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FCC Publishes "White Spaces" Rules
Stellian writes "The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Second Report and Order that establishes rules to allow new, sophisticated wireless devices to operate in broadcast television spectrum on a secondary basis at locations where that spectrum is open. It's the first time we have access to clear specifications for these devices, dubbed TVBDs — 'TV band devices' by the FCC. The published guidelines allow manufactures to create protocols and build compatible devices, which could be available in 18 Months, according to Larry Page. The full PDF text of this Second R&O is published on the FCC site."
So, TVBD's (whitespace devices) can operate on channels 21-51, except 37.
So, wireless mics get 19 channels, minus TV presence. (37 is for radioastronomy)
Unless it's two fixed-location devices talking to each other, then TVBD's can operate on 2, and 5-20. In markets with PLMRS, two channels will be reserved for wireless mics.
Um 2-4? Minus TV?
Except that TVBD's will be allowed to operate without geo-sensing, so they won't have any idea that they're in a PLMRS market.
So, 2? Hello? Is this thing on?
These TVBD's have been shown to interfere with TV at 40mW, and we're talking about devices that operate at 100mW? So the lesson here kids is that you should never bother buying an FCC license. You should just buy the people that make the rules. I can't wait for devices that allow for cheap (free would be better) internet everywhere, but this is not the FCC doing its job. Verizon and AT&T must feel like suckers for pouring money into Auction 73. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?
The database will be established and administered by a third party, or parties, to be selected through a public notice process to solicit interested parties.
1. Such a database can't be operated at no (or low) cost.
The locations where wireless microphones are used, such as entertainment venues and for sporting events, can be registered in the database and will be protected as for other services.
2. Registering such devices will most propable cost money to keep up with the expenses needed for operating the database.
3. To save money people won't register their devices.
4. ???
5. Pro...erm... Interference.
What is the FCC doing specifying how I indent my code? That's the job of the GCC, isn't it?
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
I know something about this. I am one of the vanishingly small number of people who have set up an ATSC transmitter other than under FCC part 70 rules.
The sad reality is that 85% of people get their TV from cable or satellite, meaning that TVBDs will have zero impact on them (the cable and satellite companies either get their feeds over fiber or will have no trouble hunting down any source of interference that keeps the head-end from getting a signal, given their budget as compared to the average homeowner).
One of the big time losers in the switch to digital broadcasting are mobile/portable receivers. I have an Insignia 7" LCD ATSC TV, and unless you plug it into a proper TV antenna mounted on top of a building, it's digital tuner is deaf as a post. Insignia stopped making them, probably because as portable devices, they're practically useless. And that's not Insignia's fault. It's simply the nature of the cliff effect. Portable receivers used to get by because they could display a less-than-perfect signal. But digital receivers get perfect reception or none at all. Mobile reception is out because the Doppler effect and dynamic multipath can totally wreck 8VSB reception.
So what's left are people either too cheap or too poor for cable or satellite, or who (like me) are RF hobbyists.
How low does that 15% figure have to go before it's simply cheaper for the government to subsidize lifeline access rates for the poor and auction the rest of the broadcast TV bands off? For how much longer is the public interest better served by broadcast TV rather than, oh I don't know, how about really, really high speed mobile IP (the sort of thing you can get when you set aside a 300 MHz band for the purpose)?
TVBDs that cause interference will be impossible for the average broadcast TV viewer to diagnose. Their receiver will simply go blue-screen. In the past, there were visual clues in the picture condition to diagnose reception problems. But with the switch to digital, it would take a spectrum analyzer to do the same job. The fact that the FCC would countenance such a situation speaks volumes about how important they perceive broadcast television to be.