WASHINGTON D.C.—The FCC has voted to deny a petition by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) for reconsideration of the Office of Engineering and Technology’s (OET’s) designation of Nominet UK as a white spaces database administrator.  

Nominet sold its spectrum management assets to RED Technologies in 2020, including its TV white spaces database. Since Nominet is no longer a TVWS administrator, the NAB was not lobbying the FCC about its petition because it was no longer relevant.

As previously reported, the FCC had already signaled that it would deny the petition when it voted on the matter in January. 

NAB’s petition had argued that Nominet’s database contained numerous errors and that Nominet should be de-certified as a database administrator until it corrected the errors.  

According to the FCC, Nominet stated that the errors were a result of difficulties in importing data from the Commission’s new Licensing and Management System (LMS) and that it immediately corrected the import procedure.

In denying the petition, the FCC ruled: “We find that the database errors discovered by NAB, which were immediately corrected by Nominet, are not grounds to revoke the designation of Nominet as a white space database administrator….While we are denying NAB’s petition, we underscore that we appreciate NAB bringing these concerns to the attention of the Commission and Nominet so that the errors could be remedied.  However, we do not believe that these errors show any fundamental deficiency on the part of the database administrator but appear to be the result of issues related to the Commission’s transition....the LMS combined with an inadvertent failure by Nominet to include all of the latest updates in its final version of the database.  Nominet promptly recognized its ongoing responsibility for remedying concerns brought to its attention.  As noted above, in 2020, Nominet transferred its database to RED Technology,  and NAB did not indicate any concerns about this transfer.”

The complete ruling is available here. 

WASHINGTON—The FCC said this week that it plans to deny a request from the National Association of Broadcasters to reconsider the commission’s intention to nominate a database administrator to manage TV white spaces, the area of RF spectrum between TV channels where the commission allows the use of unlicensed devices (aka “white space devices”).

NAB has accused the administrator in question—Nominet UK (now RED Technologies)—of maintaining a database that includes “numerous errors.” In a 2018 petition to the FCC, the association warned that, although Nominet claimed it had corrected such errors, the commission should not trust the company’s assurances of accuracy. “The commission should not simply take Nominet’s word on this subject given the scope of the problems NAB identified,” they said.

The FCC disagrees with the NAB and will hold a vote on the matter at its Jan. 27 meeting. In a notice filed this week, the commission said it took issue with NAB’s contentions about Nominet and that its actions will help instill confidence to users and manufacturers of white space devices.

"We find that the database errors discovered by NAB, which were immediately corrected by Nominet, are not grounds to revoke the designation of Nominet as a white space database administrator," the commission said. “The actions being taken… will provide additional certainty to white space device users, manufacturers and database administrators to enable unlicensed white space devices to operate efficiently and protect other spectrum users, in particular wireless microphone users.” 

The commission also said it will vote to remove the requirement for white space databases to “push” channel availability to white space devices when a licensed wireless mic operator registers in the white space database to use a TV channel. 

“We remove the push notification requirement and replace it with a simpler rule that requires white space devices operating on broadcast TV channels to re-check the database more frequently.” 

WASHINGTON—America’s Public Television Stations and the National Association of Broadcasters have filed a brief with the FCC opposing a petition submitted by Microsoft Corporation asking the Commission to revise its rules governing Distributed Transmission Systems (DTS).

The controversy, which could have important implications for the deployment of NextGen TV broadcasts and services, revolves around the FCC January 13 Report and Order updating its DTS coverage rules.  

The order expanded the permissible range of signal spillover and replaced the subjective “minimal amount” language used to describe spillovers, giving broadcasters more flexibility in the placement of DTS transmitters. This flexibility  could help with DTS deployment and help ATSC 3.0 services reach their full potential.

In a May 21 filing with the FCC, Microsoft detailed a number of complaints about the order and argued the order would hurt their Airband Initiative to use TV white spaces to provide broadband services in rural areas. It "needlessly worsens an already-difficult environment" for TV white spaces deployments, the filing noted.

This was quickly attacked by the NAB. 

A May 25, 2021 blog post by NAB deputy general counsel Patrick McFadden blasted Microsoft's efforts to get the FCC to revise a January ruling, calling Microsoft's Airband Initiative "hot air" and a heavily hyped solution to the rural broadband gap that has not lived up to its promises.

In the new August 3 filing with the FCC, APTS and the NAB continue their opposition to Microsoft, arguing that “Microsoft’s petition presents no legitimate case for reconsideration and the Commission should promptly deny it.”

“Microsoft’s petition asks the Commission to elevate Microsoft’s parochial interest in television white spaces (TVWS) technology above the public interest in allowing broadcasters to make more efficient use of spectrum and provide improved service to viewers,” the two groups wrote. 

The filing argues that the TVWS initiative has been a failure, with “fewer TVWS devices operating in the United States today than there were four years ago....[M]ost companies previously supporting TVWS technology have abandoned it for other unlicensed spectrum opportunities, leaving Microsoft as the sole major proponent of the technology.”

Meanwhile the brief notes that “broadcasters...are moving forward quickly with ATSC 3.0 deployments and are already planning DTS deployments to improve service to consumers.” 

"The Commission cannot in good conscience bar broadcasters from making real-world investments to improve service to viewers based on nothing more than more empty promises,” from Microsoft, the groups argued. “We urge the Commission to promptly deny Microsoft’s petition for reconsideration.”

The two groups also opposed Microsoft’s proposed waiver standard. 

WASHINGTON D.C.—A blog post by NAB deputy general counsel Patrick McFadden has blasted Microsoft's efforts to get the FCC to revise a January ruling that would have made it easier for broadcasters to deploy ATSC 3.0 services and improve the viewing experience with Next Generation TV technologies.  

The controversy revolves around FCC January 13 Report and Order updating its DTS (distributed transmission system) coverage rules. 

The order expanded the permissible range of signal spillover and replaced the subjective “minimal amount” language used to describe spillovers, giving broadcasters more flexibility in the placement of DTS transmitters and would help ATSC 3.0 reaching its full potential. 

In a May 21 filing with the FCC, Microsoft detailed a number of complaints about the order and argued the order would hurt their Airband Initiative to use TV white spaces to provide broadband services in rural areas. It "needlessly worsens an already-difficult environment" for TV white spaces deployments, the filing noted. 

"The DTS Order was an unfortunate misstep," the filing concluded. "We encourage the Commission to instead adopt a streamlined waiver approach like that proposed by Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel and Commissioner Starks to provide broadcasters any increased efficiency and flexibility they need for legitimate DTS spillover, avoiding the DTS Order’s significant and unnecessary restriction on the availability of TVWS services." 

In his blog, McFadden criticized Microsoft's “Airband Initiative,” as a heavily hyped solution to the rural broadband gap that has not lived up to its promises. 

"Initiative relies heavily on unlicensed use of unoccupied channels in the television band, known as TV `white spaces,'" McFadden wrote. "Almost 10 years after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) initially authorized white spaces operations, the technology was a Google Glass-level disappointment. There were only approximately 800 white spaces devices – yes, only 800 – operating across the entire country and promises of `Super Wi-Fi' or `gigabit speeds' spurring billions of dollars of investment were empty."

Despite this lack of success, McFadden complained that Microsoft is now using the Airband Initiative to "overturn rules the Commission recently adopted to further the deployment of Next Generation TV services and improve service to television viewers, effectively constraining broadcasters from offering services broadcasters are actually currently deploying to protect Microsoft’s ability to offer theoretical services."

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to stop dithering and make a final decision on its proposal to use a terrain-based model to determine channel availability for TV white spaces and criticizing TVWS proponent Microsoft for providing an inadequate case for widening availability. 

NAB’s comments were made during a conference call with the FCC last week in which it repeated its claims that the terrain-based model—supported by Microsoft—could lead to harmful interference to licensed television stations and that the company has failed to offer technical evidence for its position.

Plus: NAB Questions FCC’s Proposed TV White Space Measurement Model

“The only real technical support Microsoft has offered for its proposal is a citation to studies it submitted in the initial phase of this proceeding purporting to demonstrate that ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 receivers might be more robust to adjacent-channel interference than the Commission’s rules suggest,” NAB said. “However, NAB noted almost a year ago that Microsoft conducted testing using only new ATSC 1.0 receivers, completely ignoring older receivers, and that the sole ATSC 3.0 receiver Microsoft tested was a $1,000 dongle marketed as a ‘professional grade’ receiver.

“Microsoft has not even attempted to respond in its latest filing, making its reference to its limited testing disingenuous,” the association added. 

NAB also said TVWS proponents are grossly exaggerating the success of TV white spaces, accusing advocates of citing “expanded” white space deployments that don’t actually exist. It said the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition has cited pilot programs in Colorado, Virginia and Nebraska that were expanded in response to increasing the availability of distance learning opportunities during the pandemic of the past year, when in fact there was no evidence in the TVWS database of white space devices being used in Colorado or Nebraska and just a smattering in rural Virginia. 

NAB added that after a dozen years of FCC activity on TVWS, that there are only about 300 such devices operating nationally.  

“It is long past time for the Commission to stop tinkering with its rules to boost a technology that has no demonstrated track record of success,” NAB said. “At some point, white spaces proponents should be asked to actually accomplish something before asking for further handouts.” 

WASHINGTON—The FCC announced that it is closing its five-year-plus rulemaking on the use of unlicensed devices in vacant TV channels (so-called “white spaces”).

Although the commission took action on the specific NPRM issued in July 2015, (“Preserving Vacant Channels in the UHF Television Band for Unlicensed Use”), the issue of using vacant TV channels for unlicensed devices had been percolating for more than a decade. The commission adopted new rules that took effect in 2011 that provided protection for TV signals, reservation of two channels for wireless microphones and technical rules for the devices, e.g., power levels and the method for identifying unoccupied spectrum.

NAB and related broadcast groups initially opposed the use of unlicensed white space devices (WSDs) in vacant TV channels, saying that the use of such devices would interfere with TV signals and wireless microphone systems. In the ensuing years, the commission established a database tracking white space devices and imposed requirements that devicemakers include geo-location technology to avoid interference.

The FCC said actions it has taken since 2015, as well as the changing landscape of broadcast spectrum, particularly since the Incentive Auction of 2017, are among the reasons to close the proceeding. 

“While we continue to support unlicensed white space devices and wireless microphone user operations and continue to believe they serve important interests,” the FCC said, “based on the record of this proceeding and in light of other actions we have taken during the years since the rules were proposed, coupled with the increased burden that the 2015 proposal would place on the use by broadcasters of spectrum in the more consolidated TV band that now exists following the Incentive Auction, we find that the rules proposed in the 2015 NPRM would not serve the public interest.”

“The Incentive Auction established a more efficient spectrum plan and preserved a robust broadcast television industry,” the commission added. 

The NAB too, supported this week’s FCC decision.

“The only new fact before the commission in years in this proceeding is the reduction of available channels due to the incentive auction and repack,” NAB told the commission, asserting that “there is no reason to continue to dedicate commission resources to this long dormant proceeding,” urging “the commission to disregard as moot comments seeking to prolong the inevitable, and to promptly close this docket.” 

Audio company Shure was among the holdouts, though.

Shure “requests that the FCC refrain from taking any further action at this time on the controversial matter of determining the proper course of action with respect to preservation of one or more vacant channels in the UHF TV Band for use by wireless microphones and TV White Space devices (‘WSDs’) and the terms of such use,” the company told the commission.  

Shure said the issue is still “controversial,” and that the FCC’s actions to terminate the rulemaking process “raises important public interest issues and involves a variety of stakeholders with different concerns regarding the appropriate resolution.

“If anything, the case for reserving a vacant channel is even stronger now than it was in 2015 due to intervening developments that have adversely affected the wireless microphone community,” Shure added. “Just this past year, for example, wireless microphone users have had to cope with the 600 MHz transition, significant relaxations of the restrictions on use of TV White Space devices and the looming potential issue of DTS spillover (in addition to the devastating economic impact of the pandemic on the entire live events industry).”

WASHINGTON—Connect Americans Now backs the FCC’s plan for TV white spaces, and has a wide-range of support as 41 companies representing agriculture, education, digital equity, rural communities, small business, technology and veterans co-signed comments filed by CAN earlier this week.

The FCC has issued a Report and Order that aims to expand the use of the 600 MHz spectrum, aka TV white spaces, for Wi-Fi devices. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says this will expand the devices’ ability to provide broadband coverage in rural and unserved areas, and help narrowband Internet of Things devices operate in TV white spaces. Broadcasters worry about potential interference issues this could cause broadcasters currently using the spectrum, but Pai believes the new rules would properly protect them.

A vote on the Report and Order is scheduled to take place at the commission’s open meeting on Oct. 27.

PLUS: FCC Grants NAB White Spaces Adjacent-Channel Protection

“For the millions of Americans who lack access to a broadband connection, the pandemic has exacerbated the many challenges associated with the digital divide and made more urgent solutions to maximize the potential for every tool at the nation’s disposal, including TVWS,” CAN wrote in its comments. “This is why Connect Americans Now, and the 41 organizations co-signed on this letter, welcome the commission’s leadership to clear regulatory barriers to TVWS and strongly encourage the adoption of the draft Report that will help reduce costs and increase the reach of hybrid network broadband deployments.”

Among some of the companies and organizations that have signed CAN’s comments include BroadbandNow, National Rural Education Association, National Veteran Small Business Coalition, Eastern Oregon Telecom, California Farm Bureau Federation, Montana Rural Education Association and the Wisconsin Technology Council.

The full CAN comments are available online.

WASHINGTON—FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has set out the agenda for the commission's October meeting, with a pair of key TV industry issues expected to be up for votes.

The first will revolve around TV white space. There has been much debate over who should be allowed to operate in the 600 MHz spectrum and what potential interference concerns could occur as a result, but the vote to take place during the October meeting will seek to, as Chairman Pai puts it, expand devices’ ability to provide broadband coverage in rural and unserved areas, as well as help narrowband Internet of Things devices operate in TV white spaces. Pai claims that the new rules would still protect TV broadcasters already operating in the band.

“We expect that these changes will spur continued growth of the white space ecosystem and help close the digital divide,” said Pai.

The other item on the agenda involves audio description. Audio description—previously known as video description but being changed at the recommendation of disability rights advocates—helps make TV programming accessible to blind or visually impaired people by inserting a narrated audio description of the program’s key visual elements at breaks in the dialogue. The vote will seek to expand the reach of the FCC’s audio description rules to an additional 10 markets per year over the next four years; currently the top 60 markets require the rules for certain commercial TV broadcast stations.

Additional items on the agenda have to do with 5G, net neutrality and digital conversion of AM stations.

The FCC October Open Commission Meeting is scheduled to take place on Oct. 27.

ARLINGTON, Va.—The Consumer Technology Association has officially put its support behind the FCC’s proposal that would allow for great use of TV white spaces (TVWS) by unlicensed white space devices, increasing broadband services in rural and underserved areas, it says.

The FCC submitted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on expanding the use of TVWS, which is portions of the broadcast TV band not actively used by TV stations, back in February; it was passed unanimously by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and the FCC commissioners.

Politicians and organizations like the NAB have said that they support the effort, at the very least in most of its details.

CTA argues that the current coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for this proposal, specifically how “every household needs access to affordable broadband to connect to work, education, entertainment and life-saving technologies.”

“We applaud adoption of the NPRM and urge the commission to adopt the proposals therein—which reflect consensus between the unlicensed and broadcast communities,” CTA said.

The entire CTA letter is available on its website. 

WASHINGTON—The NAB does not want the FCC to tinker too much with the proposed adjustments to the rules governing TV white spaces that it worked out with Microsoft, arguing that doing so could jeopardize existing and future TV services.

TV White Space (TVWS) refers to the portions of broadcast television bands that are not used by TV stations. In February, the FCC unveiled a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would allow wider use of TVWS by other devices while also, the FCC claims, protecting TV reception from interference.

The NAB, in comments filed on May 4, said it is in general support of these proposals thanks to its collaboration with Microsoft, however it warns the FCC of overstepping and undoing that work. NAB offered three specific instances where this could happen.

The first is that the FCC should not—and legally cannot, according to NAB—seek to rewrite Part 15 of its rules, which ensure unlicensed operations don’t cause interference, in an attempt of “balancing policy considerations.”

“The commission’s foremost consideration in this process must be ensuring that the rules it adopts will not set the stage for harmful interference to existing or future broadcast television operations—not simply expanding the opportunities for a technology that has thus far failed to live up to its alleged promise and produce meaningful results,” the NAB’s comments read.

The NAB continues by arguing the FCC should adopt Microsoft’s proposed coordination requirement for TVWS operations where the HAAT (heights above average terrain) exceeds 250 meters rather than substitute its own judgement. The proposal currently suggests that Microsoft’s proposal, which includes identifying and notifying TV licensees using the TVWS, is too burdensome. NAB says that the proposal was modeled after the FCC’s Part 101 procedures and “sets forth a reasonable process to help ensure that broadcasters actually receive notification of the proposed operations and that they have a realistic opportunity to observe how those operations actually affect service in the real world.”

The last point the NAB makes is that the FCC should not allow higher power operations on first-adjacent channels to TV operations. “There has not been a single development in white spaces deployments or technology that would warrant revisiting the relevant rules at this time,” NAB wrote.

PLUS: Senators Push for FCC Action on White Spaces

“The commission should take a measured approach to loosening its rules to facilitate TVWS operations in this proceeding,” NAB wrote. “While we agree with most of the proposals set forth in the NPRM, we urge the commission to adopt the special coordination procedure Microsoft proposed in its petition for rulemaking, and not to make any changes to the existing rules governing first-adjacent channel operations.”

NAB’s full comments are available online. 

WASHINGTON—The move to make TV white spaces available for other users should be done “in the coming months before the end of the year,” according to Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) in a letter to the FCC. The senator says that such action is needed to close the digital divide.

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—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.”

In his letter, Warner says that there are 770,000 Virginians who lack access to broadband, as well as 3.3 million who do not use the internet at broadband speeds, according to figures from the FCC.

“This digital divide impacts nearly every aspect of life for Virginians living without access to broadband, as broadband has become a precondition to meaningful participation in the digital economy,” Warner wrote. “This contrast has become worryingly more stark in the last month, with an unprecedented number of Americans now heavily reliant on broadband access for telework, telehealth and online education.”

The specifics covered in the NPRM for white spaces 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.

This would allow for affordable, reliable broadband to millions of Americans, according to Warner. The senator points out that Virginia has already run some pilot programs using TV white space and reports they have been an effective tool.

“By clearing regulatory barriers, the commission can enhance the pace, scale and cost-effectiveness of broadband deployments in unserved and underserved rural communities, including through the use of TVWS technology,” wrote Warner. “An innovative, ‘all-the-above’ approach to eliminating broadband gaps has never been more vital.”

At the time the NPRM was issued, NAB shared a statement saying that the proposed rules represented a consensus-based approach to updating the rules, and also hoped that the FCC would move quickly.

This story has been updated with a statement from NAB.

WASHINGTON—FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has presented a new proposal that would provide additional opportunities for unlicensed white space devices to deliver wireless broadband services in the spectrum previously marked for broadcast television bands (channels 2-35).

Back in March of 2019, the FCC approved the use of white spaces between TV channels by fixed and wireless mobile devices, specifically unused channels, channel 37, guard bands between wireless spectrum and between uplink and downlink spectrum in the 600 MHz band. The goal of this was to increase broadband services in rural areas.

That is the same goal of Pai’s new proposal, which he revealed to the FCC commissioners on Wednesday, Feb. 5, and has marked for a vote at the FCC’s monthly Open Meeting on Feb. 28.

With this new proposal, Pai wants to permit higher transmit power and higher antennas for fixed white space devices in rural areas. He argues that it will allow white space devices to reach users at greater distances for improved broadband coverage. It would also enable signals to better penetrate foliage, buildings and other obstacles. In addition, it would permit higher power mobile operators within geo-fenced areas and proposes rule revisions to facilitate the development of “new and innovative narrowband Internet of Things-based services.”

With the requirement that white space device operations protect other authorized services from interference, Pai also has proposed increasing the minimum required separation distance for white space devices operating at higher power.

“TV white spaces can play a critical role in providing broadband services to rural and underserved areas,” Pai said. “The FCC has taken steps to enable the use of white spaces over the years, and this new proposal would further help bridge the digital divide while protecting TV stations.”

NAB's Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton released the following statement regarding Pai's new proposal:

"NAB appreciates the consensus-based approach the FCC is taking in this proceeding. We look forward to working with the commission and other stakeholders to develop final rules that will allow more flexibility for rural white spaces operations while protecting broadcasters."

If approved at the Feb. 28 meeting, the public will be able to provide feedback to this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking prior to any official adoption.

WASHINGTON—The FCC has sent the signal that allowing the so-called white spaces between TV channels to be used for fixed and mobile wireless devices are ready for prime time.

That came in a report and order adopted Wednesday, March 20. The FCC also resolved a number of petitions to reconsider (recon) the TV White Spaces Order that initially opened up the spectrum to broadband.

Specifically, the FCC finalized its reconsideration proceeding and its database accuracy proceeding so that broadband providers can invest in rural connectivity.

The FCC is permitting the use of white space devices (notably computers), both fixed and mobile, in unused channels, ch. 37, guard bands between broadcast and wireless spectrum and between uplink and downlink spectrum in the 600 MHz band--which they are sharing after the incentive auction.

It is part of the FCC's focus on freeing up more spectrum for advanced wireless and closing the rural digital divide, which computer companies argue "white spaces" play a key role.

Microsoft, Google and other computer companies on one side and the National Association of Broadcasters on the other have been at loggerheads over the issue. Microsoft has been pushing for as much spectrum as possible, saying that remote sensing technology can seek out and avoid TV channels in real time, preventing the sort of interference NAB said current remote sensing technology has not been proven to provide.

NAB wanted the FCC to vet the sensing technology before opening the floodgates, as it were.

The FCC order does require that white spaces devices include internal geolocation capability, both for outdoor and indoor use, and that the devices automatically provide coordinates to the database that is meant to map out the TV frequencies to avoid.

That is a victory for NAB, which sought the geolocation, and a defeat for Microsoft, which suggested the automatic capability was not necessary. The FCC took a little off it by denying NAB's request that it tighten geolocation accuracy requirements.

“NAB appreciates the FCC’s decision to strengthen its white spaces rules. Requiring automatic geolocation in white spaces devices will help increase accuracy and protect television viewers from harmful interference.”

NAB wanted the FCC to require a wired connection between a remote geolocation source and a fixed white space device, rather than a wireless connection, but the FCC sided with Microsoft on that point, and also said it would not limit the distance between that remote location and the device, something else NAB wanted.

NAB had asked that the FCC require the devices to identify their height above ground, but the FCC declined to do so.

White space device makers have until six months after the rules are adopted to bring their technology in line with the new rules, but the FCC said adding geolocation will require recertification. It was initially going to allow the change without recertification, but concluded that "incorporating an internal geo-location capability into a fixed white space device would necessitate hardware modifications, resulting in a device that is not electrically identical to the originally approved device."

NAB challenged the FCC's decision to allow use of low-power fixed devices within a TV station's contour because the potential for interference is greater than the FCC suggests. The FCC was "not persuaded that permitting such operation poses a significant threat of harmful interference to adjacent channel television reception."

And while NAB wanted the FCC to limit antenna heights to 30 meters, the FCC will allow taller antennas in areas of less congestion.

“We are excited to see the Commission using its authority to remove regulatory barriers so that every American can participate in the digital economy," said ACT-The App Association president Morgan Reed. "Today’s action furthers the FCC’s unfettered commitment to bridging the digital divide and will better position the United States as a leader in the networked economy. Our membership represents small to medium-sized app developers across all 435 congressional districts. In particular, many of our members are located in rural areas that traditional networks cannot reach. TVWS-enabled wireless connectivity, along with all the Commission’s work related to wireless infrastructure deployment, will allow these small businesses to grow and contribute to local economies.”

“This action shows that the Commission has been listening to the concerns of rural Americans, and we appreciate their continued commitment to bridging the rural broadband gap," said Connect Americans Now executive director Richard Cullen. "While this vote is a step in the right direction for internet service providers and equipment manufacturers eager to use TV white spaces technology to bring broadband to rural areas, there are still a number of outstanding regulatory barriers.

"“We encourage the Commission to build on this momentum by immediately issuing a Further Notice of Rulemaking to address the outstanding regulatory issues hindering TV white space technology’s deployment." 

WASHINGTON—NAB urged the FCC Nov. 27 to initiate a thorough examination of a TV white space database operated by Nominet UK for errors that if left unaddressed could lead to television stations experiencing harmful interference from TV white space devices.

The request, made by Patrick McFadden, associate general counsel for NAB during a telephone call with Alison Steger, who works in the office of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, was part of a broader discussion about the trade association’s petition of reconsideration of the Office of Engineering and Technology’s approval for Nominet to operate the database.

In a notice of ex parte communications dated Nov. 29 regarding the call, NAB asked the FCC to confirm that Nominet has fixed database errors it says have been corrected. “This is not the first time Nominet has made that claim,” the ex parte letter said. “In response to previous errors NAB identified, Nominet asserted in August that it had ‘addressed each technical issue’ with its database and would ‘continue to exercise rigorous ongoing oversight of its database.’”

However, NAB pointed out that subsequent to those assurances at least 200 full-power TV stations were listed in the database with incorrect channel information.

“The commission should not simply take Nominet’s word on this subject given the scope of the problems NAB identified,” it said. Rather, the agency should launch “a comprehensive review” of the database to verify available channels for use by TV white space devices, NAB said.

NAB also called on the FCC to reexamine the procedures used to certify a database administrator that “had committed potentially catastrophic errors,” it said.

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LEAWOOD, KAN.—A lot crosses my desk on a daily basis, and there are times I see curious connections between seemingly unrelated items.

Usually, I keep these thoughts to myself, viewing them mostly as whimsical musings. But this month I thought I would share one that I hope inspires broadcasters and the lawyers and lobbyists in Washington, D.C., they depend on.

I am talking about the value of perseverance.

First, consider One World Trade Center (1WTC) in New York City. As of this writing, five stations are on air, according to John Lyons, assistant vice president of The Durst Organization, which is responsible for the building’s broadcast RF infrastructure.

They include WNJU, which is channel-sharing with WNBC, Ion’s WPXN, WCBS and Fox Television’s WWOR. Within the next 60 days, Lyons expects Fox’s WNYW and public broadcaster WNET to begin transmitting from 1WTC, as well.

Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. As I have previously reported, high winds and freezing weather frequently postpone scheduled work to mount antennas, transmission line and other associated items. As things stand, Lyons is targeting late spring for the last of the antenna work to be complete.

[Read: Details Emerge About 1WTC Transmitter Lineup]

While wind and weather delays may have modified the completion schedule, one thing hasn’t changed. That’s the determination to persevere and re-establish the site to its previous stature as a premier TV transmission site in the nation’s No. 1 television market.

The same day I spoke with Lyons, NAB reply comments crossed my desk that were in reference to Microsoft comments regarding FCC’s Further Notice on Next-Gen TV. Microsoft is asking for the agency to give unlicensed white space devices favorable treatment in the few unused TV channels that remain following the repack.

[Read: Microsoft’s White Space Redux]

TV broadcasters, however, may need those vacant channels during an ATSC 1.0-to-3.0 transition to continue fully serving legacy DTV viewers while rolling out Next-Gen TV services. That doesn’t even take into account the LPTV stations with secondary licenses that should be given priority over unlicensed white space devices once the full-powers are setup for their transition.

When I think about a company with a nearly $700 billion market cap (on its way to $1 trillion market cap according to some Wall Street analysts) going up against the broadcast industry, my recommendation is take a page out of Lyon’s book: persevere.

There surely will be blustery days ahead and this won’t be the only fight, but a successful 1.0-to-3.0 transition is too important to do otherwise.

WASHINGTON--Microsoft is pushing the FCC to reserve a "white space" channel in every market in the repack of TV stations following the incentive auction, and broadcasters aren't happy.

Last month, Microsoft execs met with commissioner aides and FCC staffers to argue that was important to enable internet access for rural and underserved communities, and next week Microsoft president Brad Smith is scheduled to talk up "tapping into unused spectrum" as part of a national rural broadband strategy at a Media Institute luncheon July 11.

In response, the National Association of Broadcasters, fired back in a blog post by auction point man Patrick McFadden.

Broadcasting & Cable has the rest of the story.

WASHINGTON—A group of industry associations representing broadcasters and advocates for users of unlicensed wireless (“white space”) devices, is asking the FCC to reconsider its proposal to prevent the relocation of TV stations to areas of the broadcast spectrum used by such unlicensed devices and wireless microphones (so-called “duplex gaps”).

Last year, the commission—in its Framework Order outlining its rules for conducting the spectrum auction, noted the “public interest benefits” of developing a spectrum allocation strategy that would allow the use of unlicensed devices in the 6 MHz portion of the duplex gap nationwide, while also acknowledging that eliminating reserved spectrum for wireless microphones in the same band could jeopardize the ability of ENG crews to deliver breaking news.

Last month, the commission issued an NPRM that would prevent TV stations from being placed in a UHF channel reserved for wireless microphones or unlicensed devices. Such a proposal would upset the “balance” between broadcasters’ ability to deliver breaking news and the use of wireless microphones and unlicensed devices, the groups said.

“This balance would provide unlicensed users with a common channel that would be available in every market nationwide, which is vital to facilitating promised private investment in the WiFi chips and devices that require national markets,” the group--which includes the NAB, Microsoft, Consumers Union and Common Cause--told the commission. “It would also provide wireless microphones with a small amount of exclusive use of spectrum that could be used to cover breaking news and emergencies.”

The group urged the FCC not to “walk away” from its commitment to preserve the duplex gap for sharing between wireless microphones and TV white space devices in every market nationwide.

“Relocating television stations in the duplex gap in certain markets will render the gap in those markets unusable by either unlicensed devices or wireless microphones in those areas where the penetration characteristics of low-band spectrum are most needed,” the group wrote. “The proposal would hamper reporting of breaking news in the most populous cities.”

The groups recommended that the commission stick with its earlier policy.

“We ask the commission to reconsider the earlier proposal to repack broadcasters that do not have a home in the reduced broadcast band in either the uplink or downlink section of the wireless portion of the 600MHz band,” the group said. “This approach provides the commission with the flexibility it needs to execute its variable band plan, and preserves the balance it originally achieved for the duplex gap by reserving it for unlicensed use and licensed wireless microphones.