The Federal Communications Commission Office of Engineering and Technology began a 45-day public trial of the Spectrum Bridge’s TV band database system on Sept. 19.
The trial is aimed at assessing the database to make sure that it is correct and identifies television channels that are available for unlicensed TV band device operation, OET said. It also is intended to ensure the database properly registers facilities entitled to protection and actually protects authorized services and registered facilities.
In announcing the trial Sept. 14, OET encouraged all interested parties to test the database and provide feedback to Spectrum Bridge.
Under FCC rules, an unlicensed TV band device must report its location via an Internet connection to a TV band database authorized by the commission and receive a list of available channels before it may operate on an unoccupied channel. The rules also call for a trial of at least 45 days of any commission authorized TV band database.
The OET has set up a website for those who want to participate in the trial of the Spectrum Bridge database. The site includes a description of the trial, information on how to participate, database details and a link for feedback to Spectrum Bridge.
In a public notice of the trial posted on the FCC website, the OET asked trial participants to test the Spectrum Evolution channel availability calculator; the cable headend and broadcast auxiliary temporary receive site registration utility; and the wireless mic registration utility.
The FCC rules require TV band database systems protect:
• broadcast television stations, including full power, TV translator, low power TV and Class A stations;
• fixed broadcast auxiliary service links;
• receive sites and received channels of TV translator, low power TV and Class A TV stations and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs);
• private land mobile radio service and commercial mobile radio service operations;
• offshore radio telephone service operations;
• radio astronomy operations at specific sites; and
• low power auxiliary service operations — mainly licensed and certain approved unlicensed wireless microphone venue sites.