Well the veiled “We don’t want this, stay away” responses did not work so the forces of the NAB are making it personal now. Their target? Julius Knapp –

He is one of the most respected, accomplished and well-liked public servants ever to grace the Federal Communications Commission. Now, mobile phone carriers, TV network moguls and others want his head. Julius Knapp, chief of the agency’s Office of Engineering and Technology, has a big target on his back. There is nothing subtle about the disdain gushing his way.

Knapp is running interference so to speak for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin regarding controversial white spaces and advanced wireless services-3 initiatives. The floodgates opened after the OET issued testing reports that concluded unlicensed devices can operate without disruption to others in TV airwaves and that a new national wireless broadband service can coexist in frequencies next to those purchased for billions of dollars by wireless carriers at a 2006 auction.

Broadcasters and their ilk contend the OET’s analysis of white spaces interference testing is flawed. The wireless industry attacked the OET over a report on testing to ascertain potential interference from TDD transmissions in the AWS-3 band (2155-2180 MHz) to cellphone service in the AWS-1 band (2110-2155 MHz).

I don’t know Mr. Knapp from a hole in the ground. But just like the ‘Joe the Plumber’ incident this is getting out of hand. If Knapp over stepped his capacity then have the FCC slap him around. But I tend to doubt he did. But if Knapp is just doing what he was asked to do, well then we are bound to support the guy.

I would have two questions for the NAB mavens. 1) What do YOU intended to do with the white space bandwidth? Fears of interference don’t count for you as your services are moving to an entirely different frequency band. Lacking plans, go away. 2) Where is your economic standing for your loss? Since your industry only used the space as guard bands to prevent interference amongst yourselves please identify how you incur any economic loss in the matter?

We await your reply. Not expecting any of course.

Linky.

I’m beginning to think the NAB is onto something they aren’t sharing. With the growth in TVoIP as the up and coming distribution model, more widely available, cheaply deployable broadband could potentially obsolete their big transmitters. That airspace would access any programming, not just the programming they are broadcasting on a schedule. Welcome to the Third Pipe world Mr and Ms Rabbit Ears!

The FCC could feel compelled to open some prime 700MHz spectrum to the public for free use after so purposefully ignoring the actual owners of the airwaves when opening new 700MHz licenses.  White spaces gives them an easy out for the agency’s most glaring abuse of power in recent years. With the possibility of new appointees who could be more easily bought off by the NAB, the present group will probably try to act on this before year end. The NAB seems to be wise to this as well since they are lobbying vigorously to delay a decision.

The FCC is expected to consider approving white-space devices at the next meeting of the five commissioners on Nov. 4. The move would be a victory for Google cofounder Larry Page, who recently told members of the Wireless Innovation Alliance that he hoped the FCC would act before the results of the November elections were in. “We can show real leadership in the world in a way that matters to everybody,” Page said.

However, the trade association representing the nation’s broadcasters wants the FCC to seek public comments on its report before it decides to move forward. “With the transition to digital television looming and tens of millions of TV viewers at risk, the stakes are too high for this proposal to be rammed through without thoughtful deliberation,” Wharton said. (Yahoo)

In what has to be a massive blow to the 700mhz band, the FCC in a report and as a policy decision has concluded that a open frequency will be necessary for this nation in the future. –

“We need to reserve some spectrum for free broadband services,” Martin said. “This would be lifeline broadband service . . . that would be designed for lower-income people who may not otherwise have access to the Internet.”

Of course the legacy carriers are all up in arms! –

But several large wireless carriers, including T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and AT&T, argue that using the spectrum will in fact interfere with their own broadband services operating in adjacent airwaves.

T-Mobile has been a vocal opponent of the plan, saying it will cause major disruption for its customers, especially as it rolls out its new G1 phone in partnership with Google.

FCC engineers conducted field tests last month in Seattle to determine the level of static between the services. The FCC concluded that sufficient technical protections would prevent major problems.

Martin’s proposal is to auction off the spectrum, with some rules attached. Some of the spectrum would be used for free Internet service, which would have content filters to block material considered inappropriate for children. Adults would be able to get around the filters.

The network would have to reach half of the U.S. population after four years, and 95 percent after 10 years.

I will be the last to tell you that I love the shaft the carriers are giving the American Public. But then again, were I Verizon I would probably be asking for my money back on the 700mhz space they just won. Nor from a FCC perspective is this prudent. It damages any future auctions they may have in the wireless space. Buyers will factor in any possibility of a free band that will compete against them as part of their pricing strategy. That’s Adam Smith’s Invisible Hammer at work.

But on the other hand, I see the need for the free band. There are frequencies that will not be used. We have had the battle of the white space wars and it has been proven that a properly designed spread spectrum device will not cause havoc. That it will be used only by low income will be a fallacy. So long as anybody can walk down to Frys and buy it off the shelf, it will be deployed regardless of income level.

Were I Verizon I would be seriously concerned.

Linky.
Linky.

The lobby against using white spaces from broadband now has one fewer member. GE Medical Devices is satisfied with a new provision in the proposal that will set aside frequencies for their devices. A similar arrangement could easily be reached with the wireless microphone makers. That could leave the powerful NAB as the only major opponent of a potentially free and open wireless frontier.

According to a letter to the Federal Communications Commission from corporate parent GE, its GE Healthcare division told the FCC it is satisfied that channel-protection technology it proposed for healthcare devices “was sufficient … to protect licensed wireless medical telemetry service” on channel 37 from “proposed portable white-spaces devices” that would seek out adjacent channels to use.

GE is not saying it necessarily supports the unlicensed devices. It made clear in an earlier filing that it thinks the FCC should not allow the devices to operate in channels 36 and 38. But GE also said in that earlier filing that if the FCC does allow them, it should limit their power output along the lines of a “masking” regime it was proposing.

The most recent filing suggested that GE is satisfied with that fix. (Broadcast & Cable)

While I’m on the soapbox: New white spaces use should be low power, and open using only FCC certified devices. I believe that use should be unlicensed like WiFi.

Much of the items we cover on this blog is drool stuff. We try t liven it up from time to time. Well the NY Post takes a stab at it too. They do a fair job too. –

IT’S a sad state of affairs when the interests of American consumers - and our digital fate - are being better represented by Google than by government. But that’s the state of the debate over what to do with the “white spaces” between TV channels.

The white spaces are the spectrum that will be freed up when TV broadcasters finish switching to wavelengths reserved for digital transmission in 2009. Google wants the spectrum liberated so any of us can freely use it, as we do now with wi-fi frequencies.

Read the whole thing. The outcome may very well determine whether this country is first rate or no rate in the broadband space globally.

Linky.

RCR. It appears that the FCC may auction off an AWS III frequency — 2155-2180 MHz. Its only 25mhz of bandwidth but it maybe enough to make things interesting. –

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin scheduled a vote on rules for another major spectrum auction, one that would encompass 25 megahertz in the 2155-2180 MHz advanced wireless services band and require the winning bidder to offer free broadband service under an aggressive build-out schedule.

“We’ve had a variety of proposals that had come into the commission originally where some people wanted us to give them the spectrum,” said Martin in a briefing with reporters. The FCC chief said a vote may be held at the agency’s upcoming June 12 meeting, but added it is possible the measure could be approved before that date.

Martin said that a licensee of the 2155-2180 MHz spectrum (referred to as the AWS III band) would have to provide a free service tier, and would have to reach 50% of the population in four years and 95% of the population by the end of the license term.

Martin also said the agency will initiate a separate rulemaking on what to do with other AWS frequencies.

The FCC earlier this year auctioned 62 megahertz of 700 MHz spectrum, raising almost $20 billion.

It is unclear whether the FCC would hold the AWS III auction later this year, and if that auction will affect the agency’s plans to re-auction of the 700 MHz D Block. The D Block — whose rules currently call for a public safety-private sector partnership via a national license — was not claimed in the 700 MHz auction because no bidder met the $1.3 billion reserve price.

There is both questions and opportunity here.

Questions –

• Who the h@^^ would be crazy enough to go into a commercial venture that requires a free service tier. Nobody would want anything but that.
• Considering those facts who would be crazy enough to do the build out?
• What would be the restrictions? At only 25mhz bandwidth you aren’t going to do much beyond messaging and digital transport. Video would be a bandwidth buster.

Opportunities –

• Were a consortium of ARRL, Microsoft, Intel and GE to bid or get abeyance from the FCC a great deal of good good could be made. Subchannels of bandwidth could be offered for Ham technical use, Medical systems, and data transport.
• Might make a viable baseline for the white space battle so that the whole legal issue could be avoided with the legacy network people.
• Let a nonprofit handle the appropriate licensing issues for certain subbands.

FCC you hearing us? Do it. But don’t auction it off, make it the ‘public commons’.

Linky.

If approved, the use of low power access points on soon to be vacated TV channels could make for huge changes in the competitive landscape for broadband users. That’s why Google and a few others like HP, Dell and Intel are interested in promoting the use of White Spaces for access and it’s why the incumbent broadband providers as well as broadcasters are opposed to it.

Page was scheduled to meet with lawmakers in Congress and officials at the Federal Communications Commission hoping to convince them to allow the “white space” between television channels to be accessed by low-power wireless devices.

“I think it will make a huge difference to everybody,” Page said during a morning appearance at a Washington think tank.

Page highlighted the benefits of making more spectrum available, while downplaying opposition from broadcasters, and makers and users of wireless microphones, who fear the wireless devices would cause interference.

“I think the debate’s really been politicized,” Page said.

Page said making more spectrum available would benefit computer users, giving them Internet connections with greater range and speed.

He said it would also benefit Google itself.

“If we have 10 percent better connectivity in the U.S., we get 10 percent more revenue in the U.S., and those are big numbers for us,” Page said. (Yahoo)

OK so, set aside a sliver exclusively for wireless mics. The only remaining issue are the duopoly and broadcasters. The telco side of the duopoly invested billions to lock down virtually all of the most useful frequencies for broadband delivery and they want to protect their franchise. The broadcasters are horrified that they will lose complete control of a band that was left largely vacant, but reserved for them exclusively. Worse yet, Mr Page is addressing a group who are completely incapable of absorbing the content of his testimony. It is an election year. When you write or phone your representative remind them this is important even if they don’t understand why. They will understand you may vote against their return to office  if they don’t move White Spaces forward.

Just kidding but like the disaster that will be the DTV transition, it now appears that we have an issue with wireless health monitors. Now CNet paints a picture of possible problems. We don’t doubt that might be true. But CNet also paint a picture of a ‘woe is the hospital’ when in fact companies like GE Medical Systems knew that there would be a transition. They did not take advantage of the changeout. Heck there is even a channel space that has been designated for such systems for several years now.

What’s that old saying? Oh — “Bad planning on your part, does not constitute panic on mine.” Please get off the White Space mindset. Properly designed digital systems have tightly constrained spectrum use.

But this does point out that the whole transition will be a problem.

If you were trying to convince the FCC to allow broadband access on unlicensed TV channels, would you trust this man with delivering a prototype device? Well, that’s what the white spaces coalition did, twice. The result? The same company whose former CEO made news by bringing up the blue screen of death when demoing new products to large audiences several times goofed again. Not once, but TWICE!

Memo to White Spaces Alliance: Guys, you have some very competent members. Handing the development of a critical prototype to Microsoft is like handing the game winning ball to a bench warmer. You should know better!

(more on Yahoo News)

With the duopoly firmly in control of most of the fixed and wireless access in the USA, new momentum has been building around the white spaces concept of using empty broadcast television channels for broadband access. The very nature of the proposal is founded in devices that are low power with limited geographic reach, and unlicensed use to allow unfettered development of devices and services. The duopoly lobbying and propaganda group CTIA clearly sees that as a threat to all access being kept in their domain.

The mobile-phone industry recommended to the Federal Communications Commission that most vacant broadcast channels be auctioned for area-wide licensing. Cellular trade group CTIA floated the idea shortly after Google Inc. offered a compromise proposal to unleash propagation-friendly TV white spaces for unlicensed wireless broadband access without interference to digital broadcasting, wireless microphones and other uses. Google’s proposal relies on a Motorola Inc. technology that combines geo-location and beacons.

“Ultimately, the TV white space is too valuable to lie fallow,” stated CTIA in a new FCC filing. “Licensing TV white-space spectrum will best facilitate the deployment of wireless broadband and other advances services, while protecting incumbent from harmful interference. The commission should auction the majority of this spectrum for prompt licensed use.” (RCR News)

It is clearly stated in American law that the airwaves are public property. The concept of licensing their use was born in a time when the only method of media distribution was to broadcast and it was extremely capital intensive. It did not foresee 2 way communications or content on demand. We have a right to a portion of the scare radio spectrum to be reserved for public use, and it’s high time we demand it. Please write you elected representatives,and be sure to vote in November

You can find and email your Representative or Senators here.