A View from the FCC’s Office of Engineering & Technology

NSMASpectrum 2008May 21, 2008

Julius P. KnappChief

Office of Engineering and TechnologyFederal Communications Commission

Note: The opinions in this presentation are those of the author and may not necessarily represent those of the Federal

Communications Commission

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DTV TransitionDTV Transition

DTV transition: February 17, 2008

OET working closely with other B/O’s:– Addressing various technical matters– Supporting Wilmington, NC test

Supporting NTIA’s coupon eligible converter box program

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Public Safety / Private Public Safety / Private PartnershipPartnership

FCC adopted rules and conducted auction for Public Safety/Private Partnership

Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making adopted May 14, 2008– Objective to make partnership successful– Invites broad comment – Intent to provide greater specificity

Invites comment on technical issues and includes a technical appendix

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Medical DevicesMedical DevicesNotice of Proposed Rule Making and notice of Inquiry in ET Docket 06-135

Proposed to expand medical implant communications service from 402–405 MHz to 401-406 MHz

Alfred Mann Petition for Rule Making proposes wideband medical micropower network service in the 413 – 419 MHz, 426-432 MHz, 438-444 MHz and 451-457 MHz bands

GE Health Care Petition for Rule Making proposes the allocation of spectrum on a secondary basis in the 2360-2400 MHz band and for the adoption of service rules under Part 95 for the operation of wireless medical ‘body sensor networks’

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3650 MHz:3650 MHz:A Hybrid Licensing ApproachA Hybrid Licensing Approach

FCC designated 3650 – 3700 MHz for nationwide, non-exclusive licensed operations:– Avoids licensing via auction– No first-in-time right of interference protection

Licensees register fixed and base stations in public database

Licensees must cooperate in selection and use of frequencies to avoid harmful interference with other nearby licensees

Equipment must use A Contention-based protocol:– Establishes rules by which each device is provided a reasonable

opportunity to operate– Defines the events that must occur when two or more devices

attempt to simultaneously access the same channel

Has been considerable interest in this spectrum

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Ongoing MattersOngoing MattersBroadcast Auxiliary Service relocation; Sprint/Nextel waiver (Docket 02-55)

Broadband Radio Service relocation – petition for recon. (Docket 00-256)

Digital Audio Radio Service / Wireless Communications Service – terrestrial DARS repeaters / mobile WCS & interference protections

Clarity petition for waiver (reconsideration) to provide video service at truck stops in the broadcast auxiliary band at 2025 – 2110 MHz

Federal Earth Station allocation status – NTIA petition for rule making

Spectrum innovation test bed

AWS 1 relocation

AWS 2 & 3 service rules (WT Docket No. 07-195 et al)

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TV “White Spaces” TV “White Spaces”

FCC First R&O and Further NPRM (ET Docket 02-380) adopted 10/12/06

Permits fixed devices on certain TV channels after the DTV transition, explores a number of issues such as whether to permit personal/portable devices and makes proposals towards adopting final rules

Extensive record developed

Device has cognitive or sensingcapability to identify

vacant channels

“White Spaces”Are channels left

vacant in each marketTransmits in

vacant channel

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TV White Space TestingTV White Space Testing

Public Notice in January announced FCC Lab to conducting further tests on TV White Space Device prototypes

Currently testing devices from Adaptrum; Motorola and Pillips

Tests open to the public

Field tests will begin soon

Adaptrum

Motorola

Philips

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Unlicensed Devices:Unlicensed Devices:Outstanding Matters Outstanding Matters

Notice of Proposed Rule Making to allow increased power in the 57 – 64 GHz band (ET Docket 07-113)

Notice of Proposed Rule Making to consider a spectrum etiquette in the 915 MHz & other bands (ET Docket 03-201)

Ultrawideband devices:– Introduction of wireless USB devices– Ultravision waiver petition

5 GHz unlicensed device DFS testing

Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) Court remand

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Thank you!

julius.knapp@fcc.gov

ConclusionConclusion