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Finland Issues Test Radio License for TV White Spaces Trial (8/27/12)
Fairspectrum, a Finnish spectrum sharing technology firm, deployed the Fairspectrum geolocation database in the communications system for Europe’s first TV white space geolocation database radio license.

Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (Ficora) issued a test radio license for cognitive radio devices on the TV white space frequencies for Turku University of Applied Sciences. The license covers the 470 – 790 MHz frequency range and a 40-square-kilometer area surrounding Turku, Finland. The license is valid for one year.

Nearly 300,000 people live in the radio license area. A geolocation database is an essential part of the license. The license is the first in Europe having the geolocation database control of frequencies.

TV white space frequencies are a real-world test of spectrum sharing. TV white space can improve existing data communications services by increasing data rates or coverage area, it can make the services more cost efficient, and new services can be developed, a Fairspectrum statement said.

Spectrum sharing is managed with a geolocation database that controls TV white space device frequencies and transmission power so that the devices do not interfere with other wireless communications systems like terrestrial TV or radio microphones.

Fairspectrum provides the geolocation database for the communications system according to the Ficora license rules. The Fairspectrum geolocation database applies geometrical computation in radio spectrum sharing. Geometrical computation makes Fairspectrum geolocation database efficient, fast and easily customizable for various environments, regulations, and rules. The geometrical computation based rules can clearly be communicated among operators, regulators and other users of the shared spectrum.

The issued license will be used in the white space test environment for broadcast frequencies (WISE) project. The WISE consortium consists of Nokia, Digita, Fairspectrum, Finnish communications regulatory authority Ficora, Turku University of Applied Sciences, University of Turku and Aalto University.

WISE is a Tekes-funded research project in Finland, and it is a part of the Tekes trial program. WISE studies efficient use of TV band spectrum resources through cognitive radio technologies and geolocation databases. For more information, visit www.tekes.fi/programmes/Trial.

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