The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology said last week that a 45-day public trial of Telcordia Technologies' TV band database system will commence Dec. 7.
According to an OET press statement, the trial is a limited test being done to let the public access and test Telcordia's database system. The trial is aimed at ensuring the database correctly identifies channels available for unlicensed radio transmitting devices operating in the TV band (unlicensed TV band devices), properly registering those facilities entitled to protection, and providing protection to authorized services and registered facilities as specified in commission rules.
FCC rules require unlicensed TV band devices to contact an authorized database system to obtain a list of channels available for their operation at their individual locations. Such devices may only operate on those available channels.
They are required to provide their geographic locations via a secure Internet connection to a commission-authorized TV band database. The database then returns a list of the channels available for operation by the device for its reported location.
To participate in the trial, access Telcordia's TV band database test facility. The OET has asked those testing the database to report on their experience with the Telcordia channel availability calculator; MVPD receive site (cable headend and satellite receive site) registration utility; broadcast auxiliary temporary receive site registration utility; fixed TVWS device registration utility; and wireless microphone registration utility.
OET wants to make sure each is working properly and providing the interference protection required by the rules.
The trial is scheduled to end Jan. 20, 2012, but may be extended if OET determines additional testing is required.