The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) announced Nov. 25 it is seeking proposals from businesses wanting to provide TV white space database services.
A year ago, the commission adopted a Report and Order setting up rules by which unlicensed wireless devices could operate on unused television spectrum. To avoid potential interference with TV broadcasters, the commission rules called for new unlicensed devices to be equipped with the ability to determine their geographic location and to access a database of incumbent spectrum users, such as television stations. The database is intended to tell the unlicensed device which slices of spectrum are available for operation.
The Report and Order also called for one or more private sector administrators to build and operate the spectrum database. The FCC-selected administrators are authorized to charge fees to register fixed TV band devices and temporary broadcast auxiliary fixed links and provide data on available channels to TV band devices.
Those wishing to be TV band database managers must file their proposals with the commission by Jan. 4, 2010. The proposals must address how the commission’s requirements for the database, including a data repository, a data registration process, and a query process, will be satisfied.
The OET also announced a comment period regarding the process. Comments are due at the commission by Feb. 3, 2010. Replies are due Feb. 18, 2010.
