ManyMedia

Following the FCC’s promise to release a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)–”to outline plans for and solicit comment on using available (i.e. unused) TV channels for unlicensed devices,” some broadcasters are starting to mumble.

What could TV-Fi look like? It’s a bit complex, since the FCC has blocked out a number of channels that can’t be used even if there isn’t a television station broadcasting on them, including 2-4 (potential interference with VCRs, DVD players, cable set-top boxes), 14-20 (Land mobile radio services), and 37 (Radio astronomy). Channels 52-69 are also off-limits; these channels and the frequencies associated with them have already been sold off at FCC auction for licensed use and/or been set aside for use by public safety concerns. And finally, you can’t use any channel that has a broadcasting TV station on it. Since each TV station has two broadcast licenses — one analog, one for Digital TV conversion — take the number of local TV stations you get, then multiply by two. Some year in the future, the analog licenses are supposed to be returned, but that and the 52-69 saga are an ugly story for a different day.

TV-WiFi is being described in two different flavors %u2013 indoor LANs and long-haul broadband networks. The indoor LAN version may look something like Wi-Fi, except with higher data rates and the ability to cleanly penetrate through walls and floors. It could be something as simple as an expanded ultrawideband (UWB) device, but nobody really knows.

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Network, Policy broadband, broadcasters, channels, FCC, FCC auction, LAN, license, spectrum, TV, unlicensed spectrum, UWB, wi-fi