U.K. Takes Global Lead on White Spaces; Commits to Use of Vacant TV Spectrum

U.K. Takes Global Lead on White Spaces; Commits to Use of Vacant TV Spectrum

U.S. Falls Further Behind in Broadband Technology

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, the Wireless Innovation Alliance (WIA) today urged regulators to follow the lead of their British counterparts and allocate TV white spaces to 'benefit the economy and consumers.' In its December 13th Digital Dividend Review, The United Kingdom's Office of Communication (Ofcom) committed to allowing licensed and unlicensed access to TV spectrum freed up by the upcoming transition from analog to digital transmission.

"The United States' position as a leader in innovation and technology hinges on our ability to keep pace with the world," said Brian Peters, a spokesperson for the Alliance, "and today we fall further behind. Ofcom's commitment to realizing the benefits of vacant TV spectrum in the United Kingdom clearly demonstrates that other countries recognize the value and viability of white space technologies and are moving forward without us. Since 2001, the U.S. has fallen from 3rd to 16th in the world in broadband adoption; unlocking the potential of white spaces could be the key to moving back to the top of that list instead of further and further down".

The following is the text of the letter sent today from the Wireless Innovation Alliance and its partners to the Federal Communications Commission:

The Wireless Innovation Alliance(1), a coalition of companies, organizations, and advocates dedicated to realizing the potential of white space spectrum, would like to highlight recent statements by the United Kingdom's Office of Communications (Ofcom) on DTV band white space spectrum (known as "interleaved spectrum" in the UK). Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the communication industries in the United Kingdom, made an affirmative commitment to allow unlicensed access to white space spectrum by cognitive radio devices with sense-and-avoid capability in its recent statement on allocating spectrum freed up by the digital switchover.

In its Digital Dividend Review statement released December 13, 2007 (see attached), Ofcom asserts that balanced allocation of both licensed and unlicensed access to the vacated TV broadcast band provides the greatest benefit to the economy and consumers. The Wireless Innovation Alliance agrees with Ofcom's conclusions, which are virtually identical to what we have advocated in this proceeding. Ofcom proposes to "allow license exempt use of interleaved (white space) spectrum for cognitive devices (2)," based on the following findings.

-- Confirmation of spectrum sensing technology feasibility: Ofcom declared that "cognitive devices could make flexible use of interleaved (whitespace) spectrum without causing harmful interference to licensed users (3)," citing a number of cognitive devices being presented before the FCC employing spectrum sensing technology that would avoid transmitting in channels used by licensed services.

-- Broad benefits for citizens and consumers: Ofcom believes that white space spectrum is a substantial resource and that the total value generated by allowing license exempt cognitive access would be greater than the opportunity cost (4). Ofcom noted that license exempt cognitive access to white spaces would be beneficial for high bandwidth services including home and business networks, community and campus networks and municipal Wi-Fi (5).

-- Generation of new services and innovations: Ofcom projects that "other applications and innovations might also be spurred by the availability of a large pool of interleaved (whitespace) spectrum for license exempt use(6)."

The potential for white spaces is limited only by creativity, ingenuity, and clear rules of the road that will help facilitate future technological innovation. The Wireless Innovation Alliance believes Ofcom has taken an important step toward unlocking this vast potential, and we strongly encourage the Commission to do the same.

ABOUT WIA: The WIA includes more than 15 organizations, representing the technology industry, consumer and public interest groups, and educational and technical organizations. The Alliance also enjoys strong bipartisan support from a growing number of Congressional Members committed to actively working to create opportunity and enable innovation in the U.S. The goal of the Alliance is to work closely with policymakers to craft rules of the road that will realize the opportunity of TV White spaces, which lie vacant in as much as 75% in some areas of the country.

For more information about the Wireless Innovation Alliance, please visit us at: www.wirelessinnovationalliance.com

1) The Wireless Innovation Alliance's membership includes: CompTIA, Dell, Educause, Freepress, Google, HP, Information Technology Industry Council, Media Access Project, Microsoft, National Hispanic Media Coalition, New America Foundation, Public Knowledge, TechNet, VON Coalition, and U.S. PIRG.

2) See Digital Dividend Review: A Statement on our Approach to Awarding the Digital Dividend, Ofcom, ¶ 1.34 (Dec. 13, 2007) ("Ofcom statement").

3)Ofcom Statement ¶ 6.26.

4)Ofcom Statement ¶ 6.26.

5)Ofcom Statement ¶ 6.23.

6)Ofcom Statement ¶ 6.26.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Wireless Innovation Alliance

CONTACT: Jake Ward, +1-202-420-8056, jward@qorvis.com, for Wireless
Innovation Alliance

Web Site:

http://www.wirelessinnovationalliance.com/

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