FCC To Open Up Vacant TV Airwaves For Broadband 187
crimeandpunishment writes "Get ready for 'super Wi-Fi.' If the FCC works out the last details of new spectrum rules, they'll open up the so-called 'white spaces'... the vacant airwaves between broadcast TV channels ... for wireless broadband connections. If the plan goes through, it will lead to Wi-Fi with longer range and stronger power. The stumbling blocks have included concerns about interference with TV signals and wireless microphones, but the FCC plans to vote next week on rules meant to resolve those issues."
Re:TV signals (Score:2, Interesting)
Data still takes bandwidth, and we can't get more than 19.39 Mbps into a single 6 MHz channel (at least with 8VSB). So until we switch to another modulation scheme (and obsolete all the new ATSC equipment) we're stuck at 19.39 Mbps. We can pack more program streams into the transport stream but with MPEG2 which is currently mandated we can only do that by reducing the quality of existing streams. (Not the programming quality, that's an entirely different subject.) MPEG4 can help significantly but that would once again obsolete a bunch of fairly new equipment.
Two points need to be made:
1. Most of the time channels could share a single transport stream, but it will be quite difficult to get competing media corps to do that.
2. The UHF spectrum is ideally suited to the current business structure of the media corps and the wide spread use of receivers (TVs) means a lock-in on the UHF band for years to come.
In a decade or so we can probably implement MPEG4 (or whatever standard has been established at that point) for over-the-air broadcasts, but right now a bunch of people just bought new TVs and want them to last for 5 - 10 years. Moving to an entirely IP based broadcast methodology would require a number of safe guards in the end-to-end distribution to ensure that people who rely on TV broadcasts for emergency information will not lose information due to a DOS.
Take this with a grain of salt. I'm in the broadcast equipment industry and keeping thing status quo does make my life easier.
Re:The important question is... (Score:3, Interesting)
Microsoft, Google, ATT, Verizon, and other internet/cellular/wireless companies.
No more free ride like now (where I can see ~40 channels without charge). By the way I got rid of cable when I realized I was oly watching 5 of the shows. Kinda silly to spend ~$800 a year for just five cable shows. It's cheaper to rent the Season sets on DVD.
Re:A question not deemed important (Score:2, Interesting)
Phased Arrays Yet? (Score:4, Interesting)
Phased array [wikipedia.org] antennas can detect the 3D position of the source of a signal, distinguished from other transmitter locations sending on the same frequency. It's how humans with eyes can tell there's two blades of grass in front of them, not just "it's green out".
A phased array could make frequency segregation unnecessary, and vastly increase bandwidth without interference. By doing so, it would completely destroy the entire basis of the FCC, except as certification that phased array devices work properly.
How far along has phased array tech come for either stationary devices like base stations, relocatable ones like notebooks, or low power ones like phones? Products with these features are long overdue, and mobile telecom will be revolutionized by them.
Re:Good idea, with guarded concern... (Score:4, Interesting)
As much sympathy as I have, why should most of the country suffer for what is an east coast centric problem? I get that there are a lot of people over there, but it got old a long time ago having to suffer for problems which are way over there.
It shows a distinct arrogance to screw us once again over an issue that doesn't affect us.
Cognitive Radio (Score:3, Interesting)
This is tentative step toward cognitive radio [wikipedia.org].
They are reusing channels that are allocated for television but not actually in use for that purpose in particular areas. TV is pretty easy to work with. There are few, powerful, transmitters and they transmit all the time. In TFA, some even suggested using GPS and a database to figure out which channels are available.
That's pretty crude. In a fully cognitive radio system, the device listens for transmitters on a range of frequencies. If it finds open spectrum, it sets up shop. This can be tricky as it has to distinguish vacant channels from ones that are occupied but with a weak signal. Also, the owner could simply be off line. When the licensed transmitter comes back, the cognitive radios must vacate.
Still, the potential is huge. In principle, *all* licensed bands could be reused by cognitive radios. At any given time and space, a great deal of valuable spectrum is simply wasted. The licensee, if they even exist in this area, isn't using the channel and no one else is allowed. Cognitive radio would open up those regions to the rest of us.