Last Thursday, representatives from two CompTIA member companies, Michael Paynter of Tier3 Technologies and Cameron Camp of ESET, flew to accompany me on a full day of meetings at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to discuss unlicensed use of TV white space spectrum and its value to small tech businesses, which can use it to innovate and grow. We met with staff members from all five FCC commissioners’ offices to make a final push to leave sufficient spectrum available for unlicensed use in TV white space after the upcoming Broadcast Incentive Auction.
It was an immensely successful day, and we were able to make some new friends at the FCC in the process.
Use for the Unused Spectrum
Broadcast stations used to take up a lot of the TV spectrum, but they have dwindled, and those still operating don’t need as much spectrum as they once did. The unused spectrum that exists is called the TV white space spectrum. For people of a certain age, think of that manual upper dial on your TV set and the local afterschool programming you watched as a kid. There are still broadcast stations that use some of these channels, but depending on where you are located there can be large or small gaps in use.
In 2008, the FCC began allowing innovators to use this spectrum without a license as long as they followed certain guidelines. TV white space spectrum is particularly valuable because it is low-band spectrum, meaning it offers unique qualities that allow signals to travel farther and penetrate buildings better than higher-frequency spectrum. Because of the restrictive rules for TV white space spectrum use — there must be three consecutive vacant channels, for example — it is often only available in rural areas where there are fewer broadcast television stations. Most large cities have little or no TV white space available for unlicensed use because there are simply too many broadcast stations.
Spectrum for Sale
In 2012, the FCC opened its Broadcast Incentive Auction docket, which will allow television broadcasters to sell spectrum back to the FCC, which will in turn auction it off to wireless providers like Verizon and AT&T. This will reduce the amount of our nation’s available TV white space because the FCC is likely to auction off about half (84 out of 180 MHz) of the spectrum currently ideal for unlicensed use in TV white space. They plan to repack the rest of the TV stations into the remaining 96 MHz. That means that the frequencies from 614 to 698 MHz will be used for wireless while the broadcasters and unlicensed TV white space users have to share the frequencies from 512 to 608 MHz.
CompTIA’s Two-Fold Message to the FCC
CompTIA’s message to the FCC on Thursday was two-fold. First, we asked the commission to use the incentive auction proceeding to allocate 24 MHz of nationwide unlicensed spectrum to support TV white space use in urban areas. Second, we asked it to structure the band plans for rural areas so that small businesses can continue to take advantage of the opportunities this spectrum provides.
In urban areas, TV white space is an untapped resource for innovation that small businesses could use to provide new products and services. In rural areas, many wireless Internet service providers (WISPs), such as the one run by Cameron Camp in rural Oregon, use TV white space spectrum to bring broadband speeds to customers who have no other broadband options.
Currently, WISPs and other potential entrants to the wireless broadband market are hesitant to invest in their businesses because they know the FCC has the ability to auction off the white space spectrum. Tier3 Technologies, for example, plans to bring broadband to unserved parts of rural Kentucky with white space, but these companies need certainty that they will be able to use TV white space after the Incentive Auction so that their businesses can grow and continue to bring broadband to rural America.
The FCC not only needs to provide this certainty soon, it also needs to make sure small businesses are protected from wireless providers, which might buy licenses at auction solely to keep this valuable spectrum out of the hands of competitors (like WISPs), but have no intention to actually serve their customers. To these practices, we say, use it or share it.
The FCC is likely to make some major decisions on this issue in May, and we hope the FCC keeps small businesses in mind when doing so. Until then, CompTIA will continue to make sure lawmakers understand the value of unlicensed spectrum to small businesses.
Matthew Starr is director of public advocacy for CompTIA.
