Ofcom to use free airwaves for rural broadband

bealtine

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14052944

Ofcom is considering using the airwaves freed up when FM radio goes digital to provide rural broadband.

So-called white spaces devices are currently being trialled for use in the spectrum gaps freed up by the digital TV switchover.

Ofcom believes they would work equally well in the FM spectrum.

There is no set date for the switchover from FM to digital radio although the government is keen for it to happen in 2015.

Some think that date is unrealistic due to the slow take-up of digital radio and the current lack of coverage.

White space technologies have been gathering momentum in recent months. They take advantage of spare spectrum bands that have not been licensed for any other use. This makes them attractive to communications firms because they get to use for free what would otherwise be extremely expensive.

That makes the technology particularly useful for providing rural broadband where the costs of laying cables or otherwise supplying bandwidth are much higher.

The technology works by identifying the unoccupied white spaces to transmit and receive wireless signals.

Compared with other forms of wireless technology, such as Bluetooth and wi-fi, white space devices are being designed to use a much wider range of frequencies, including the lower frequencies that have traditionally been reserved for TV and radio.

Low frequencies work better in buildings, something that has been a problem for higher frequency 3G technologies.

Other possible uses for the technology include offering a link between devices, so that more objects can be connected to the network.

Ofcom's chief executive Ed Richards said: "Spectrum is a resource that is in huge demand, fuelled by the recent explosion in smart phones and other wireless technologies.

However, there is only a limited amount of it to go around, which means we need to start thinking more creatively about how it is used. White space devices could offer the creative solution we are looking for."

BT is currently testing white space technology on the Scottish island of Bute and said early results were "promising".

Last month Microsoft, the BBC, BT and Nokia announced they would launch a white spaces consortium.

Cambridge start-up Neul is leading the way in making white-space equipment. It estimates that there is around 150MHz of unused spectrum in the UK, which is five times as much as Vodafone has for its 3G services.

The technology offers speeds of around 16 megabits per second but has the potential to be much faster.

To avoid interference, equipment needs to pass very stringent tests.

"If Ofcom decides to free up this spectrum we'd definitely consider using it," said Luke D'Arcy, vice president of marketing at Neul.

watty

Ofcom have lost the plot.

A) No-one wants the Band II for Data services. It carries too far, the aerials are too big.
There is no evidence that politically ANY UK Government would be ever able to turn off FM Radio.
C) The ENTIRE band II is 88 to 108MHz, 20MHz of bandwidth. For a decent service you need a MINIMUM of 3 x 20MHz channels and ideally 9 x 20MHz Channels.
D) No-one anywhere else is even thinking of such nonsense.

Antenna

Is this some sort of 'silly-season' story for the technical?

If such relatively low-VHF frequencies were viable to use for wireless broadband one has to ask the question why are they not already experimenting with all the disused spectrum of TV Band 1 which is mostly empty for years in both UK and Ireland?


Signals in the FM band can sometimes travel many hundreds of miles due to 'Sporadic-E'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporadic_E_propagation

In addition to what Watty had to say, another issue is that the uplink frequencies especially and the downlink frequencies would be obliterated for long periods at this time of year by Sporadic-E from countries elsewhere using FM indefinately.

Mike 1972

If there is all this "white space" on the FM and TV bands maybe the authorities should look at licencing more broadcasting stations ?

watty

Turn off DAB and licence it for Data. 1/2 to 1/4 the size of aerial, travels less far (but still too far) and their is 100MHz. 175MHz to 275MHz. Even that is a really stupid idea. But less stupid than Band II.

About 380MHz is the minimum useful frequency. There were mobile systems on 420MHz and Fixed and Mobile Data has been tested on it. it's pretty rubbish really except for very low capacity Rural long distance. Really more suited to Low density Rural Chimney Installs.

Ofcom is offering 600MHz also and no-one wants it.

750MHz to 960MHz or 990MHz should be one Duplex band with split at 862MHz to 876MHz and low power SRD devices (as existing at 868MHZ) allowed 864MHz to 872MHz. No 3G. Only DOCSIS fixed Wireless. One Wholesale operator/RAN (#1)

The 1800MHz band should be wider and changed to 3G instead of GSM, and one RAN/ Wholesale operator (#2). There should be more bases and voice priority to give 98% geographic coverage.

The 2100MHz should be wider and the TDD block ditched from 3G and allowed for Licence free TDD (it's not used) and a single RAN/Wholesale operator (#3). Data Priority and 95% Population coverage.

2500MHz/2600MHz band LTE with 95% population coverage, Data priority, Single RAN/Wholesale operator (#4)

Usage of Nomadic gear should be illegal on 3.5GHz/3.6Hz. Its already FWALA (Fixed Wireless as a replacement for DSL). Why is Comreg doing nothing? Fixed gear is more sense at 3.5GHz, indoor aerials are terrible, Nomadic gear is 8x less efficient use of Spectrum and no decent control of contention.



There isn't in reality much "White Space". It's a tech company / Regulator myth.

Mike 1972

watty wrote: »

There isn't in reality much "White Space". It's a tech company / Regulator myth.

Just because a frequency may appear to be clear to a casual observer with a "one for all" aerial it doesnt mean that its use isint going to cause interference.

Take for example the Divis FM and UHF frequencies in the Dublin area.

Incidently isint the exact reason why the sale and use of "videosenders" (the original UHF type) is outlawed

oscarBravo

watty wrote: »

Usage of Nomadic gear should be illegal on 3.5GHz/3.6Hz. Its already FWALA (Fixed Wireless as a replacement for DSL). Why is Comreg doing nothing?

It's not FWALA any more, it's BWA (broadband wireless access). That seems to have been decided on a Europe-wide regulatory basis, presumably under pressure from ISPs who wanted zero installation costs and technology vendors who wanted to push nomadic equipment.

watty

Well

Are the Regulators there to help large ISPs and Mobile companies increase profits while wasting irreplaceable spectrum or do they exist for benefit of the State and the People living in Europe, the users?


Don't bother answering...

bealtine

watty wrote: »

Well

Are the Regulators there to help large ISPs and Mobile companies increase profits while wasting irreplaceable spectrum or do they exist for benefit of the State and the People living in Europe, the users?


Don't bother answering...

I'll answer the regulator is there to regulate for the industry not the public...