In particular, the commission increased the maximum height above average terrain (HAAT) for sites where fixed devices may operate. The FCC also modified the adjacent channel emission limits to specify fixed rather than relative levels, and slightly increased the maximum permissible power spectral density (PSD) for each category of TV bands device.
These changes will result in decreased operating costs for fixed unlicensed TV bands devices (TVBDs) and allow them to provide greater coverage. The changes will increase the availability of wireless broadband services in rural and underserved areas without increasing the risk of interference to incumbent services, the latest order said.
TV white spaces equipment vendors said that public safety could potentially use the unlicensed spectrum for rural areas. “In rural areas, there is lots of spectrum available, which plays out usefully for public safety,” said Jim Carlson, president of Carlson Wireless. “It can be used to add bandwidth.”
Carlson said there are more than 30 white spaces channels in rural areas, which could potentially be used for additional data flow for non-critical cases. Fire stations without Internet connectivity could use UHF TV white spaces spectrum, for example.
The FCC also revised and amended several TV white spaces rules to better effectuate the commission’s earlier decisions in the docket and to remove ambiguities. The full FCC order is available here.
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