“Spectrum
is an important but limited resource, which is why we're exploring new ways of
unlocking its potential, while balancing the needs of different users”
Ofcom Spectrum Group
Director Philip Marnick on the offering of White Space Frequencies for Data
Services being offered by Telecom Providers
White
Space Frequency usage is finally coming to Britain, of all places.
Faced with a Spectrum crunch in that country as
their population gets increasingly addicted to faster and faster Wireless
Broadband, British Telecoms regulator Ofcom has approved the use of White Space
frequencies as reported in the article “White
Space broadband approved by the UK to squeeze Internet connection in between TV
channels”, published 12 February 2015 3:18 pm by Rich Trenholm, CNET News.
White
Spaces are the 4 GHz block of frequency in-between the 6 GHz block of spectrum
allocated for NTSC (National Television Standard Committee) Television Broadcasting,
more commonly called channels. In the case of the Britain, the TV Channels
61-69 (798-862MHz) have been assigned for LTE mobile use as reported in the
article “What
is White Space?”, published 2015 by Centre for White Space Communications, Wireless White Space.
Most of the TV band, mainly Channels 21-60 in the UK
or 470-790MHz will be designated “interleaved” spectrum; unlicensed users may
interleave their transmissions in the White Spaces between the licensed NTSC
Channels.
Thus, it may potentially be possible for anyone that
wants to set up a Broadcast channel for use as a Community Wireless White Space
Data service to provide everything from Streaming TV, VoIP (Voice over IP) or
plain Broadband Internet.
Britain OfCom following
US FCC – White Spaces also available to unlicensed Commercial Operators
Good
to note that the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), the Telecoms
Regulator in the USA, had approved White Space usage since 2013.
The process had actually began back in September 2010 when the FCC made White Spaces a priority as noted in the article “FCC officially frees TV White Space spectrum”, published September 23, 2010 11:38 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.
The process had actually began back in September 2010 when the FCC made White Spaces a priority as noted in the article “FCC officially frees TV White Space spectrum”, published September 23, 2010 11:38 AM PDT by Marguerite Reardon, CNET News.
The FCC in giving approval for White Space usage, also in June 2014 gave Google the Authority to set up a White Spaces database to keep track of which blocks of spectrum were empty and which were in use as noted in the article “FCC approves Google's 'White Space' database operation”, published June 30, 2013 2:41 PM PDT by Steven Musil, CNET News.
The
FCC had also made provision for the use of White Spaces by unlicensed operators
as noted in the article “White
Space Database Administration”, viewed 07.03.2015 by Lindsworth Deer, FCC.
Jamaica and White Spaces
- Digital Switch Over is not Necessary for Unlicensed usage of White Space
Frequencies
Thus
it's not surprising that the British, in finally approving White Space
Frequencies to meet to demand for faster 4G LTE Broadband services such as those
being tested by Huawei as noted in my blog article
entitled “Huawei’s
4G LTE Advanced Test – How Quad-Band Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 on EE's Network
achieved 410MBps Download via inefficient Spectrum Aggregation”.
When Jamaica finally goes MNP (Mobile Number
Portability) and LNP (Landline number Portability) by Sunday May 31st
2015 as noted in my blog article
entitled “Minister
Paulwell affirms MNP, LNP Coming May 31st 2015 - Why NPA TPPR, IXP Deadline and
VoIP Registration herald MNP, LNP for NANP Number Ranges and Competition”,
will there also be an announcement about the licensing and auctioning of White
Space Frequencies?
This
would definitely encourage FDI (Foreign Direct Investors), other Telecom
Providers and Local Entrepreneurs to utilize these commercial Spectrum to set
up their own private Telecom Data Networks to compete against the coming launch
of 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) from Telecom Providers Digicel and LIME.
So
albeit DSO (Digital Switch Over) is being delayed by the Broadcaster as noted
in my Geezam blog article entitled “The
Future of Free-to-Air Broadcasters in Jamaica as Digital Switch Over Approaches
in 2015” it isn't necessary to start the utilization of the White Space
Frequencies in-between the Analog NTSC Standard Television Channels.
Licensed
and Unlicensed users of White Space Frequencies can use these frequencies, even
now, as they do not belong to the Broadcasters and only need a monitoring
facility and a Database set up by the SMA (Spectrum Management Authority) to
ensure that the operators using these White Spaces Frequencies do not have
signal drift and cause cross-interference with the operations of the
Broadcasters.
If
they follow OfCom Spectrum Group in Britain and the FCC in the USA and make
provision for unlicensed commercial usage, then it will finally bring the much
need competition.
This
coming competition riding on a wave of low cost White Space Spectrum would result
in the lowering of prices in Data that Minister of Science, Technology, Energy
and Mining Philip Paulwell has so long spoken a noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Jamaica
goes 4G LTE as Minister Paulwell prepares Third Data Telecom Provider entrant”
So,
White Space Frequencies for Licensed and Unlicensed Operators, anyone?
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