Use Your Skills for Community Access to Our Public Spectrum!

Spectrum Analyzers, the Public Airwaves, and You!

Would you like the public to have more access to the airwaves? Do you have a spectrum analyzer and a little bit of free time? If so, you can help build a more compelling public interest case in not 1 but 2 proposals that are before the FCC right now.

The FCC is currently looking at a proposal that would open more of the airwaves for unlicensed usage at the 3650-3700 MHz bands. The FCC has issued a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" which finds that this band -- used exclusively for a limited number of point-to-point systems, has virtually no activity that would be affected by expanding unlicensed access to the band. The NPRM even suggests that the FCC could allow higher power or better rules than available in 2.4 GHz.

But to move from a proposed rule to an actual rule, the FCC must have evidence in the official record that supports the rule. This is where you can help. If you have a spectrum analyzer, you can help us show that this band is perfect for unleashing unlicensed.

You can read a copy of the FCC's notice at this link: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-100A1.pdf.

Since the notice has not yet appeared in the Federal Register, the due date for comments has not yet been set. So we need to get to work now!

The FCC is also looking at a new way to measure interference that may be less arbitrary than the way it's done now, with a metric called "interference temperature." As an added bonus, the FCC proposes to allow unlicensed activity in bands that the interference temperature demonstrates are safe for this approach.

They are proposing a "test bed" to test interfence temperature and use of unlicensed devices in the following bands:

  6525-6700 MHz
  12.75-13.25 GHz
  13.15-13.2125 GHz

The comment and reply comment deadlines on this proceeding have passed, but the FCC will continue to take comment until they reach a decision. Nearly all the comments in this proceeding have been filed by licensees and, not surprisingly, nearly all of them have been negative. In particular, licensees in the testbed bands have claimed that any unlicensed activity would disrupt vital operations.

Even more than the 3650-3700 proceeding, the interference temperature proceeding (and its companion, the cognative radio proceeding) are absolutely critical in changing the way the FCC manages spectrum. That's why licensees in nearly all bands, who you would think would want a standard way to define "harmful interference" under the FCC's rules, have opposed this proposal so strongly.

You can read a copy of the Interference Temperature proceeding here: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-289A1.pdf.

If you want to read the comments filed by others, go to the FCC's electronic comment filing system (ECFS) here: http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi.

The docket number you need to enter is 03-237.

If you wish to file a comment of your own, either in support of unlicensed generally or in response to the comments filed by opponents of unlicensed, you can use the FCC's electronic filing system here: http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi.

If you can help, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 518-589-6442, and ask to speak to Dharma Dailey, Prometheus organizer and consultant on spectrum.

If you would like more background about spectrum issues and what's at stake, Harold Feld, Associate Director of the Media Access Project, has two online essays about this at his blog on http://www.wetmachine.com.

Background about spectrum issues is at: http://www.wetmachine.com/index.php/item/28

Discussion of current FCC proceedings and what's at stake at: http://www.wetmachine.com/index.php/item/48