OTTAWA – Industry Canada should open up the TV white spaces spectrum in the broadcast band below 698 MHz on an unlicensed-basis, many companies are telling the department in its consultation on the as-yet used spectrum.
Earlier this summer, the department kicked off a consultation seeking input on the best ways to make the spectrum available. Cartt.ca reported on SMSE-012-11 in September. Companies tell Industry Canada that making white space spectrum licence-exempt will benefit consumers because of its ability to increase communications options.
Shaw Communications, which recently abandoned plans to deploy a mobile wireless network and instead build a Wi-Fi network, says allowing Wi-Fi to operate in the TV white spaces will be a boon to consumers and network operators. The much needed capacity will alleviate congested Wi-Fi bands and the propagation characteristics of the spectrum allows for cheaper network builds, the company adds in its comments to the consultation. “Making TV white spaces available for unlicensed use opens the possibility for ‘Super Wi-Fi’ to cover metro and rural areas, which would amplify the positive impact that Wi-Fi has on broadband access and innovation,” the company tells the department.
Google agrees, noting that allowing TV white spaces spectrum to be used by licence-exempt devices will increase communications options for Canadians and that the co-existence of licensed and unlicensed services can be easily implemented. Unlicensed spectrum has already created significant benefits for consumers, but the full potential has yet to be realized, adds Google in its comments.
“Allowing unlicensed applications in the broadcast bands… will unleash a whole new wave of innovation and investment in these technologies,” the company writes. “The highly favorable propagation characteristics of the TV broadcast spectrum, as compared to the 2.4 or 5 GHz bands, where unlicensed uses are found today, allow for more powerful uses with greater range of operation (including the ability to pass through buildings, weather, and foliage) at lower power levels.”
Not all have jumped on the TV white spaces bandwagon, though. Telus suggests Industry Canada should take a step back. While the company supports the department’s goal to make more spectrum available to Canadians so that new and innovative uses can be developed, Telus urges Industry Canada to continue monitoring ongoing white space spectrum deployments in the U.S. and the U.K. Besides, the company says rural broadband applications appear to be addressing “the immediate needs that white space devices are meant to address in the U.S. and the U.K.”
Telus says it’s always supportive of a government decision to make more spectrum available for mobile services, but in this case, slowing down is the best approach. “Telus is not convinced that the speed at which the department is moving to make this particular additional spectrum for licence-exempt applications available is warranted, in particular given that the establishment of the international rules for and deployment of licence-exempt devices and their associated controlling data bases is currently in the extreme early stages,” it writes in its comments.
There were additional reservations about using white spaces spectrum for unlicensed services. Both Ericsson and the Broadcasters Technical Coordinating Committee (BTCC) highlighted some important points to consider.
Ericsson tells Industry Canada that it must recognize that there is a difference between white space devices (WSD) and unlicensed devices. While they may be based on similar radio technologies there are some considerable differences that need to be considered in any framework on white spaces spectrum. First, white spaces devices operate in geographically “empty spots” in spectrum already licensed for other uses. And WSD devices are required to mitigate against interference with existing services. On the other hand, licence-exempt devices (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) operate in dedicated unlicensed spectrum and are not required to protect incumbent uses from interference.
“It is important to note that, because of very different implementations, operational and certification aspects between WSD and unlicensed devices operating in dedicated unlicensed spectrum, dedicated unlicensed spectrum for unlicensed devices is not the same spectrum as for WSD,” Ericsson writes in its comments.
The BTCC warns potential users that just because the U.S. has authorized the use of TV white spaces means it will be exactly the same here in Canada. It acknowledges that the U.S. has authorized the use of TV white spaces spectrum, but notes that it wasn’t done until the DTV transition was complete. In Canada with only 20% of TV stations having migrated to digital, “users will need to realize that the spectrum environment in which they will operate will be less stable than is the case in the US,” it says.
In its consultation, Industry Canada sought input on whether it should change the rural radio broadband services (RRBS) regime if it allowed the use white spaces spectrum. Both occupy the same spectrum.
Axia NetMedia Corp. urges the department to maintain the status quo on RRBS. It notes the vast majority of RRBS deployments are in Alberta (450 out of 555 or more than 80%), reflecting the fact that competitive backhaul facilities drive broadband deployment. “This is strong evidence that where there is affordable and accessible access to competitive broadband backhaul services, such as that available in rural Alberta through the Alberta SuperNet, RRBS provides a valuable resource in delivering high-quality Internet services to rural Canadians,” the company writes.
With respect to limiting interference with licensed services such as broadcasting Aurora Wireless suggests that using either a spectrum sensor solution or a database query approach isn’t optimal. A solution combing both approaches would provide the most benefit. “This will significantly increase the market potential for TVWS (TV white spaces), providing the financial incentive required for companies considering developing products for the market. Development of TVWS products for rural broadband applications will only become economically feasible once the larger market is secured.”
Reply comments are due on December 2.
