Clarifying the FCC authorization process for database managers

After we posted our PN for White Spaces database manager, we’ve had the opportunity to speak with a number of the wireless media about how a white spaces database will work.
(For an overview on TV white spaces and the role of the database manager, see our previous blog post here.)

One question that came up recently had to do with how the white spaces database managers will be authorized, and it revealed a pretty significant misconception about the authorization process the FCC is undertaking. In the case of one reporter, there seemed to be the misunderstanding that the FCC is somehow going to "contract" with one or more companies to run the TV white spaces database and will therefore be funneling business and revenue to them. This is not the case.

Perhaps the confusion comes from trying to relate what the FCC is does to what other agencies do (like the DoD) when awarding "contracts" to private companies. In the case of the DoD they award a specific contact and dollar amount to a company to provide a product or service. In this case, money is being steered to a specific company and there are usually clear winners and losers in the process when taking a monetary point of view.

However, the FCC process for "authorizing" commercial third-party providers of services takes a much different approach and results in an entirely different outcome. Specifically, in the case of TV white spaces database managers, the FCC is authorizing companies to represent themselves as being able to meet the minimum requirements the FCC has set out in its previous Report and Order, as well as some new requirements spelled out in the recent Public Notice.

Once authorized, each of these companies then have to develop their own business model, find their own customers, determine their own pricing and even determine whether they actually want to go into the business of becoming a database manager; they are under no obligation to actually provide this service once authorized. And if more than one company is authorized, each will have to compete for business in the open market.

There are clear advantages to the FCC for authorizing more than one database manager:

• Increased market competition
• Lower fees and prices for users
• Redundant connectivity to physically separated database servers
• More opportunities for enhanced service from database managers
  

All of the 9 companies who applied to become database managers (including Spectrum Bridge) seem to agree that the FCC should authorize several managers for these and other reasons. We are indeed pleased to be among such a great group of companies being considered by the FCC.

Rick Rotondo
CMO
Spectrum Bridge Inc.

Spectrum Bridge submits white spaces database manager proposal to FCC

This afternoon we submitted our TV white spaces database manager proposal to the FCC in response to their Public Notice.

By submitting our proposal, Spectrum Bridge can now be officially considered for, and selected as, a database manager by the FCC.

UPDATE: (1/5/2010) - follow this link to see all the 9 proposals submitted from:

1. Spectrum Bridge
2. Google
3. Nuestar
4. Comsearch
5. Telcordia
6. KeyBridge
7. WSdb
8. Frequency Finder Inc.
9. KB Enterprises LLC

The FCC has ruled that white space devices (like wireless PCs and netbooks, smartphones, wireless music and video players, eBook readers, etc) must talk to a database to get a list of allowable frequencies it can use before it can start transmitting. The database manager insures that these devices get accurate and up-to-date frequency information.

TV white spaces hold tremendous promise for deploying a variety of applications including:

• Wireless Internet connectivity for rural and other under served communities
• Cost-effective Muniwireless and community wireless access
• High speed broadband communications for enterprises and private business networks
• Content distribution throughout a city or community
• Whole house and office video, music and data networking

Because of this, naming TV white spaces database managers is an important step in bringing this valuable wireless spectrum to market.

We expect several other companies, agencies and organizations to submit proposals as well. We'll all know in a day or two who as applied since the deadline for proposals was this afternoon, and the FCC usually posts public records (as these proposals are) within about 24 hours of receiving them.

You can find Spectrum Bridge's official response and proposal here.

To learn more about TV white spaces, what a white spaces database is, or to find which TV white spaces frequencies are available at your home or office - see our previous blog post here.


Rick Rotondo
CMO & Co-Founder
Spectrum Bridge Inc

What is the Real Value of a Licensed Frequency?

In the spring of 2009, Spectrum Bridge announced a financial index measuring the total secondary market worth of licensed frequencies. The publicly available metric was the first of its kind and allowed viewers to track up to three years of trends. The SpecEx Spectrum Index continues to be the standard indicator of current and historical value of spectrum.

However, while it is useful to monitor the ups and downs of the market as a whole, the Index cannot determine the current value of your specific holdings; and therein lays the real value of spectrum as perceived by the holder – how much YOUR licenses are worth and how they relate to competitor’s spectrum assets.

For the most current, personalized license valuations, Spectrum Bridge developed the “SmartWaves” spectrum management and planning tool. SmartWaves is the leading online solution for managing, viewing and analyzing the value and capabilities of your spectrum licenses. The tool delivers detailed $/MHz-Pop figures, license maps and market demographics to produce the most up to date market value of individual spectrum licenses.

To find how a spectrum portfolio compares to the competition, SmartWaves also features a competitive analysis feature which values other company’s licensed spectrum, as well as your own.

For easy to understand financial and demographic data to make informed decisions regarding spectrum, valuations through SmartWaves offer comprehensive, yet concise reports generated online in a matter of minutes.

To find the real value of your licenses, contact Spectrum Bridge @ 1-866-598-7426 x510, email SmartWaves@SpectrumBridge.com or visit SmartWaves.com to learn more.

Complete valuations of spectrum are also available for those who require a comprehensive study of licenses - contact Spectrum Bridge for more information.

Spectrum Bridge seeks to be named TV white spaces database manager by FCC

On November 25, 2009, the FCC released a Public Notice (PN) requesting proposals from entities seeking to become authorized TV white spaces database managers.

Spectrum Bridge will be submitting the required proposal to the FCC so that it can be considered as a TV white spaces database manager.

Prior to this PN, the FCC issued the Second Report and Order on TV white spaces in November, 2008. In this report, the FCC ruled that TV white spaces frequencies ( unused TV broadcast channels located in varying amounts between about 50MHz and 700MHz) could be used on an unlicensed basis - similar to WiFi frequencies. However, TV white spaces differ from WiFi in that WiFi channels are available at the same frequencies and in same amount throughout the country. However, the amount of available TV white spaces frequencies vary significantly from location to location.

This is due to the nature of TV white spaces themselves. Essentially, TV white spaces are the leftover channels not being used by nearby TV broadcasters, wireless microphones or other protected incumbent users. Since they are considered "secondary users" TV white space devices are not allowed to cause interference with these protected "primary" users.

The FCC has determined that most devices (the exception being very low power portable radios) operating on white spaces channels will have to communicate with a TV white spaces database. The database will use location and other information send by the device to look up which white spaces channels are authorized for that device to use. The set of authorized channels gets sent back to the white spaces device. This is important since according to FCC rules, a white spaces device may not transmit on white space channels until it receives a list of approved channels from the white space database.

To see a demonstration of how this works, Spectrum Bridge created ShowMyWhiteSpace.com, where you can enter in an address (or set of coordinates) and our TV white spaces database will display the available channels authorized for use at that location. This search is fast and free, so check it out.

Visitors then can explore a map of their location and turn on and off the map overlays of TV broadcasters protected zones, as well as other protected zones.

The database and technology used on ShowMyWhiteSpace is the same as that is powering the world's first white spaces network deployed in Claudville, Virginia last October.

If you are interested in following the TV white spaces database manager process, there are a few dates to keep in mind:

• Proposals from companies that wish to be designated as authorised database managers must submit them to the FCC by January 4, 2010.
• Anyone wishing to make comments on the proposals submitted by the database manager applicants must send their comments to the FCC by February 3, 2010.
• Replies to those comments must be received by the FCC no later than February 18, 2010.

The FCC has not indicated when it will announce its selection of database managers (there will likely be several). We expect this announcement to come sometime in the summer of 2010, although it is possible it could come earlier or later than that.

Our proposal and any follow-on responses will be posted to our site. Please check back after January 4th, and subsequent response dates, if you would like to review or download copies.

Nation’s First White Spaces Network Deployed in Rural Virginia

On October 21st, a group of industry and public leaders announced that the town of Claudville, Virginia is the first community in America to use TV white spaces to deliver broadband connectivity to local residents, businesses and students.

The white spaces network, designed and deployed by Spectrum Bridge is providing the “middle mile” link between the wired backhaul and the WiFi hot spot networks deployed in Claudville’s business area as well as the school. The same network is also providing last mile broadband connectivity directly to residential users.

Dell and Microsoft donated state of the art computers, internet video equipment and software to insure the students and community could make the most of the high speed internet system. In order to prevent inference with TV broadcasters and other protected users, the radios in Claudville are managed by Spectrum Bridge's white spaces database. This database assigns non-interfering frequencies to the radios, and can adapt in real time to new TV broadcasts.

To announce this first ever white spaces network, students, business and community leaders in Claudville were connected to government and industry leaders in Washington D.C. via a live video conference over the white spaces network link connected to the Trinity Christian school in Claudville.

In Washington, DC

Over 50 representatives from the FCC, national media, congressional offices and other VIPs gathered in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Congressman Rick Boucher explained how white spaces could be used to cross the digital divide and what getting high-speed connectivity meant to the residents of Claudville and how it could benefit other rural communities in his district and around the country. Representatives from Dell, Microsoft, Spectrum Bridge and the TDF Foundation also addressed the standing room only crowd that included FCC Commissioners Michael J. Copps and Meredith Attwell Baker.

The entire proceeding in Washington DC was broadcast live to the Trinity school in Claudville via the White Spaces network and once the speakers in D.C. were finished, the same video link enabled the speakers in Claudville to address everyone gathered in the Rayburn building.

In Claudville, VA

An assembly was held at Trinity Christian School, with the entire student body in attendance. Representatives from Congressman Boucher's office and well as the Virginia Governor's office were also present. Business and community leaders stressed how the country cannot afford to leave rural communities out of the Internet revolution and that white spaces could be used to economically close the growing "digital divide."

Jerry Whitlow, administrator of the school, explained how he would use the new equipment and high speed connectivity for distance learning both for his students and the community at large. Roger Haden, Chairman of the Patrick County Broadband Task Force, told how broadband could help fuel economic growth and improve the quality of life for Claudville residents.

News of the nation’s first white spaces network spread quickly throughout tech publications. Below is a small sampling of organizations who picked up the story; look for more to appear soon:

Ars Technica

FierceWireless

GigaOM

MIT Technology Review

RCR Wireless

Urgent Communications

Spectrum Bridge replies to FCC’s NOI on Wireless Innovation and the National Broadband Plan

With the ratification of the FCC Chairman, commissioners and other key personnel complete, the commission has embarked on a series of inquiries to determine the policy and direction the FCC will take over the next four years. One NOI (pdf) on Investment and Innovation was atypical, referencing Spectrum Bridge by name when discussing secondary markets. Because of the unique areas of interest contained in this NOI (pdf), we felt compelled to provide our insight to the commission. In our response, we addressed several key points:

• Accurate, Complete Spectrum Databases are Necessary for Efficient Spectrum Acquisition
• The TV White Space Database Can Lead to Dynamic Spectrum Allocation
• The Commission should educate the market, in part, through website enhancements that highlight the capabilities of spectrum coordination and secondary markets, as well as provide references to companies that are involved
• Much of the innovation in the wireless industry comes from small companies or those outside the wireless industry, neither of which can compete in a high stakes auction for large swaths of spectrum against entrenched incumbents
• There is no reason that a secondary market would devalue spectrum as an asset –it is just as likely to improve the value
• Spectrum Bridge urged the Commission to foster wireless innovation by facilitating the development of a vibrant and dynamic secondary spectrum market

For the full text of our NOI response please click here (pdf).

Nearly 100 companies provided input and insight to the FCC on this NOI, many of whom supported our overall objectives and some, including Verizon and CTIA, specifically referenced examples of how Spectrum Bridge is taking a leadership position and making the secondary market for spectrum in to a reality.

New Online Spectrum Management Tool Unveiled

Spectrum Bridge's newly-released "SmartWaves" allows businesses to effectively measure the utilization, performance and financial returns of their spectrum.

The “Software as a Service” (SaS) subscription platform integrates user specified data with FCC’s ULS system; creating a comprehensive, central repository of powerful, customized intelligence.

“This is the newest product for our customers and resellers that furthers our mission of transforming spectrum into a more accessible, productive and valuable resource for everyone,” said Richard Licursi, Spectrum Bridge CEO. “SmartWaves turns organizations’ spectrum assets into an integral component of their business opportunities, a benefit that is rapidly resonating with wireless professionals. By highlighting the market value and financial metrics of spectrum, SmartWaves is becoming a critical aspect of the wireless business planning process for delivering new technologies and advanced communication systems.”

“Anyone who needs to move beyond manually compiling and analyzing data on spreadsheets will appreciate SmartWaves as a replacement or enhancement to their existing system,” said Joe Caron, of Atlantic Communications Inc. “It was the Business Analytics that sold us, however. When we saw the demo we were impressed most by the market intelligence SmartWaves provides. With SmartWaves, we can now view our current spectrum market valuations down to the county level and graphically analyze competitors’ spectrum positions. That information is invaluable for an industry as competitive as ours.”

SmartWaves' easy to use interface enables users to instantaneously create cogent, graphical views and reports of their spectrum, network assets, and the marketplace that enhance strategic analysis and decision making for improved ROI.

For more information or to request a complimentary demonstration of SmartWaves, call Spectrum Bridge @ 407-792-1570, Ext. 510