White Spaces Update
NSMA Spectrum Management 2012
May 2012
H. Mark Gibson
Director, Business Development
Topics
• What is White Space
• Applications
• Issues
• Wrap-up
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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What is “White Space”
Definition
• FCC says: “…unlicensed
radio transmitters operating
in the broadcast television
spectrum at locations where
that spectrum is not being
used by licensed services…”
• Operating channels
determined by a geo-location
database or spectrum
sensing
TV Channels in DC/Baltimore
Ch
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Freq
54–60
60–66
66–72
76–82
82–88
174–180
180–186
186–192
192–198
198–204
204–210
210–216
470–476
476–482
482–488
488–494
494–500
500–506
506–512
512–518
518–524
524–530
530–536
536–542
542–548
White Space
White Space
White Space
White Space
White Space
White Space
White Space
Ch
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
Freq
548–554
554–560
560–566
566–572
572–578
578–584
584–590
590–596
596–602
602–608
608–614
614–620
620–626
626–632
632–638
638–644
644–650
650–656
656–662
662–668
668–674
674–680
680–686
686–692
692–698
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Two Types of Devices
Fixed
Personal Portable
Mode II
Fixed
Fixed
Mode II
Mode I
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Fixed Devices
• Permanently installed base station transmitting to one or more fixed
devices or to a Personal Portable device
• Max Tx power: 4W EIRP (1W into 6dBi gain antenna, 36 dBm)
• Max PSD: 12.6 dBm (100 kHz), and must be reduced if using directional
ant. with > 6dBi gain
• Max adj-channel emission: -42.8 dBm
• Max antenna height: 30m AGL and 250m HAAT
• Cannot operate co- or adj-channel to existing TV operation
• Must be professionally installed (to get location) OR geolocated
• Geolocation accuracy must be 50m
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Fixed Devices
• Must register in database
• Must use database to provide list of channels
available for operation
• Must check database at least daily
• Must disable within up to two days if device fails
to contact database
• Database will unregister a device if it does not
contact the database for three months
• Can receive available channels from another
Fixed device
• Device sends available channels to Personal
Portable devices associated with it
• Must transmit identifying information
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Personal Portable Devices
• Max Tx power: 100 mW EIRP (20 dBm)
• Except 40 mW EIRP (16 dBm) if adjacent to
licensed station within protected coverage area
• Max PSD: -1.4 dBm if adj to occupied TV
channel
• Max adj-channel emission: -56.8 dBm
• Don't need to register in database
• Don't need to send basic ID info when
operating
• Cannot operate co-channel to existing TV
stations
• Cannot operate in TV channels 2 – 20
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Database Administrators
• Spectrum Bridge
• Telcordia
• Comsearch
• Google
• Microsoft
• Neustar
• Airity
• LS Telcom
• Key Bridge
• Frequency Finder
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Personal Portable Devices
• Mode I – Client
– Under control of a Fixed device or a Personal Portable device that employs a
geolocation database
– Receives available channels from Mode I or Fixed
• Mode II – Independent
Mode II
– Determines available channels on its own using a
geolocation database
• Can get channels from a Fixed Device
– Must disable if unable to determine location
– Must access database every 60 sec and every time
device moves and at least daily
– Must disable within a day if device fails to contact
database
Mode II
Mode I
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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How It Works
Interface to send “No
channels available”
messages to
database provider
and provide reports
to FCC
FCC
Interface
1
NON-FCC DATA
Headends
Wireless Mics
Video assist
TV Rx
Complete TV Bands
dataset (including
incumbents and fixed
registrations)
Generic
6
5
Provision
available
channels
FCC
Protected
Entities
WSD
Database
FCC DATA
TV
BAS
PLMRS
CMRS
Offshore
EAS
CDBS ULS
EAS
Registration
information /
Query
2
Incumbent
Database
Mode I
6
TV/WS
Database
5
6
5
Mode II
Internet
3
Fixed device
registrations
6
5
4
Other
Databases
Fixed
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Characteristics
• Good propagation and building penetration
• Uplink limited
– Lower power for personal portables
• May be capacity-limited
– Based upon number of available channels
• Bands are unlicensed
• Some international spectrum harmonization
– So far, most white space is in VHF/UHF TV bands
• Database concept extensible to other spectrum bands
• Standards-based interfaces
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Issues
• Relatively new service
• Regulatory concerns
– Antenna height limitation
– Power limits
– Emission masks
• Multiple database administrators (ten)
• Incumbent issues
• Slow international regulatory development
• Few equipment providers
• Middle Class Tax Act of 2012
– Spectrum re-farming
– Incentive Auctions
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Wrap-Up
• Many new opportunities for White Space
• Great potential for broadband
• This is still new
• Success will have applicability to other spectrum
• Regulatory process has been lengthy, complicated and is
still ongoing
• Is there enough spectrum?
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Some Applications
Distribution Automation and
Advanced Metering Infrastructure
Source: IEEE 802.22
© IEEE
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Some Applications
Farm Monitoring
Environmental Monitoring
Source: IEEE 802.22
© IEEE
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Some Applications
Hazard Monitoring
Homeland Security Monitoring
Source: IEEE 802.22
© IEEE
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Some Applications
Remote Medical
Archipelago/Marine Broadband
Source: IEEE 802.22
© IEEE
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Some Applications
In-home Multi-media Distribution
Source: Dell
Source: Philips
Source: Philips
Source: Philips
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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Thank You
www.comsearch.com
© 2012 CommScope, Inc.
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PT-103170-EN
Thank You
www.comsearch.com
H. Mark Gibson
Comsearch
Director, Business Development
703-726-5718 (o)
703-585-6249 (m)
[email protected]
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL © 2011 CommScope, Inc
PT-000000-EN
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