TV White Spaces Momentum Continues…

Last year at this time, Spectrum Bridge was working diligently with industry stakeholders to help further the development and progress of the TV White Spaces by sponsoring the first ever TV White Spaces Summit hosted by the Wireless Innovation Forum. The event was very successful with the help of a keynote speech by the Honorable Meredith Attwell Baker, Federal Communications Commissioner for the Federal Communications Commission.

The industry has taken significant strides since then with the completion of the rules by the FCC in September 2010 and the announcement of the conditional TV White Spaces Database Administrators. The FCC has been conducting workshops to expedite the process of certifying the databases and radios.

This year, Spectrum Bridge looks to help continue the momentum by sponsoring the White Space Communications Summit: Driving Growth Through White Space Initiatives hosted by the Wireless Innovation Forum on June 7, 2011 in Washington, D.C. This year’s event features introductory remarks by the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Julius Genachowski.

The Wireless Innovation Forum intends to build on last year’s event by adding some of the major players in the industry with the likes of the FCC Chairman and representatives from various stakeholders and the nine conditional database administrators. For more information or to register for the Summit, please click here.

- Peter Stanforth, CTO

Announcing Spectrum Bridge's Wireless Microphone Frequency Finder App

Today, Spectrum Bridge announced the release of our Wireless Microphone Frequency Locator app, available in the iPhone app store. This app allows users to quickly locate exclusively reserved and available TV band frequencies for unlicensed wireless microphone use anywhere in the country.

The FCC’s recently adopted rules accommodating the unlicensed operation of wireless microphones in the TV bands recognizes the importance of interference free transmission in venues across the country for performances, events and entertainment. The Wireless Microphone Frequency Locator app mitigates potential interference between wireless microphones and television bands devices in operation by identifying available TV channels for use by microphones based on a user’s location.

In order to accommodate the unlicensed part 15 wireless microphones operating in the newly released TV White Spaces bands, the FCC designated two unoccupied TV channels in all areas of the country specifically for wireless microphone use. In addition to these two channels, the app also identifies channels that will not be used by TV bands devices according to the white spaces rules, and are available for use by unlicensed wireless microphones. Due to the fact that available TV channels vary by location and are subject to change, this app provides users with up-to-date wireless microphone frequency availability for any U.S. location.

To learn more about wireless microphone use in TV White Spaces bands, visit our website here, or to search for available white spaces in your area, visit www.showmywhitespace.com.

Spectrum and Wireless Broadband – Where do we go from here?

While many were debating the pros and cons of net neutrality the past few weeks, the FCC subtly released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) “Promoting More Efficient Use of Spectrum Through Dynamic Spectrum Use Technologies”. To summarize, the FCC has asked the telecommunications industry for comments on how we can better utilize “dynamic spectrum access radios and techniques” to support the expanding mobile broadband usage.

As noted in the Ars Technica blog posted last week, some of the FCC proposals under consideration include:

• Extending the current white space device service, which relies on databases telling you what spectrum is available for use at any given moment

• Continue to advance sensing technologies, allowing current license owners a way to lease their unused or underutilized spectrum to other parties

• Developing technologies to group non-contiguous spectrum usage, creating more available bandwidth
  

Spectrum is the backbone of the telecommunications industry, the most critical component of enabling wireless communications. We cannot wait for more spectrum to become available to keep pace with consumer’s bandwidth demands while supporting existing network infrastructures. As with the wireless evolution of the past two decades, there is opportunity today for many new technologies to arise as solutions are proposed and developed for a more efficient spectrum utilization model.

So what can the industry do to improve broadband connections? At Spectrum Bridge, we support the Commission’s ideas, believing equipment flexibility, improved spectrum management and a better understanding of usage can benefit the industry today, without major upheavals or rule changes. Our four White Space trial networks have successfully demonstrated the “database access model” works for managing shared access for unlicensed devices in the TV bands. And SpecEx has always been about creating a marketplace where holders and buyers of spectrum could come together and leverage the secondary spectrum market, enabling spectrum to flow more freely in response to economic demand. Read more about how we are continuing to improve software and services for next generation wireless networking.

And we encourage all to add comments to the FCC Notice of Inquiry, sharing your ideas and recommendations to improve the current processes; responses are due on February 28, 2011 and can be submitted here, proceeding number 10-237.

Peter Stanforth, Chief Technology Officer

Roundtable discussion at Offshore Communications

On behalf of Spectrum Bridge, I had the opportunity to attend the Offshore Communications 2010 conference in Houston, Texas on November 3, 2010 as a panelist on the Communications Systems: What’s Here and What’s Next? roundtable.

The roundtable consisted of a diverse group of panelists representing a broad range of communications directors and satellite and wireless providers. One of the main topics and key issues that the panelists are facing is the bandwidth availability in each of their respective geographic regions. With new regulations and additional advances in wireless technology, the wish list of remote data applications is growing along with the bandwidth requirements to deploy them. While there is no single technology readily available to solve the problem; fiber, wireless and satellite will play a major role in supplying the necessary bandwidth to various applications.

In the What’s Next? category, the audience was eager to learn about TV White Spaces and the potential applications of this newly available spectrum. The enhanced propagation characteristics of TV White Spaces were an area of interest for many of the attendees, as it is an alternative solution to Wi-Fi to aggregate the vast amounts of data before it is backhauled to the beach.

Following the discussion, attendees had many questions regarding the usage and timeline of TV White Spaces. Most recently, Spectrum Bridge held a webinar about TV White Spaces and the expected timeline for its deployment. To watch the recording of Introducing TV White Spaces, please click here.

- Lou Eisenberg, Senior Account Manager

TV White Spaces Webinar Series

The recent FCC decision to allow use of TV White Spaces spectrum on an unlicensed basis has generated wide interest among IT & Telecom companies as well as end users. Spectrum Bridge will be hosting a webinar series discussing TV White Spaces and what it means for the entire wireless industry, from radio manufacturers to the end user. The first webinar in the series is focused on a general overview about TV White Spaces and will discuss a wide array of topics and questions including:

• What are TV White Spaces?
• How does it compare to solutions already available?
• What is the economic value TV White Spaces can provide?
• What is the expected timeline moving forward?

WHO: Hosted by Spectrum Bridge and The Brattle Group

Presenters Include:
Peter Stanforth, CTO, Spectrum Bridge, Inc.
Coleman Bazelon, Principal, The Brattle Group
Neeraj Srivastava, VP of Marketing and Business Development, Spectrum Bridge, Inc.

WHAT: TV White Spaces Webinar series: Introducing TV White Spaces

WHEN: October 28, 2010 at 2:00pm ET

WHERE: Registration and additional information about the presenters can be found by clicking here.

The second webinar in the series will be focused on the technical aspects about the newly available rules and the certification process that follows. More information about the second webinar in the series will be available shortly. To register for the event, Introducing TV White Spaces, please click here.

New Applications for TV White Spaces in the Latest Deployment

Spectrum Bridge has announced its fourth major TV White Spaces network trial utilizing the vacant spectrum between existing TV channels known as TV White Spaces. This particular deployment, done in conjunction with Google and the Hocking Valley Community Hospital, is important for not only Spectrum Bridge, but the entire wireless industry as it demonstrates how TV White Spaces can provide cost effective broadband access for healthcare applications.

The trial network at the Hocking Valley Community Hospital showcases that there are alternative ways of enhancing health care provider’s connectivity for critical wireless data transfers. To improve broadband connectivity throughout the Logan, Ohio community, a wireless data link was established on a local ISP tower approximately two miles away from the Logan-Hocking County Health Department, providing non-line-of-sight broadband coverage to the health department and other public areas.

There is now Wi-Fi throughout the Hocking Valley Community Hospital as well as outdoor video surveillance providing additional security for hospital operations. A portable TV White Spaces network was also deployed for the Hocking County Emergency Medical Services that allows first responder’s to wirelessly transfer data directly from their emergency vehicles to EMS data systems inside.

The first three trial networks by Spectrum Bridge and our partners demonstrated that the unlicensed spectrum can go further and penetrate walls better than that of some licensed spectrum. The networks have also demonstrated long range broadband using middle and last mile connectivity to residents of the communities. They have also shown that Smart City’s and Smart Grid’s can be implemented using unlicensed frequencies as a cost-effective solution to rural cooperatives and wireless internet service providers. For more information on Spectrum Bridge’s deployments, click here.

- Neeraj Srivastava, VP of Marketing and Business Development

Can Database-Driven Cognitive Radios Solve the Spectrum Crisis?

There is a perceived spectrum scarcity issue facing the wireless industry today. Most allocated spectrum is entirely spoken for, which reinforces the myth that we are running out of spectrum for wireless communications. A simple spectral analysis of commercial spectrum bands indicates that there is up to 90% of unused spectrum at any given time or place. Craig Mathias, author of the white paper Rethinking Spectrum Scarcity – Database-Driven Cognitive Radio, says that “We actually have access to vast quantities of spectrum in any given geographic location, and, given natural signal strength fading due to the inverse power law, we can further multiply efficiency via the reuse of spectrum over distance.”

One solution that Craig proposes towards solving the spectrum crisis is that of a database-driven cognitive radio approach. Cognitive radios are radios that are, “capable of transmitting and receiving across channels covering a potentially very wide range of frequencies.” By utilizing a database-driven networking approach, these radios will be the first step towards efficiently utilizing the unused or idle spectrum at any given point in time.

One example of an area where database-driven cognitive radios can be effective is in the TV White Spaces spectrum. The FCC is proposing that devices operating in these unlicensed frequencies will need to be certified against a TV White Spaces database to ensure that there are no interference issues. Deploying a database-driven cognitive radio in a band like this, which spans from 54MHz to 698MHz, provides a dynamic network approach to allocating spectrum.

TV White Spaces are a prime example of how cognitive radios can communicate with a database, thus enabling the radio to determine the appropriate frequency to operate on without any human interaction. In the future, we can foresee cognitive radios operating across multiple frequencies in different bands, helping to alleviate the perceived spectrum scarcity. For more information on Database-Driven Cognitive Radios, click here.

- Joe Hamilla

Coming Soon - FCC to Deliver Final Rules for TV White Spaces

TV White Spaces, the unlicensed spectrum between television bands, has been a hot topic since the switch from analog to digital TV back in June 2009. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, author Amy Schatz says “Technology and telecommunications companies could soon get access to unused TV airwaves, allowing them to introduce new wireless gadgets and services, under rules that Federal Communications Commission officials are close to putting into final form.” The FCC is expected to vote on the "TV White Spaces Second Memorandum Opinion and Order" on September 23, 2010.

The announcement is long overdue for industry stakeholders such as broadcasters and wireless providers who have been waiting for the FCC to open up the access to this unlicensed spectrum since 2002. Industry leaders such as Cisco and Motorola will now have the ability to certify devices that can operate in these frequencies, ultimately leading the way for the first commercial launch of the TV White Spaces marketplace.

Allowing the spectrum to be delivered on an unlicensed basis allows companies to further demonstrate alternative solutions to alleviating the “spectrum scarcity” issue facing the wireless industry, while still helping to achieve the goals of the National Broadband Plan. The TV White Spaces frequencies will need to be managed by a database that ensures devices will not interfere among one another. Database driven networks open the door for innovative solutions regarding the acquisition and distribution of spectrum assets. For more information on spectrum sharing through databases, click here.

Spectrum Bridge has already demonstrated three of the nation’s first network trials that are still fully operable on experimental licenses from the FCC. The first network was deployed in Claudvile, Virginia and provided broadband access to residents and businesses in the community. The second deployment in Wilmington, North Carolina, demonstrated that the unlicensed spectrum can be used to further enhance “Smart City” applications such as remote water monitoring, security and Wi-Fi access to the city park, as well as traffic monitoring for public safety. The third trial was launched in Plumas-Sierra County exhibiting the usability of this spectrum for "Smart Grid" applications. To read the success stories highlighting the applications used in each of the three network trials mentioned, click here.

Be sure to check back next week for information on a fourth network launch using the unlicensed TV White Spaces spectrum.

- Andrew Pielack

Delivering Smart Grid Solutions with TV White Spaces

Partnering with Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative and Telecommunications (PSREC) and Google, Spectrum Bridge deployed the nation's first "Smart Grid" wireless network trial using TV White Spaces. This marks the third successful White Spaces network solution deployed by Spectrum Bridge and continues to demonstrate alternative technology to help alleviate the perceived spectrum scarcity crisis.

In the Plumas County scenario, PSREC was investigating technologies to find a cost-effective solution to meet their challenges of providing rural broadband connectivity for customers over difficult terrain. TV White Spaces were a natural fit for providing an alternative solution because of the excellent propagation characteristics. "Plumas, Lassen and Sierra Counties are located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and present some very difficult challenges with respect to wireless coverage. The ability to use White SPace has proven to be an effective option for dealing with difficult terrain and offers another option for wireless connectivity," stated Lori Rice, PSREC's Chief Operating Officer.

Spectrum Bridge was able to help bring rural broadband connectivity to the PSREC customers using Spectrum Bridge's TV White Space database, which assigns non-interfering frequencies to white space devices. In addition, PSREC improved their System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) applications, and upgraded their Smart Grid implementation with the addition of Google PowerMeter technology deployed to select residents in Plumas-Sierra County.

With the TV White Spaces technology, companies facing connectivity challenges have another option available for wireless rural broadband access. As we await the FCC's finalized White Spaces rules, we continue to move forward by developing new technology and software to help accomodate the growing demand for spectrum.

- Neeraj Srivastava, VP of Business Development

TV White Spaces Summit - Recap

On June 15th, 2010, the Wireless Innovation Forum hosted a TV White Spaces Summit in Washington DC. Sponsored by Spectrum Bridge, Inc and TV Band Service, the event was well represented by key industry stakeholders. The meeting opened with a keynote by the Honorable Meredith Attwell Baker. Her message was clear stating that, “TV White Spaces could afford even greater promise to open doors to further innovation” and that she hoped, “we will be able to come together on these issues as well – sooner rather than later.”

The informative assembly included topics such as Commercialization Status, Applications Focus, Database Focus, Component Vendors, and proposed Changes to Current TV White Space rules. Some of the issues brought up for discussion included sensing requirements and its effect on the cost of consumer devices, the coexistence of wireless microphones and TV White Spaces, and finally, the timeframe for the FCC’s deliberation of White Space regulations and database management providers. The major concern is that while the market is ready, the FCC’s lengthy deliberation will cost TV White Space innovators their valuable position as leaders in the global marketplace for TV White Spaces. Commissioner Baker mentioned this predicament in her keynote, stating that, “In addition I find it a little ironic, and a little regretful, that other regulators, notably in the EU, as well as in countries like Singapore, are poised to act in an area where we once took the lead but have not been able to act since.”

The sense of urgency for the FCC rules to be finalized regarding TV White Spaces was also highlighted in a letter to the FCC on Monday by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) urging the FCC to “prioritize action on white spaces”. Their letter went on to say, “As you know, spectrum below 1 Gigahertz is both scarce and valuable…Due to the propagation characteristics of the frequencies, unlicensed broadband devices will be able to cover a far wider service area in rural areas than the range in which unlicensed devices operate today thus providing an opportunity to narrow the ‘digital divide’ that unfortunately continues to exist.” At the Summit, WISPA gave a statistic that 50% of their community cannot be serviced today due to geographic limitations such as trees, dense foliage, and mountainous terrains. They also spoke of the new “digital divide” in which urban populations today benefit from having unlimited broadband access for streaming video, social networking, research, education, etc, while rural populations have limited access to broadband and can only do certain things like check email or surf the web. While rural broadband and narrowing the digital divide is just one example of the need for broadband, it has become more clear that TV White Spaces can help fill the gap.

Community leaders from the deployed white spaces network in Wilmington/New Hanover County, NC, Mayor Bill Saffo and Chairman Jason Thompson, were also in attendance to share their insights and experiences. Mayor Saffo of Wilmington stated that the major benefit he sees regarding TV White Spaces availability is in regards to the Public Safety sector. Public safety is the biggest cost to Wilmington at 80% of the general fund budget. However, TV White Spaces have allowed the city to more effectively manage and allocate their resources on a federal, state and local level through the use of streaming live video to help monitor events in the community. Jason Thompson, Chairman of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners reiterated the benefits that TV White Spaces has had on their community, allowing them to safely monitor their parks and significantly reduce energy costs in excess of $800,000 annually.
In addition to various panels throughout the Summit, Julius P. Knapp II, Chief of the FCC’s Office of Engineering & Technology, reiterated the Commission’s progress in finalizing the rules and database applicant’s for TV White Spaces. As planned, the FCC will be meeting in the third quarter to discuss concerns brought up over sensing and wireless microphones and to finalize TVWS regulations.

Stay tuned for video clips from the Summit!

- Joe Hamilla, COO

Mickey DeChellis discusses White Spaces and Smart Grid Apps - UTC Telecom 2010

The Utilities Telecom Council (UTC) is holding their annual event “UTC Telecom 2010” next week on May 24-26, 2010. This event provides the attendees the opportunity to hear from industry experts on a wide variety of issues that impact their business, including the legal and regulatory aspects, in order to best prepare for the future. Attendees also have the opportunity to meet vendors in their industry, view on-site demonstrations of new products and services, and generate and maintain business and partner relationships. As an active member of the UTC, for the second year in a row, Spectrum Bridge will have a presence at the UTC Telecom being held in Indianapolis, IN.
Mickey DeChellis, Director of Sales & Business Development, will be on the panel discussion entitled: “White Spaces Networks Solution for Reliable Smart Grid Apps? – What’s working now” along with representatives from Motorola and the UTC. The panel will be held at the Smart Grid & Wireless Symposium at 4:30pm in room 106 on Tuesday May 25, 2010. The presentation will be focused on the unlicensed TV spectrum known as “white spaces” which offer potentially hundreds of Megahertz at frequencies with excellent propagation characteristics benefiting Utilities and Telco’s.
An additional benefit of attending the session will include real world examples currently being used with the unlicensed spectrum for Smart Grid and Smart City applications. Mickey DeChellis will be available for further discussion before and after the panel session to answer any questions. To view the UTC Telecom 2010 schedule at a glance, please click here.

Illuminate the Wireless Magic - RCA 2010 Recap

Last week, we attended the Rural Cellular Association’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas to showcase TV White Spaces and its potential for mobile applications. Among the many questions we received regarding our deployed experimental networks and TV White Spaces, one question was clearly on everyone’s mind:

“How will the availability of TV White Spaces change the marketplace?”
As the wireless marketplace continues to grow and evolve from traditional voice services to a complex ecosystem supporting Smartphones and an array of mobile applications, carriers are beginning to realize that innovation is necessary to meet the growing demands for bandwidth. Network expansion is key to the success of these companies. However, with a finite amount of spectrum available, and an exponential demand for bandwidth, carriers are left with very few cost-effective options.

The National Broadband Plan addresses this dilemma of spectrum availability and has made several propositions to ensure that the wireless marketplace can support this demand. In Section 5.12 of the NBP, the FCC references TV White Spaces stating that: “The FCC should move expeditiously to conclude the TV White Spaces proceeding.” The availability of TV White Spaces will provide a cost-effective alternative; giving carriers, private enterprises, utilities, and others the opportunity to expand or deploy networks to fulfill this growing demand.

Favorable propagation characteristics and low cost of deployment makes TV White Spaces a great solution for a multitude of applications such as rural broadband, telemetry, SCADA, Smart City and Smart Grid solutions. While the FCC continues to finalize the rules for TV White Spaces and deliberate on who will be named TV White Space Database Providers, it is important to realize that early adopters of this innovative technology will be able to capitalize on the vast market opportunities that lie ahead. Follow our success with our initial TV White Spaces network deployments in Claudville, VA and Wilmington/New Hanover County, NC. To learn more about TV White Spaces, read our FAQ doc.

- Sheri Ridenour, Senior Account Manager

Joe Hamilla discusses TV White Spaces at the 2010 NAB Show

The National Association of Broadcasters is holding their annual NAB Show next week from April 10-15. NAB's events offer broadcasters the opportunity to network with colleagues, explore new technologies, discuss innovative strategies to build stronger businesses and address important issues. The show will consist of several conferences including Broadcast Engineering, Broadcast Management, Broader-casting and the Digital Cinema and Military & Government Summits.

Joe Hamilla, chief operating officer at Spectrum Bridge, will be presenting at NAB Show’s Broadcast Engineering Conference on Wednesday, April 14. The presentation session, “Spectrum Issues for Broadcasters” will be held from 2:00pm – 5:30pm. Joe will be the first speaker of the panel and will jumpstart the discussion with the topic of “Leveraging White Spaces and an Introduction to the New Networks Being Built with Them.”

Some of the topics to be covered in the presentation include:

• FCC process for TV White Spaces spectrum
• Timeline for TV White Space
• Allocation of TV White Spaces via database
• The Availability of TV White Spaces spectrum
• Trial Networks deployed
• The Spectrum Scarcity and Bandwidth Demand Problem
• Opportunities for TV Band license holders

Spectrum Bridge will also be available following the panel for further discussion. To register as an attendee, please visit the NAB Show website.

The Message is Clear - More Spectrum Needed

Last week, Spectrum Bridge attended the CTIA Wireless exhibition in Las Vegas, NV. The prevailing message at CTIA this year was “more spectrum” in coherence with the National Broadband Plan, from femtocells to the allocation of additional spectrum bands by the FCC. The demand for spectrum extends far past the wireless industry – it is evidenced by many of the markets we serve, including: rural, municipalities, utilities, railways, and application developers. As the demand for broadband grows, along with the number of private networks, high bandwidth applications, and next generation devices; the need for maximizing spectrum access, allocation, and availability becomes key. This message is very much in line with our belief at Spectrum Bridge, Inc. (“SBI”) that demand for Broadband access is insatiable and in order to keep up with the ever-increasing demand, we must provide alternative solutions to alleviate spectrum scarcity and increase spectrum efficiency.

Attending the Andrew Seybold Awards dinner honoring the most innovative companies contributing wireless mobility products and concepts, was exciting for us to see how far the wireless industry has come and the limitless possibilities ahead of us. We were excited to receive the award for “Most Innovative Mobile Technology of 2010” for our TV White Spaces Network, as it validates the importance of our work with TV White Spaces to help support the FCC’s goals of providing more Broadband access nationwide. As the FCC noted in the NBP, our trial networks in Claudville, VA and Wilmington/New Hanover County, NC have demonstrated the promise and potential for TV white space spectrum. As we continue to perfect our skills in the TV White Spaces arena and develop new technology and software to help accommodate the growing demand for spectrum, we are excited about the future of this industry and our involvement in it.

Chris Duffus
CFO

TV White Spaces now for your Android phone

Announcing the TV White Spaces application for the Android! You can now find out what TV White Spaces channels are available wherever you are – directly from your Android phone – for free.

Created by Spectrum Bridge, “ShowMyWhiteSpace” is the first Android application for locating available TV White Spaces channels anywhere in the US.

Click here to read more on TV White Spaces and you can download our app by searching Spectrum Bridge.

Or...

Scan the barcode or the “QR” code. To do this, download the “Barcode Scanner” application (search barcode). Once installed, launch the program and you will see a red line appear on your phone. Move back and forth from your computer screen until the barcode comes into focus. Once the code is read, a notification will appear saying found URL. Click the “open browser” button and it will bring the ShowMyWhiteSpaces application up in the Android Market.

Dont have an Android? Dont worry, the free "ShowMyWhiteSpace" iPhone app was released by Spectrum Bridge last month. Click here for details.

Spectrum Bridge’s White Spaces Database is Helping Make North Carolina Safer, Greener

Spectrum Bridge and the City of Wilmington, North Carolina just added another technology “first” to their lists.

Today, we joined together in a public-private partnership with the County of New Hanover and TV Band Service to announce the launch of the nation’s first “Smart City” services powered by TV white spaces. Spectrum Bridge’s white spaces database and software are at the heart of this network, controlling and managing the frequencies accessed by the various applications.

You may recall that Wilmington was the test bed for the national digital TV transition, which freed up white spaces for use, and Spectrum Bridge deployed the white spaces database-driven network employing those frequencies for the first time last October.

Spectrum Bridge’s database and software are now helping white spaces power traffic monitoring on one of Wilmington's busiest thoroughfares, Martin Luther King Parkway. Traffic cameras are currently providing much needed safety for many cities throughout the US. In Wilmington, white spaces are delivering wireless traffic safety for daily commuters (and in the event of a hurricane evacuation) in a very green way: Laying fiber in this environmentally protected area would have been cost-prohibitive.

Meanwhile, across town, this white spaces test network is providing environmental monitoring, with real time wireless reporting and measurements of water levels. Previously this was a manual process, where employees had to drive to the locations and wade into the water to access level readings. Costs to perform this task made this a monthly effort. The white spaces test network will save the local government (and taxpayers) money in data collection, and provide for faster identification and mitigation of problems.

In addition, visitors of the County’s Hugh MacRae Park are now enjoying WiFi access -- and the peace of mind that comes with security monitoring of playgrounds and ball fields – all thanks to white spaces. You can read more about this success story here.

On hand to celebrate the event today were North Carolina’s Lt. Governor Walter Dalton, New Hanover County Chairman Jason Thompson, and Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo – as well as a large group of Mayors from all over the state of North Carolina.

Rick Rotondo, Spectrum Bridge co-founder and CMO extended our thanks to the many forward-thinking partners who brought this test network to fruition at today's event. “We are proud to have provided the technology and know-how for these visionary public and private business leaders to turn their ideas into tangible benefits,” he told the crowd of 130 gathered at Screen Gems Studios. “They know the white spaces opportunity is unique in that it lets them be cost-effective and environmentally conscious while delivering new services to the community.”

Additional services for this test network already in the planning process include the remote monitoring of at risk patients at home (which will result in speedier delivery of care and fewer emergency room visits) and for utilities equipment monitoring to provide energy reduction and cost savings.

I was privileged to be on site for Spectrum Bridge's white spaces trial network launches in Claudville and Wilmington, and have seen the impact they are already having on these communities first hand.

Wilmington is far more urban than Claudville, but the benefits of white spaces for both communities (while different) cannot be overstated. And the appreciation and sense of partnership in both communities has been inspiring.

For us at Spectrum Bridge, white spaces represent more than just being “first”, or a great vehicle for demonstrating our database driven spectrum allocation technology.

White spaces have enabled us to deploy test networks that are already helping to bridge the digital divide and bring much needed services to some terrific people in two beautiful communities.

And that feels pretty good.

- Beverly Lambright

Spectrum Bridge Launches First iPhone Application for TV White Spaces

Here's your freebie for the day:

Now you can find out what TV White Spaces channels are available wherever you are--directly from your iPhone--for free.

Created by Spectrum Bridge, "ShowMyWhiteSpaces" is the first iPhone application for locating available TV White Spaces channels anywhere in the US.

TV White Spaces availability varies significantly across the country. With our new iPhone app, users simply enter the address or areas they are interested in finding TV White Spaces bandwidth and get a list of available channels and frequencies.

What can you do with TV White Spaces? Expect to use them for powering many existing services--and some new ones as well:

• High-speed Internet connections to SmartPhones, netbooks and laptops
• Extended range and reliability of home and enterprise WiFi networks
• Power new long-range cordless phone and video systems, create reliable whole-house media distribution and many other innovative new bandwidth intensive applications
• Create a cost-effective wireless communications network for a broad range of enterprise and industrial applications including smart grid, smart city, telemedicine and other advanced mobile internet applications

The best part is you get to enjoy this small piece of TV White Spaces history for free.

To download your free application, visit the Apple Inc. iPhone App store.

For more information on TV White Spaces and their potential applications, visit the ShowMyWhiteSpace.com website, or SpectrumBridge.com. Also, you can now download the free app for the Android. Click here for more information.

Enjoy!

Will Two New Spectrum Bills Identify More Spectrum for Americans?

Last week, the House Communications Subcommittee approved two bills that are critical steps in uncovering more of one of our most precious natural resources: radio spectrum. (A companion bill sponsored by Senate Commerce Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., is pending.) These bills are more than just good news for the wireless industry; they’re good news for all American consumers, and the country as a whole.

Many Americans may be blithely unaware that the nation is on the verge of a looming spectrum scarcity crisis, perhaps because unlike petroleum, natural gas—or even solar or wind—our radio air waves are a natural resource that you can’t see, smell or feel. As consumers, our first hand personal experience of the spectrum shortage may be limited to when we experience dropped mobile calls, or can’t get an Internet connection. We might blame our carrier for poor service but don’t understand that our airwaves are a finite resource that is experiencing explosive demand. Many don’t realize how much our nation depends on wireless for our critical infrastructure – for utilities delivering smart grid and other power solutions and public safety services providing urgent communications – as well as our national defense. We might not pause to reflect on how wireless technologies help keep America competitive in a global economy. Some of us don’t even realize we are consumers of spectrum; we love our Blackberry’s, iPhones and laptops – and now our netbooks, iPads and whatever is “next”. We’re happy consumers of technology that entertains us and helps us communicate in new and amazing ways.

The good news is that the FCC has been steadily working toward evolving and improving how our spectrum is managed and allocated in recent years, from approving a secondary market for spectrum, to creating a national broadband plan, to freeing up TV white spaces, the broadcast waves left dormant by the Digital TV transition. Last week’s spectrum legislation will help us dig deeper into how efficiently spectrum is being used and where pockets of idle spectrum exist.

More good news for consumers: While companies have been developing all of the cool new gadgets you want next, Spectrum Bridge has been quietly but swiftly developing new technologies for increasing spectrum availability and efficiency. The new gadgets consumers will enjoy in the future will be made possible through spectrum allocation software born in our labs. In fact, many of the wireless gadgets and services you use now are already supported by a host of Spectrum Bridge tools and technologies.

In 2008 we launched the world’s first online spectrum exchange, SpecEx.com. SpecEx.com is helping thousands of organizations access spectrum on the secondary market for their wireless operations right now. We’re finding new life for old spectrum – by repurposing certain types of spectrum for new applications.

We’re helping companies find more spectrum through geo partitioning, disaggregation and other on-demand leasing strategies, and helping them maximize their spectrum assets and find new opportunities with SmartWaves, our innovative spectrum intelligence software, all right now.

We’ve been at the forefront in developing mixed spectrum solutions and in developing a groundbreaking TV white spaces database that is helping people all over the US locate available TV white spaces channels in their areas, right now. In October of 2009, under an experimental license, Spectrum Bridge launched the world’s first TV white spaces network, bringing high speed broadband Internet access to the citizens of Claudville, Virginia. Claudville is online right now. (We’ll be updating everyone with a bigger status report on the network and the tremendous impact it has had on the Claudville community in this blog next week.)

We applaud the House for approving these bills for a thorough inventory of the nation's communications spectrum. As FCC Commissioner Meredith Atwell Baker recently said, we need to “leverage the spectrum that exists more efficiently” and “encourage new technologies and innovation.” These two bills will now move to the full House Energy and Commerce panel for consideration, where we hope they will receive equally quick action. American consumers, businesses, our critical infrastructures, and the future of our national best interests deserve nothing less.

Meanwhile, the team at Spectrum Bridge continues to support wireless spectrum needs now and for what’s next. With the spectrum bills in place and many of Spectrum Bridge's innovative spectrum efficiency tools and technologies already in progress, our ultimate vision for making more spectrum available for wireless applications, Universal Spectrum Access, will usher in a more prosperous wireless nation.

We’re working on it, right now.

Video Interview with Chairman Genachowski on the Spectrum Shortage

Fortune taped an interview with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski at the 2010 CES show in Las Vegas. Below is about 60 seconds of the interview where he talks directly to the spectrum shortage.

Spectrum Bridge was formed several years ago when the company founders realized that wireless networks would face increasing bandwidth and coverage constraints due to a lack of available spectrum. To address this Spectrum Bridge has brought several revolutionary products and services to market as part of a multifaceted approach to:

• Increasing access to all types of spectrum.
  
• Improving allocation to better match available spectrum to network and application demands
• Helping network operators more efficiently use spectrum to deliver more bandwidth

These products and services include:

1. SpecEx:The online marketplace for spectrum®. Find over $500 million of secondary market spectrum available for sale or lease - online.
2. SmartWaves: The industry's leading spectrum asset manager and business analytic solution.
3. ShowMyWhiteSpace TV white spaces database: This database powers the world's first TV white spaces wireless network in Claudville VA, as well as ShowMyWhiteSpace.com - where anyone can conduct a simple and free search to find available TV white spaces at any location in the United States. Spectrum Bridge submitted a proposal to the FCC to be named a white spaces database manager on January 4th.
4. Universal Spectrum Access: Using database driven dynamic spectrum allocation to cost-effectively identify, manage and optimize spectrum use within (and across) wireless networks and application.

We’d like to hear from you about the impact that spectrum scarcity is having on your business or industry.

• How has spectrum availability influenced your business or industry’s wireless growth or expansion?
• What wireless services and applications do you see experiencing the biggest impact by spectrum availability?
• What do you think should be done from a policy or technical standpoint?
• What solutions are you employing or planning to deal with this issue?

Rick Rotondo
CMO & Co-Founder
Spectrum Bridge Inc.

Will TV white spaces users be charged database access fees?

Since the TV white spaces database manager proposals were filed earlier this month, we’ve noticed that there is a misconception circulating in the media that the majority of database managers are proposing to charge end users to access the white spaces database. If you review the actual proposals filed with the FCC, this is not the case.

It appears that there are only two of the nine proposals explicitly contemplate (as one possible way of collecting fees) charging the end user directly for access to the white spaces database. Additionally, only one of the proposals suggests that users will be charged multiple times or on an annual basis.

In the other proposals where user fees are discussed, charging the end user was not considered to be a real option. Given that the FCC is likely to choose one or more of the companies that do not intend to charge end users any fees, it appears that white spaces users will have multiple database managers to choose from who are not planning to charge any user fees. Spectrum Bridge is one of the companies that does not plan on charging end user fees.

Also, per the FCC's request, most the database manager proposals noted that they would provide free access to the database for incumbent and protected entities (like TV stations, wireless microphone users, etc) who currently use TV broadcast frequencies. Some of the proposals did not address this issue.

Several of the proposals (depending on how you interpret the responses) discuss or leave open the possibility of relying on a onetime "database fee" that gets built into the cost of the white spaces device at the time of purchase. This would cover the operation and maintenance of the database and would be similar to fees commonly paid by manufacturers - who often license software or technology from third-parties. Even in this scenario, there are no recurring database fees that the end user will pay to use the device or spectrum; the database fees would be included in the initial purchase price of the white spaces device.

Taking a sightly different approach than the rest of the proposals, at least two of proposals also suggest that they would consider charging TV white space network operators an initial and/or an annual fee based on the number of devices they manage in their network.

We all need to keep in mind that the business models, fees and other aspects included in the database manager proposals will likely get refined and altered by competitive market forces. Competition from multiple database managers will likely keep costs low, while potentially leading to new features and services that will help make TV white spaces a wireless resource we will all benefit from.


Rick Rotondo
CMO