FCC Approves Unlicensed Use of White-Space Spectrum

sidesh0w was one of a number of readers to alert us to the FCC's unanimous decision approving unlicensed devices to use the white spaces of the spectrum unused by television broadcasters, provided they take certain precautions not to interfere with licensed users. "Denying a tremendous last-minute lobbying effort by broadcasters, the vote on white space devices went ahead as planned today after a several-hour delay at FCC headquarters. When the vote came, though, it was unanimous. For the Democrats on the Commission, the devices are appealing because they offer a potential new avenue for broadband services, while the Republicans are pleased for the same reasons, but love the fact that this is a deregulatory order that focuses on less regulation and more competition."

Comments

Re:Great! More interference

[plover]

I can't wait to have my cordless phone screw up my TV signal! Wee!

Your new phone won't interfere with your TV, as your TV does not use this spectrum. Your new phone will only interfere with other devices currently using this band. It's no different than your 2.4GHz phone interfering with your WiFi today.

The reason this is such a "fun" decision is that a large number of wireless microphones (used by entertainers, churches, actors in theatres, musicians, etc.) have been illegally occupying this spectrum for many years. That's right, they've been squatting spectrum that they should not have been using, and when this announcement came out all these "performers" started whining that they'd have to buy something else.

I think this is the ideal punishment for those lawbreakers: too freakin' bad, you should have been purchasing and licensing COMPLIANT equipment all along, morons! Now you get to pay for it twice! It makes me happy.

Between WhiteSpace and 700Mhz,

[theGreater]

... I, for one, welcome our multi-frequency overlords. But seriously, fractal antennas ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal_antenna ) and golomb rulers ( http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/26/0037258 ) just got even more important. And I will of course be happy to assist them in finding handsets to toil in their data mines.

Transmitter Power

[Anonymous Coward]

Does this mean that whoever has the most powerful transmitter in an area will be able to drown out all other broadcasts on a given frequency?

Re:Transmitter Power

[lysergic.acid]

i'm assuming that wireless protocols used in the white-space spectrum (i think WiMax has an unlicensed spectrum profile, though i don't know what frequency range it's in) will account for potential interference and frequency conflicts from other devices. most-likely these protocols will be designed to detect whether a particular band or frequency is occupied by another device and try to find one that isn't. they'll probably also be designed to jump to a different band/frequency if a new source of interference is detected on the current band/frequency.

now, whether other devices/applications will play nice is yet to be seen. i don't know if the frequencies used in wireless microphones are configurable, but they probably aren't sophisticated enough for this kind of band negotiation. the other main source of interference would be TV transmissions, and they are generally fixed (and much more powerful), so any wireless broadband devices would have to work around them.

Re:Great! More interference

[SaDan]

If you have ever had to deal with RF interference as a primary duty for your job, you'd feel even more hostile than the previous poster.

Let the lawsuits begin....

[russotto]

Pretty much no doubt the NAB is going to sue over this, right?

Re:Great! More interference

[SleepingWaterBear]

Laws licensing airwaves are important. If they didn't exist, no one within 100' of me would ever be able to use a cell phone, because I would have a jammer.

This would make me happier since I wouldn't have to deal with people talking on cell phones in restaurants, or in theaters, and I wouldn't have to listen to obnoxious ringtones, but ultimately, I have to admit that preventing me from jamming cell phones is in society's best interest

Re:Great! More interference

[theaveng]

>>>they've been using something for free that was not lawfully theirs to use in the first place

True for the wireless microphone users, but not true for the TV broadcasters. There are over 5000 local stations and/or repeaters spread over this continent, and they have all bought-and-paid-for exclusive use of 1 channel per station. I think those local owners have a right to be angry the FCC decided to make their expensive licenses essentially worthless.

I'm sure the owners of expensive antennas are none too pleased either, since they will be losing approximately half their channels (the long-distance ones from neighboring cities).