Recomendations for AP

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>From WCA:

Senate White Space Bills Seek To Facilitate Wireless Broadband Deployment

A pair of similar bills introduced Friday in the U.S. Senate seeks to 
facilitate the development of wireless broadband Internet access by 
allocating certain areas within the broadcast spectrum that are otherwise 
unassigned or unused.  The bill introduced by Senate Commerce Committee 
Chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK) would require the FCC to permit "white spaces" - 
unused broadcast TV spectrum between 72 MHz and 698 MHz - to be used by 
unlicensed devices, including wireless broadband.  The American Broadband 
for Communities Act of 2006 would allow manufacturers to design unlicensed 
devices to be operated in the white spaces.  The devices would sense their 
environment and only use portions of the spectrum not being used by 
broadcasters.  The draft bill exempts frequencies between 608 MHz and 614 
MHz from the unlicensed uses.  It directs the FCC craft technical 
requirement for unlicensed devices to protect broadcast stations and urges 
the Commission to establish an interference complaint resolution process for 
broadcasters.  http://stevens.senate.gov/pr_detailed.cfm?prid=333%20%20. 
Separately, Senator George Allen (R-VA) introduced the Wireless Innovation 
Act of 2006 that specifically requires the FCC to permit unlicensed use of 
unassigned broadcast spectrum between 54 MHz and 698 MHz within 180 days of 
enactment.  The bill is co-sponsored by Senators John Kerry (D-MA), John 
Sununu (R-NH) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). 
http://allen.senate.gov/?c=record&t=3&Record_ID=5531

Comments: Despite the prior edicts to open up White Spaces spectrum, this 
looks likely to find tough going for passage due to pressure from encumbents 
and the prospects for licensing the spectrum rather than offering it up as 
license-excempt.  Not a bad time to contact your congressmen to request 
passage. We shall see.

The usage of this spectrum is likely to take advantage of developments 
spearheaded under IEEE 802.22, RAN (rural area network) cognitive radio 
standard.  The 802.22 group has more recently been trending to adopt similar 
WiMAX OFDMA PHY as found in 802.16-2005 while using a MAC based on 
802.16-2004, the 'fixed' version of 802.16/WiMAX.  Other proposals for MAC 
and PHY have varied from unique developments which would require new 
families of chip sets and other components.  By basic alignment with 802.16, 
802.22 RAN can likely take advantage of the same or modified versions of the 
same chips used for WiMAX.

Robert (Bob) Syputa, BSEE, MBA
www.WiMAXPro.com
rsyputa at wimaxpro.com
206-367-6931