FiberTower, RTG Call Wireless Backhaul Highest Use for TV White Spaces
The FCC should offer TV white spaces spectrum, but only in an auction for fixed use, especially wireless backhaul, the Rural Telecommunications Group and FiberTower said. Their white paper contradicts proposals by Microsoft, Dell and other high-tech companies, which call for the spectrum to be made available unlicensed for mobile devices. Other groups and companies, including Sprint Nextel, also are starting to tell the FCC that the best use for the spectrum is wireless backhaul. They call that use critical to support buildout of cell towers needed as advanced wireless service and 700 MHz spectrum goes on line.
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“This spectrum is particularly well-suited for fixed services, which can facilitate much-needed wireless backhaul services in both urban and rural areas,” the paper said. “Moreover, licensing this spectrum on an exclusive basis, using spectrum auctions or the current license fee approach, would help alleviate interference concerns while serving important public interest goals.”
The allies’ proposed use for the spectrum would eliminate interference concerns among broadcasters and other white spaces incumbents, the report said. “Licensing this spectrum on an exclusive basis, using spectrum auctions or the current license fee approach, would help alleviate interference concerns while serving important public interest goals,” the paper said. “By limiting new services in the TV bands to those that are both fixed and licensed, the Commission would avoid having to rely upon ineffective and unproven technologies to avoid degrading incumbent operations.”
RTG and FiberTower added: “Although several incumbent users, including television broadcasters, wireless microphone providers, medical telemetry, and private land mobile radio service (PLMRS) providers, will remain in the TV bands, new licensed fixed wireless services can operate there without causing harmful interference to the existing users.”
In an August filing, Sprint Nextel urged the FCC to restrict the spectrum to licensed uses, particularly backhaul. “Many wireless service providers are making plans to offer new 3G and 4G broadband services to consumers using the various mobile services bands,” Sprint said. “These providers are going to have significant needs for backhaul circuits to support the delivery of broadband services to consumers as well as public safety users of these bands. As a result, there will likely be significant demand for TV white space spectrum if it were made available through auction.”
Meanwhile, the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition and the New America Foundation reported to the FCC a meeting that they had held with top officials at the Office of Engineering and Technology to ask about additional testing of mobile devices designed to operate in the white spaces.