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FCC Wants Proposals To Manage White Space Database
kdawson writes "A year after voting unanimously to open 'white space' frequencies for unlicensed use, the FCC has now issued a public notice seeking database proposals (PDF). Howard Feld explains in his blog posting: 'At last! We can get moving on this again, and hopefully move forward on the most promising "disruptive" technology currently in the hopper. And move we are, in a very peculiar fashion. Rather than resolve the outstanding questions about how the database provider will collect money, operate the database, or whether the database will be exclusive or non-exclusive, the Public Notice asks would-be database managers to submit proposals that would cover these issues. ... I label this approach "good, but weird."'"
like the ones they have in Australia, UHF does not get the DX/Skip interference like 27MHz does, when I want to talk locally i dont want dozens of people from all over the USA or all over the world interrupting our conversation just to say "hi, where are you?, what kind of radio do you have?" etc...etc... it gets old and annoying after a while
Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
It makes perfect sense. They have no idea how to do it or the answers to those questions, so they are asking for current database experts to propose a solution. That is opposed to arguing about whatever option they happen to chose arbitrarily until nothing gets done.
This thing might get a bit political, with some not very nice things being said about whoever wins it. Some problems may be experienced with the day-to-day operation, too. Perhaps another story in Slashdot about some of that down the road.
I've read the proposal twice. They don't describe what they want to store at all. And I don't see a reference to another document either. How can anyone make an informed proposal without knowing anything about the data!!
Just curious, that's all.
I've read the proposal twice. They don't describe what they want to store at all. And I don't see a reference to another document either. How can anyone make an informed proposal without knowing anything about the data!!
Clearly you've never worked for a consultancy. What you need is a few dozen current buzzwords/phrases - like Cloud Computing, Virtualization, Web 2.0 - and a few weasel words/phrases - like Synergy (a must have in any proposal!), Then you need to proove you can throw 300 people at the problem if needed (and you will find a way to justify it!). Never mind that some dork with a PostGres database and a few scripts (or Access 2007 database if you're a Microsoftie) can probably do what they need. If they can't work out what they need it's a business opportunity.
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
1. Win the proposal to manage the white space database.
2. Create a white space whitespace based ISPs which will block out all OTA broadcasts in the areas in which it serves.
3. The jammed OTA viewers will have to pay for video over IP service via that whitespace ISP to be able to watch local television again.
4. Profit!
I dunno.
How hard is maintaining a database? Especially one that doesn't get updated that often? I'd guess the trick would be distributing the right information to the right devices.
It seems to me that this is *exactly* the kind of thing that should be run by government bureaucrats. It could be designed and operated by a private organization like BB&N, but I certainly don't want to see for-profit companies that might have agendas *other* than accuracy. Crafting creative public policy is not something you want a for-profit entity to do, either directly or through front groups.
Maybe I'm missing something, but I fail to see any economic mystery here. They're just creating a new, flexible class of license which allows manufacturers to sell, and consumers to buy and operate, devices that adjust to the local allocation of spectrum. Invest the money in the system so it gets done fairly, then tax the devices enough so the database becomes self-supporting.
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They want to implement a database in Whitespace?!?!
...Oh... I guess that's why people keep telling me to RTFS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitespace_(programming_language)
I'd not use it for any significant project, let alone writing a database, personally.
these guys seem to be on top of it and have their database finished.
So the FCC wants to chronicle every python script ever written?
What a monumental waste of tax money!
My understanding was that these devices will monitor for activity and not transmit if something is detected. So what is the database for? It certainly isn't adequate to replace this active detection. Does it black-list bands that cannot be transmitted on locally even if they appear to be empty? Does it white-list band that are candidates for transmission if they appear to be open?
Are these devices required to check with both the geolocation service (GPS?) and local database before they can operate? It makes sense, because if I move a device to a new area and turn it on, you wouldn't want it to just start transmitting on bands that were allowed in the previous location but not here. But getting a GPS fix can take a while, and it would be a pain to have to wait upto a minute before using the device each time you turn it on - I suppose they would have suspend mode that keeps GPS lock, but has everything else powered off, rather than completely shutting the unit down when you weren't using it.
I call dibs on the tab character!
The rest of you people using it can talk to my lawyers for licensing agreements!
Who says Intellectual Property isn't good for the economy? I'm gettin' rich, oh yeah!