NAB warned that the test of a TV white spaces...

Engineering and Technology sought comment earlier this month on the recently completed 45-day public trial of Spectrum Bridge’s prototype white spaces database. Comments were due Tuesday. “It appears that during the initial testing period users encountered a high number of problems relative to the number of trial registrations entered into the database,” NAB said in comments filed at the FCC (http://xrl.us/bmjr8z). NAB said Spectrum Bridge received 65 “tickets” containing “comments, concerns, and issues related to the trial” among only 551 who registered to use the database, “a rate of nearly 12 percent.” NAB said these “tickets” likely do not fully account for all of the problems encountered by users. “NAB staff experienced numerous problems with attempting to register protected entities that occurred prior to the user reaching the screen where a ticket could be initiated; thus, they were unable to report these incidents through the system,” the association said. “Accordingly, the actual problem rate encountered by users was probably higher than reported.” Spectrum Bridge maintains that none of the problems encountered could be considered “critical,” NAB said. “Some, in fact, concerned very important issues, such as the inability to register certain operations for protection.” The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association countered that the test shows the database is ready to go live. WISPA said it agrees with a Spectrum Bridge report that none of the problems encountered were critical. “Further, it appears that [Spectrum Bridge] addressed questions from the public and made minor changes during the trial period in an expeditious and satisfactory manner,” the group said (http://xrl.us/bmjr9h). Spectrum Bridge also “made voluntary database changes to improve public comprehension of the database and thereby increase its utility,” WISPA said. Key Bridge Global, which plans to compete with Spectrum Bridge with a rival white spaces database, questioned whether the test offered a complete evaluation of a channel availability calculator, the cable headend and broadcast auxiliary temporary registration utilities and a wireless microphone registration utility critical to any database. “Some clarity should be provided as to exactly what functionality was demonstrated and independently validated and verified and what follow-up steps are required prior to Spectrum Bridge’s further designation as a white space administrator,” Key Bridge said (http://xrl.us/bmjsan). The Land Mobile Communications Council said work remains on guaranteeing that public communications systems using the 470-512 MHz band are protected, especially those authorized by FCC waiver in urban areas including Los Angeles. Such “operations are at least as essential to the public as is enhanced wireless broadband access,” the group said (http://xrl.us/bmjsbo).