Microsoft Asks FCC to Act on Revised White Spaces Rules
Now that the comment cycle is complete, move on proposals to allow TV white spaces (TVWS) devices to operate with higher power in less-congested areas, Microsoft and other commenters asked the FCC. Others continue to raise concerns (see 2005050033). Replies…
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were posted through Wednesday in docket 20-36 on an NPRM that commissioners approved 5-0 in February (see 2002280055). Make the changes discussed in the NPRM but address other changes in future items, Microsoft replied. There's broad support for TVWS changes from service providers, tech companies, businesses and schools in rural areas and public interest organizations, the company said: “The record also demonstrates that the proposed rule changes will accelerate the pace of TVWS deployments and significantly improve the ability of TVWS technology to narrow the digital divide.” There's broad agreement “more robust rules” here “would improve connectivity in rural, tribal, and other unserved and underserved areas,” the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition said. New America’s Open Technology Institute, Public Knowledge, Consumer Reports, Access Humboldt, Next Century Cities, Common Cause, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and Benton Institute for Broadband and Society were among those on the filing. “Limit this proceeding to the narrow set of proposals set forth in the NPRM” and don't “consider extraneous requests that would dramatically expand those proposals or effectively rewrite Part 15 of the Commission’s rules,” NAB said. Some would expand the proceeding to consider “areas that have already been fully debated and where there have been no new developments that would warrant changes,” the group said. The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council endorsed the changes in general for rural areas, seeking companion tweaks for private land mobile radio operations on TV channels 14-20. NPSTC is “simply seeking to maintain an equivalent level of protection to that offered today,” the group said: “The proposed doubling of the allowed TVWS antenna height will have a significant effect on the separation distance needed to maintain an equivalent level of protection” to public land mobile radio operations. Wireless mic makers kept up their concerns. “Refine the movable platforms proposal by narrowing the scope of eligible vehicles and accounting for antenna height and directionality in the design of the rules,” Shure said: “Retain the less congested areas framework while rejecting impractical/computationally intensive alternative proposals centered around population density and/or terrain-based modeling.”