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FCC Green Lights 700MHz

Qualcomm can operate its MediaFLO mobile TV service in markets where TV broadcasters are currently using the 700 MHz spectrum, the FCC voted on Thursday.

Qualcomm owns UHF channel 55 licenses across the United States. The FCC said the company must protect broadcasters on Channels 54, 55 and 56 from interference. It established engineering guidelines that were something of a compromise between those prefered by broadcasters and those sought by Qualcomm.

In its vote (pdf), the FCC agreed to allow Qualcomm to offer mobile TV services in markets where TV broadcasters are currently operating, as long as Qualcomm follows established engineering guidelines for minimizing interference. Under the ruling, Qualcomm cannot cause more than 0.5 percent of interference the first year, but over the next several years that threshold will gradually increase to 1.5 percent. Qualcomm had initially asked for a 2 percent threshold.

Commissioner Michael J. Copps commented:

“Certainly, I want to take all appropriate steps to enable the petitioner in the above captioned item to provide its innovative subscription-based mobile video service in advance of the DTV transition,” Copps said. “At the same time, we must ensure that this new service does not materially interfere with the ability of broadcasters to provide free, over-the-air programming to their customers (including Spanish language programming in at least one large market).”

Republicans and Democrats on the FCC said the rules were a compromise that protects incumbent TV while allowing mobile TV to go forward.

Qualcomm’s $800 million endeavor to deliver TV to cell phones began three years ago in FCC auction 44, Qualcomm won a $38 million bid for UHF Channel 55 throughout 80 percent of the nation. Qualcomm later bought the rights to Channel 55 for the rest of the nation in a private transaction.

In other FCC news, the commission voted on Thursday to adopt a First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking taking the first steps toward allowing new unlicensed, low power devices to operate in the broadcast television spectrum.

These would only be allowed to operate in locations where channels in that spectrum are not in use by television stations. A dynamic frequency selection mechanism would be built into every device, so that it does not interfere with other devices in the immediate vicinity.

Martin did not say whether he supported allowing free use of the spectrum by unlicensed devices, reports the LA Times, but the commission’s two Democrats, Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, argued strongly for it.

Commissioner Michael J. Copps (Democrat) opined:

As my colleagues have heard me say, I am of the strong belief that our country is in the midst of a broadband crisis stemming from a lack of build-out in many areas and from grossly inadequate competitive choices in the rest. To take just one example, the International Telecommunications Union has concluded [OECD study] that our nation is 15th in the world in broadband penetration, and 21st in terms of “digital opportunity” (which measures additional factors like wireless technologies and broadband price).
I think that the use of the TV white spaces is one of the truly promising opportunities before us in the near term to remedy this grave situation. And make no mistake about it – it is a very grave situation. There is simply no way that our country can remain in the forefront of the global economy without developing a broadband infrastructure that is up to the task.

Broadcasters generally had a different take.

Elizabeth Murphy Burns, chairman of the Association for Maximum Services Television (MSTV), said the TV industry needs to come together to protect the integrity of over-the-air DTV signals.

“We don’t want consumers returning digital receivers to stores because of interference from unlicensed devices,” she said. “We believe [those who want to allow unlicensed devices into the spectrum] need to prove a heavy burden proving there won’t be interference.”

I n October of 2007, the Commission will specify the final technical requirements for all unlicensed devices that operate in the TV bands. In December, the FCC laboratory will accept applications for certification of these devices, which will be available for sale after February of 2009.

In the First Report and Order, the Commission concluded that fixed low power devices can be allowed to operate on TV channels where those frequencies are not being used for TV. No operation is permitted on TV channel 37, used by radio astronomy and wireless medical telemetry services, or on TV channels 52-69, which have been reallocated for public safety as well as TV channels 14-20, which are also used by public safety service in 13 cities.

Marketing of such devices may commence on February 18, 2009, after the digital television (DTV) transition is complete and all TV stations are in operation on their permanent DTV channels.

The IEEE 802.22 Standards Committee is developing the unlicensed 700 MHz technology. The first application will likely be directed at low-cost internet access in rural communities.

Carl Stevenson, chairman of 802.22, told broadcast engineers at a recent symposium, “Using higher frequencies would require six to eight times as many base stations for equivalent coverage,” “Nominal base station coverage radius would be 30 to 40 kilometers” [18-25 miles].

“It’s pretty clear from both the FCC and Capitol Hill that some other use of these channels will be permitted,” he said, adding that broadcasters and broadcaster groups including MSTV, NAB, Fox and CBS have been actively participating in the work of 802.22, “making sure that we get it right.”

Countering remarks by Stevenson that cognitive radio device technology would enable television signals and unlicensed devices to coexist, Dr. Oded Bendov, a consulting engineer, presented information indicating that harm could result from unlicensed devices.

“Interference to DTV by unlicensed devices will be insidious because consumers will need a spectrum analyzer to identify it,” Bendov said. “At least two unused TV channels must separate unlicensed devices from licensed TV services. Even a single device, fixed or portable, in compliance with FCC rules, will cause unacceptable interference.” Bendov recommended packing all DTV channels into a contiguous spectrum after the 2009 digital broadcasting transition.

The Association for Maximum Service Television (MSTV) produced a paper, “Why Unlicensed Use of Vacant TV Spectrum Will Cause Interference to DTV Viewers (pdf),” by Victor Tawil and Bruce Franca.

It counters claims made by the New American Foundation Issue Brief on July 2006 titled, “Why Unlicensed Use of Vacant TV Spectrum Will Not Cause Interference to DTV Viewers (pdf).”

The cognitive radio in 802.22 includes a GPS receiver to determine its location. This information would be sent back to a centralized server (in USA managed by FCC), which would respond with the information about TV free channels in the area of the AP.

However, there are other proposals that allow local spectrum sensing only, where the AP would decide by itself which channels are available for communication. Combination of those approaches is also envisioned. Under 802.22, an access point may have a maximum power of 1 watt while premesis gear might have a maximum power of 100 mWatts.