since the released of that NPRM, yet commission staff have told NAB they do not believe an order will be forthcoming until the next administration,” the NAB’s recent ex parte filingstated.

Further, a previous amendment requiring updated channel availability information to be pushed to white-space devices as of Sept. 23, 2016, is a paper tiger, the NAB said.

“There are currently no industry standards for implementing the push notification requirement and, to NAB’s knowledge, TVWS database administrators and TVWS device manufacturers have taken no steps to comply with this requirement,” the ex parte filingstated.

If the commission hasn’t acted because so few white-space devices have been deployed, then it should scrap them altogether, the NAB folks suggested.

Also see TV Technology’s previous coverage of white-space devices…

July 22, 2015
NAB and White Space Device Makers Agree on Geolocation

May 4, 2015
NAB to FCC: TV Licensees Should Trump White Space Devices

March 19, 2015
NAB Petitions FCC to Shut Down White Space Database

March 19, 2015
Google White Space Database Registered Fixed Devices

January 15, 2014
FCC Certifies Carlson Wireless TV White Space Radio

November 14, 2013
FCC Certifies Adaptrum Technology With Google TV White Space Database

September 16, 2013
FCC Grants Adjacent-Channel Waiver for Meld White Space Device

March 4, 2013
White Space Databases Go Live Nationwide

January 23, 2013
Tokyo Group Unveils Regional TV White Space Prototype

December 6, 2012
White Space Databases to Go Live Next Month

October 18, 2012
White Space Wi-Fi Draft Standard Prototype Developed

June 4, 2012
Theater and Sports Groups Drop Request for White Space Rules Review

May 3, 2012
NAB Drops Court Challenge of White Spaces

March 27, 2012
Telcordia Gets Cleared to Manage White Spaces

February 29, 2012
Key Bridge Launches Preliminary White Space Portal

November 24, 2008
White Spaces Deal is Done

January 31, 2012
White Spaces: Telcordia Says It Can Find Them

December 5, 2011
FCC To Commence Second White Space Database Trial Wednesday

November 10, 2011
FCC Seeks Comment on Spectrum Bridge White Space Trial

September 14, 2011
Spectrum Bridge Is First of 10 To Test White Space Database

July 27, 2011
IEEE Publishes White Space Standard for Broadband

June 29, 2011
Microsoft White Space Partner Neul Raises $12.8 Million

June 27, 2011
Microsoft Angles for Lighter U.S. White Space Rules with U.K. Trial

June 22, 2011
Microsoft Nudges FCC to Wrap White Spaces

May 2, 2011
Microsoft Wants to Manage TV White Spaces

January 27, 2011
TV White Space Database Managers Named

December 6, 2010
White Space Rules Go Into Effect Jan. 5, 2011

September 27, 2010
SPECIAL REPORT: FCC White Space Rules

September 27, 2010
Nine Vie to Manage White Space Database

September 23, 2010
FCC Eliminates Spectrum Sensing for White Space Devices

September 16, 2010
Carlin Could Curse in TV White Spaces

September 15, 2010
Ohio Hospital Launches White Space Broadband Trial

September 8, 2010
FCC to Issue Second White Spaces Order

August 18, 2010
Broadcasters Urge FCC to Retain White Space Spectrum-Sensing Requirement

August 2, 2010
FCC Denies MSTV’s Request for White Spaces Documents

June 23, 2010
Google Supports White Space Smart Grid Trial

April 22, 2010
Wireless Group Asks FCC to Relax White Space Rules

April 21, 2010
Input Sought for White Spaces Book

March 26, 2010
TV White Space Experimental Licenses Granted

February 24, 2010
Wilmington Tests WiFi in White Spaces

January 4, 2010
White Space Database Manager Proposals Due

November 18, 2009
British Regulator Open White Spaces

October 22, 2009
Virginia Town Exemplifies White Space Usage

October 12, 2009
FCC Grants Microsoft White Space Licenses

March 3, 2009
Broadcasters Asks Court to Nix FCC White Space Order

February 23, 2009
White Space Locater Launched

WASHINGTON—Broadcasters and makers of TV white-space devices have come to the table to solve a potential interference problem, according to the National Association of Broadcasters.

“NAB and the TV band device manufacturers recommend that all TV band devices incorporate automatic geolocation capability or be under the control of a device that includes that capability,” the parties wrote in a joint letter to Julius Knapp, chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology.

The concurring device makers include Adaptrum, Carlson Wireless Technologies, KTS Wireless and Meld Technology, which together represent more than 95 percent of deployed devices registered in the FCC’s white-space databases.

The databases were designed to prevent the unlicensed TVWS devices from interfering with TV signals and depended on manually entered geographic coordinates. When the FCC proposed allowing the operation of unlicensed devices in unoccupied TV channels in 2009, broadcasters lobbied it to require geolocation and spectrum-sensing technology in the devices. Device makers balked at the associated expense and the commission declined.

Several database administrators were approved over time (including Google) and TVWS devices slowly deployed. The NAB’s Bruce Franca started poking through the databases last year and found that about one-third of registered TVWS devices had incorrect location information, including open fields, single-family homes and foreign countries.

As a result, a TVWS device could be operated in Los Angeles, where there are virtually no open frequencies, simply by registering it elsewhere in the database.

The NAB subsequently petitioned the FCC to shut down the databases and fix them. (See “NAB Petitions FCC to Shut Down White Space Database.”) The NAB and the device makers are now asking the FCC to change the rules to reflect the inclusion of geolocation technology that will tell the databases where the device is being used. They recommend that, “all TV band devices incorporate automatic geolocation capability or be under the control of a device that includes that capability.” The geolocation technology would be accurate within 100 meters.

The parties suggested that existing inventory be grandfathered and be allowed to continue working through the transitional period, and to require geolocation compliance one year after the rules are modified, or Jan. 31, 2017, whichever is later.

HOUSTON—Rice University engineers say they have demonstrated a system that enables wireless data transmissions over UHF channels during active TV broadcasts. The technology “could significantly expand the reach of so-called ‘super Wi-Fi’ networks in urban areas,” the university said.

Edward Knightly, professor and department chair of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Rice Wireless Network Group, noted that the 400-700 MHz UHF spectrum is coveted for its signal propagation characteristics. He said that UHF could carry Wi-Fi signals much farther than the higher frequencies typically used.

The Federal Communications Commission allows secondary users to transmit wireless data on unlicensed UHF channels—aka “white spaces”—provided that the transmissions do not interfere with TV broadcasts in any part of the UHF spectrum.

“Unfortunately, in the most densely populated areas of the country, where the need for additional wireless data services is the greatest, the amount of available white space is extremely limited,” Knightly said. “In our most recent tests in Houston, one channel is open in parts of the city and none are available in others. This is fairly typical of a large U.S. urban area.”

Knightly, pictured left, and Rice graduate student Xu Zhang developed a technology called “Wi-Fi in Active TV Channels,” or WATCH, and received FCC approval to test it at the Rice campus in 2014.

WATCH requires no coordination with or changes to legacy TV transmitters, the university said. TV signals are broadcast as normal and the WATCH system actively monitors whenever a nearby TV is tuned to a channel to avoid interfering with reception. One aspect of WATCH monitors TV broadcasts on a channel and uses signal-canceling techniques to insert wireless data transmissions into the same channel, which eliminates TV broadcasts from interfering with the super Wi-Fi data signals being sent to computer users, Knightly said.

The other aspect of WATCH is dedicated to making certain that data transmissions do not interfere with TV reception. This part of the technology would require TVs to report when they are being tuned to a UHF channel, Knightly said. In practice, this could be accomplished with either smart TV remotes or next-generation TV sets. In the tests at Rice, Zhang constructed a smart-remote app that reported whenever a test television in the lab was tuned to a UHF channel. When that happened, the WATCH system automatically shifted its data transmissions to another part of the UHF spectrum that wasn’t being used.

“Our tests showed that WATCH could provide at least six times more wireless data compared with situations where we were limited only to the traditionally available white-space spectrum,” Knightly said. With WATCH in use, Knightly said it took a fraction of a second longer than normal to tune in a UHF TV broadcast on the test television—less than a 5 percent increase.

Zhang and Knightly’s report on the research, titled “WATCH: Wi-Fi in Active TV Channels,” won best-paper honors last month at Association of Computing Machinery’s MobiHoc 2015 conference in Hangzhou, China.

The research is supported by the National Science Foundation, Cisco Systems and the Keck Foundation. Zhang and Knightley’s paper on WATCH is available here. Also see Doug Lung’s coverage of Rice’s white-space MIMO experiements.

Story images by Jeff Fitlow of Rice University. Cover image provided by Rice.