What's next for white space broadband? Setting up databases Matthew Lasar Ars Technica
February 18, 2009 8:15 PM http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/02/whats-next-for-white-space-broadband-setting-up-databases.ars Good news! (or bad, depending on your perspective). The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday gave the green light to the use of channels in the 700MHz band for fixed and portable unlicensed broadband, or "white space," devices (WSDs). The agency says that its rules will be effective on March 19. OK, some of you tech news savvy Ars readers are probably scratching your heads. "Didn't the FCC make that call in November?" you ask. They sure did, but one of the oddities of Federal regulatory policy is that just because some agency issues an Order about something doesn't mean that action is about to be taken. The decision has to be published in the Federal Register first, and that hasn't happened until now. The Wireless Innovation Alliance's coalition of white space boosters sent us a mildly celebratory note about the move. "Any step forward in this process is progress," their spokesperson Jake Ward told Ars. "It has always been our position that the Commission's process for testing, evaluation, and rulemaking is a necessary and worthwhile, and we are pleased that we have moved one step closer to a white space enabled world." But the circumspect quality of this comment is appropriate. As already noted, the Federal Register announcement says the decision doesn't apply until mid-March. But even then, not all of it. According to the Register document, the White House's Office of Management and Budget must still certify that various sections of the FCC's decision are in compliance with that law. What sections are those? The sections having to do with the TV bands database, the databases' administration fees, and the database administrator. Only on certain channels A crucial component of the FCC's new white space service will be the creation of geolocation databases that alert WSDs to the proximity of video and wireless microphone signals, so the former can avoid interfering with them. Both the fixed devices and the lower-powered portable applications must use these geolocation systems along with spectrum sensing. The Commission also intends to authorize devices that work with spectrum sensing, sans geolocation. But these will have get through a "proof of performance" case-by-case certification process that will include hands-on testing by the agency's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET). So the vanguard of these devices (except for the ones functioning as clients to other devices) will have to connect with a TV bands database via the Internet in order to get a constantly updated list of available TV channels with which they can temporarily connect to send and receive broadband. "A device may then transmit only on those channels which the database indicates are available for its use," the FCC's Order warns. In addition, the database tables must include registered wireless microphone sites and all the approved/unapproved channel and channel separation rules that the FCC has established. They'll also record the details and whereabouts of the fixed unlicensed devices themselves, plus a contact person's e-mail and mobile phone number, so that if any interference actually occurs, the unlicensed culprit can be quickly located and its owner tossed out of an air lock, Battlestar Gallatica style (just kidding). Who gets the geo job? These database(s) will be privately owned, and will be allowed to take payment to provide channel data and register fixed devices, but the data they provide must be uniform and accessible to all legit participants. One big question facing the FCC is who gets to administer these databases. We're talking plural here because the FCC says that it is willing to consider more than one database and more than one database administrator. These database(s) will be privately owned, and will be allowed to take payment to provide channel data and register fixed devices, but the data they provide must be uniform and accessible to all legit participants. "We believe that third parties will be in the best position to develop and manage a database in a fair and equitable manner and to address the day-to-day operational demands," the Order says. "We recognize the interests of Google and other [unlicensed TV band] proponents in ensuring that database services be made available on a fair and low cost (or no cost) basis and believe that providing for authorization of more than one party to operate a TV bands database will serve that purpose." Database administrators will be appointed for five-year terms. The FCC plans to issue a Public Notice soliciting applications to run the database(s), presumably on or after March 19, but that hasn't stopped one party from already contacting the agency. Wireless/IT mavens Thomas Stroup and Richard P. Biby met with the FCC in early February to get a sense of the white space lay of the land at this point. "We discussed the database requirements and anticipated timelines for the selection of database administrators," their filing discloses. It's uncertain what they learned from this meeting, but the Federal Register document makes one thing clear. The FCC's rules regarding unlicensed devices are now amended, effective March 19, except for sections "15.713, 15.714, 15.715 and 15.717, which contain information collection requirements that have not been approved by the Office of Management and Budget." Once the OMB gives the green light to these sections, the Commission will publish another document in the Federal Register "announcing the effective date of those rules." And what are these sections? The TV bands database, the TV bands database administration fees, the TV bands database administrator, and devices that rely on spectrum sensing. How long, Oh OMB It's not immediately clear from this documentation why these aspects of the FCC's white space service fall under the jurisdiction of the OMB. But evidently they do, since they contain "information collection requirements." How will the Office of Management and Budget look upon this question? Well, the Bush Administration's OMB put the kibosh on FCC rules requiring cell phone towers to carry eight hours of backup power, based on an interpretation of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). And as of January 18, the agency still hadn't approved the Commission's upgrading of its ridiculously antiquated definitions for "high speed" broadband. But it may be that a kinder, gentler, and faster Obama OMB is in the offing. No predictions from here, though. Then there's the question of how long it will take for various vendors to actually produce these devices if/when the databases are approved and rolled out. When last Ars asked around about this, Motorola exuded a cautious confidence, and Dell said that it plans to offer apps that let you tap into white space via your laptop, but didn't say when. Microsoft, which heavily promoted the concept during the FCC's proceeding, did send us this statement. "It's hard to predict when products will move into the marketplace," company spokesperson Ginny Terzano said. "Companies need to review the rules closer and there are a multitude of factors that will determine when a product will be developed. But generally we might start seeing the benefits of the FCC ruling within 18 to 24 months or so." These comments were all made in December, however, before the economy reached the plateau of scariness at which it now stands. If you've got any thoughts about this FCC/OMB/PRA white space approval process that you'd like to share, you can contact the FCC via e-mail to [email protected] and/or to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget, via e-mail to [email protected] or via fax at 202-395-5167. It looks like they're in charge of the white space timeline for now. ================================================= George Antunes Voice (713) 743-3923 Associate Professor Fax (713) 743-3927 Political Science Internet: antunes at uh dot edu University of Houston Houston, TX 77204-3011 *********************************** * POST TO [email protected] * *********************************** Medianews mailing list [email protected] http://lists.etskywarn.net/mailman/listinfo/medianews
