Broadcasters, Wireless Debate TV White Space Use

The debate occurred as the NAF and Free Press released analyses showing virtually every U.S. market has unoccupied broadcast channels not in actual use. For example, the study said, in Juneau, Alaska, as much as 74% of broadcast spectrum will be empty once DTV transition ends. Even in congested Dallas-Ft. Worth, 40% will be vacant, it said.

“When you hear the word ‘vacant,’ you have to decide how to define ‘vacancy’ in terms of interference parameters,” said MSTV Pres. David Donovan: “The fact that nobody operates on a channel doesn’t necessarily mean it’s vacant.” Some unused channels must stay that way to guard broadcast licensees from interference, he said. “The real world is vastly different from what you see in the lab or what you expect,” Donovan said. He didn’t seem to be impressed with data showing new wireless devices wouldn’t cause interference to viewers of traditional programming or to wireless microphones and remote broadcast technology used by broadcasters in white spaces. “Before you move forward and run potential interference to existing TV sets, everything has to be tested and has to be on the market,” he said.

If white space spectrum is opened for other uses, it should be auctioned, Donovan said. “Let’s assume… that this all works perfectly and that you gain access to 100 MHz of spectrum,” he said. “What in effect you are saying then as a matter of budget politics is that the companies that are engaged in this, like Cisco, are going to be getting a multi-billion dollar gift,” he said, drawing a laugh from Cisco Senior Telecom Policy Counsel Mary Brown. Donovan admitted a proposal like his is “strange coming from a broadcaster.” But he said broadcasters “paid” for their “free” spectrum in the form of regulations imposed on the industry.

Citing IEEE analysis, Donovan said FCC rules can’t protect TV reception from interference caused by unlicensed devices. “We are not alone in this concern,” he said, adding Motorola raised similar issues. “Before saying ‘Don’t worry, we'll work it out,’ be cautious.”

Cisco’s Brown disagreed. She said the wireless industry has a similar problem at 5 GHz used by military radars, but is close to resolving it, with NTIA and FCC testing set for later on this year. “What’s enabling this is the fact that unlicensed devices are now software- defined instead of being hard-wired, so they can be upgraded and changed for the first time,” she said: “Those radios are capable essentially of asking themselves 2 questions: (1) ‘Where am I relative to TV guys and public safety?’ (2) ‘Are the channels I am going to use already in use?'”

“Cisco expects to have devices on the market next year that will solve problems with military radars, and if we can do that, we can certainly solve problems in the TV band,” Brown said. She also said as other countries move toward considering white spaces use, “it’s very important for us to be at the forefront of using this spectrum. It’s important for innovation, economics, rural Americans and the FCC should move forward on that.”

White spaces use supporters urged Congress to act soon on DTV legislation. The DTV transition bill marked up by the House Commerce Committee includes a provision proposed by Rep. Inslee (D-Wash.), directing the FCC to issue a final order in the white spaces proceeding. The Senate also should direct the FCC to complete the proceeding, supporters said.