FCC Grants Experimental Licenses in TV Spectrum

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published


The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology released a list of experimental applications granted from 2/1/12 to 3/1/12. Two of the licenses are for operation in TV bands.

License WG2XCK allows Northwestern Corp. to use 174-216 MHz fixed and mobile in Philipsburg, Mont. "for testing smart grid application in white space spectrum."

Qualcomm received experimental license WG2XBA to use 536-548 MHz, 578-590 MHz and 656-668 MHz in the UHF TV band for "testing 3G and next-generation mobile technologies" mobile in a 2-mile radius of 5775 Morehouse Drive, San Diego, Calif. While the obvious conclusion is this license will be used to test devices for use in UHF TV spectrum reclaimed in the upcoming incentive auction of broadcast spectrum, Qualcomm has also been developing technology for LTE multicast "broadcast" capability for wireless operators that could, with some minor modification, could be used as a new technology for broadcasting by TV stations.


Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.