*We will get those TV channels but it will be a LONG wait. I certainly
hoped we would see this before 2009. Here is information from Comm
Daily's Telecom AM Today:
FCC BANS MARKETING WHITE-SPACE DEVICES
PRE-DTV DEADLINE*
Although the FCC has allowed use of wireless devices designed to operate
in vacant TV bands, or white spaces, it has barred sale of any products
before Feb. 17, 2009, when the DTV transition ends, according to the
order, made available Wed. by the Commission. The FCC cut off any sale
of devices even in the weeks before the deadline. Sources said Wed. that
in 2004, when the FCC first eyed opening white spaces, advocates like
New America Foundation and high-tech companies hoped for sale of
pretransition devices as early as this year, once rules were issued
for the pre-deadline period. Those hopes faded as the FCC took longer
than expected to approve use of white spaces. It was thought if we
could get this going... it would be worth it, because we'd have those 3
extra years and then after 2009 we'd come up with a different set of
technical standards, possibly a different set of techniques, possibly
the same techniques, just different tolerances, a source monitoring the
rulemaking said: The FCC just stalled so long that it no longer makes
any sense to try to come up with pretransition rules.
We will allow low-power TV band devices to be marketed immediately
after the end of the DTV transition on February 17, 2009, but not
before, the order said: The risk of creating uncertainty that would
impede the DTV transition outweighs the benefit of allowing operation of
low power devices at a slightly earlier date, especially given that some
proponents of low power devices have indicated they would need up to 21
months after the adoption of final technical rules to bring such
devices to market. The Commission doesn't say whether white spaces
should be made available licensed or unlicensed, drawing no tentative
conclusion in the rulemaking. But the order cites reasons unlicensed
use may make more sense. If protection of incumbents is required,
devices operating in the TV bands would need to operate at lower power
levels than are typical of many licensed services, the FCC said.
--
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