• Amateur Radio operator Juan Granados filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to test CW, LSB, RTTY, and digital modes such as BPSK on 130-140 kHz and 495-505 kHz. The testing will take place in Miami, Florida and involve communication with amateurs in other parts of the world.

• Cognitive Data Dispatch (CDD) filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to “explore the possibility of a cognitive type of radio architecture in transmitting very brief time duration data transmissions over a HF radio channel.” “CDD is seeking authority to transmit data in a point-to-point mode using a minimal spectral footprint (utilizing a channel for less than 10 milliseconds at a time, not to exceed 250 milliseconds of total occupation during any 24 hour period) on pre-coordinated HF frequencies using fixed transmit and receive locations. These extremely brief time duty duration transmissions will ensure no harmful interference will occur to any licensed users of these channels. As part of the channel selection process, CDD transmissions will employ cognitive radio features to ensure the optimum transmission channel and minimal opportunity for interference.” Operation will be from sites in Aurora, Illinois; Washington, DC; and East Rutherford, New Jersey on various frequencies from 2.2890 MHz to 7.6971 MHz.

• RIIMIC LLC, d.b.a. Sunair Electronics filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to conduct testing of single-sideband communications equipment in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on 5.888-23.1465 MHz.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application with exhibit for experimental license for control operation of the AN/WLD-1(V) Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV) in support of the US Navy’s Remote Minehunting System (RMS) and Multi-Vehicle Communication System (MVCS) programs. This experiment is said to be necessary for development and integration of the radio communication link between the control and remote stations. Operation will be in West Palm Beach, Florida on various frequencies between 30-40 MHz and 1708-2297 MHz.

• Signal Systems Corporation filed an application with exhibits (several confidential) for special temporary authority to test the utility of short duration messaging in the VHF band using meteor burst communications). Data rates will be up to 9600 bps. Operation will be in Ridgley, Maryland and Blacksburg, South Carolina on 40.75 and 49.8 MHz.

• Live2Media filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test “media broadcast” at an auto race event. The broadcast will consist of messages from the pit crew to the race car, along with announcements. Operation will take place in Laguna Seca, California on several frequencies between 64.0 MHz and 68.2 MHz.

• Garmin filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to test the interoperability of its avionic data link system and data link radio (GDR 66) with an ARINC ground station. The link is characterized by 8-DPSK modulation, 25 kHz channel spacing, a raw data rate of 31.5 kbps, and a carrier-sense multiple-access technique for operation on a shared channel. Operation will be in Olathe, Kansas on 136.975 MHz.

• Adaptrum filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to experiment with prototype TV white-space equipment. The equipment is to be fully compliant with the new white space rules except for equipment authorization. Operation will be in San Jose and Mountain View, California on 174-216 MHz, 470-608 MHz, and 614-698 MHz.

• The Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to test the usefulness of TV white-space frequencies in, as the applicant states, “supporting smart grid fixed and mobile data connectivity. Fixed applications include long range point to multipoint backhaul of internal utility traffic including supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) traffic and automatic metering infrastructure (AMI) traffic, both located at REC’s electric utility substations. The AMI system also enables real-time load management thereby improving system reliability and reducing peak demand, all of which further the nation’s goal for greater energy independence and reduced carbon emissions. In terms of mobile data connectivity, REC plans to leverage this technology to test the efficacy of these frequencies for mobile workforce management applications in the utility service vehicles including processing work orders – new connects, disconnects, reconnects, and outage orders. REC also has a need to test automatic vehicle location (AVL) to optimize routing of service vehicles in real time.” Operation will be in several Virginia communities on 174-216 MHz.

• The Avionics Engineering Center at Ohio University filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to operate in support of research on the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS). The system is intended to provide fixed and mobile precision approach and landing systems that will support a 200 feet decision height and 0.5 statute mile visibility while operating in military or civil modes. The system will also support auto-land capability for suitably equipped aircraft (to include Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force aircraft) and operate in a GPS-jamming-threat environment. Operation will be in Albany, Ohio on 240.650 MHz and 280.975 MHz.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to “perform testing on a Low Frequency Sensor (LFS) radar that will be used for long range detection. The testing will evaluate the sensor detection performance and antenna characterization of the radar.” The test antenna will be log periodic with a gain of 6 dBi and beamwidth of 103 degrees. ERP will be variable up to 10 watts. Operation will be in Syracuse, New York on 420-450 MHz.

• KTS Wireless filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to test a TV white-space system in an orange grove located southwest of Clewiston, Florida. The intent is to apply TV white spaces to the problem of enabling automation for sustainable specialty crop farming. “The current implementation requires a multi-radio solution in several bands with multiple repeaters which is problematic in an industrial environment.” The white-space method is intended to allow a single base-station solution. Operation will be on 470-608 MHz and 614-698 MHz.

• Google filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to operate in support of experiments in TV white spaces in the bands 512-602 MHz and 620-698 MHz. “Google will conduct research and experiments of fixed and personal/portable devices within the white spaces to determine the potential utility and feasibility of such operations and technology. Google requests authorization within the geographic coordinates of its Mountain View, California campus. Google plans to operate up to three fixed base stations at 4 W per 6 MHz channel available, with a radius of operation of 5 miles (8.05 km), and up to 50 mobile stations at 100 mW per 6 MHz channel available.”

• Quantum5x Systems filed an application for special temporary authority to test a “new type of wireless microphone with a rubberized housing and internal antenna, as well as addressing de-sense and intermodulation correction technology.” Operation will in New York, New York on 600-608 MHz and 614-689 MHz.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application with exhibits for special temporary authority to test its “MONAX Cellular solution along the southwest border of Texas. This operation will be supporting evaluation by local and state authorities of the MONAX solution for utilization in securing the border with Mexico.” “MONAX is a powerful, new communications system that combines the convenience of smartphone technology with the power and flexibility of a secure, highly portable infrastructure.” “The 4G wireless system, consists of a unique portable MONAX Lynx sleeve that connects touch-screen COTS [commercial off-the-shelf] smartphones [which look similar to iPhones] to the MONAX XG Base Station infrastructure on the ground or in airborne platforms, offering uninterrupted service to warfighters in the field.” “MONAX offers a rich set of applications and governance, leveraging commercial smartphone application development and application store model. Applications can be easily written or re-hosted on a smartphone, reviewed/approved for mission effectiveness, hosted in a 24×7 app store and made available to the warfighter.” Operation will be near Finlay, Texas on 758-763 MHz and 788-793 MHz.

• Vodafone filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to “test and demonstrate advanced Internet services in . . . GSM, HSPA and LTE environments, such as GPRS (general packet radio system), location-based services, transcoding between email, SMS, and WAP, and secure position/mobile-commerce services.” Operation will be in Redwood City, California on 842-850 MHz, 890-893 MHz, 935-938 MHz, 1920-1936 MHz, 2110-2126 MHz, 2500-2520 MHz, and 2620-2640 MHz.

• Western DataCom filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to test UMTS wireless devices used by the Intelligence & Information Warfare Directorate of the US Army Communications Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center. The system is to be used for transmission and reception of voice and data within a single network; it does not connect to any other provider’s network. Operation will at Fort Dix and Lakehurst, New Jersey, on 900-915 MHz, 945-960 MHz, 1755 MHz, 1850 MHz, 1972.4-1977.4 MHz, and 2162.4-2167.4 MHz.

• General Dynamics filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to conduct testing in support of its Labrador program, which is intended to develop methods for locating and identifying radio frequency signals using a variety of devices. The project requires communication between collaborating software-defined radios. Operation will be in Ypsilanti, Michigan; Bloomington, Minnesota; Tucson, Arizona; and Austin, Texas on 902-928 MHz, 1350-1390 MHz, and 1755-1850 MHz.

• Wal-Mart Stores filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to conduct RFID research at its lab in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This research relates, in part, to optimal placement of RFID tags on cases, pallets and assets. “The experimentation will include RFID tagged cases going through a simulated supply chain. This will include testing in a dense reader mode environment. Additional testing will be conducted using RFID enabled handhelds for inventory collection, product locating and product receiving in a simulated store environment. RFID readers fixed to mobile assets (forklifts, carts, wearable devices) will be tested using this site license to ensure that solutions developed using RFID readers in the United States will meet the given performance criteria across all other regions worldwide within which Wal-Mart operates.” Operation will be on 902-928 MHz.

• General Electric Global Research filed an application with exhibits for special temporary authority to test a microwave imaging system for non-destructive testing of in-service wind turbine blades. Operation will take place in Schenectady, New York. The signal will be a broadband linear chirp swept from 1 GHz to 18 GHz up to 10 times per second.

• Rockwell Collins filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to develop and test equipment used in the Aeronautical Mobile Satellite Service. Four Inmarsat geostationary satellites will be used. Operation will be nationwide on 1626.5-1660.5 MHz.

• BAE Systems filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to conduct proof-of-concept tests for the next generation of communication-intelligence unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Operation will take place in Hudson, New Hampshire on 1760-1840 MHz, 2365-2445 MHz, and 10.25 GHz.

• Ericsson filed an application and exhibit for experimental license to conduct tests related to 3G and LTE application performance. “This investigation will examine a new aspect of network performance and will contribute to expansion of the mobile ecosystem. Historically, the wireless industry has relied solely on bandwidth or transmission rates to assess performance. However, the expanding variety of applications that will run over networks indicates that network performance should also be investigated through the lens of application performance. The uniqueness of the planned experiment is to understand the performance of new, varied applications and services on mobile networks.” Operation will take place in San Jose, California on 1920-1930 MHz, 2110-2120 MHz, 2500-2520 MHz, and 2620-2640 MHz.

• Space Exploration Technologies filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to operate in support of R&D for a Vertical Takeoff, Vertical Landing (VTVL) vehicle on its test site in McGregor, Texas. The vehicle is to take off, ascend vertically to a low altitude, and then descend back to its original landing spot. “The tests themselves are divided into low‐altitude and higher‐altitude tests. The low‐altitude tests stay below 215 meters in altitude and last approximately 45 seconds. These tests will be run approximately three times per week during the initial portion of the program. The higher‐altitude tests can go as high as 3.5 km and will occur approximately once per week. These tests last approximately 3 minutes.” A downlink is used so operating parameters can be viewed in real time. An uplink is used in case of an anomaly, so the vehicle can be commanded into a safe state. Operation will be on 2040.5675 MHz, 2221.5 MHz, and 2273.5 MHz.

• Space Exploration Technologies filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority for “telemetry and video transmissions during launch (and pre-launch checks) for an orbital test flight of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral, pursuant to the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Demonstrations agreement with NASA. The launch date is currently scheduled for November 30, 2011.” “The purpose of the operation (the Demo C2/3 mission) is to demonstrate the capability to launch a capsule that can dock with the International Space Station.” “[S]pectrum support for the capsule is already being handled by NTIA (via NASA). Accordingly, STA will only cover the launch vehicle stages (first stage and second stage), during launch, as well as pre-launch checks.” Operation will be on 2213.5 MHz, 2221.5 MHz, 2251.5 MHz, 2273.5 MHz, and 5765 MHz at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

• Panasonic Avionics Corporation filed an application with exhibits for special temporary authority to conduct ground testing of potential interference from portable electronic devices (PEDs) in aircraft. This is in support of Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite (“GCS”) featuring the “eXConnect” Ku-band aeronautical mobile-satellite service system providing broadband connectivity on the aircraft during flight. Testing will be in Everett, Washington on 2386-2505 MHz, 5150-5350 MHz, and 5715-5835 MHz.

• Gibbons Systems Inc. (GSI) filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test a new air-to-air ranging system as part of a contract with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The applicant is developing the system to “fundamentally improve radio ranging among the C-130 fleet deployed by the United States Air Force. Currently, the C-130 fleet utilizes high powered radio transmissions, similar to radar, for maintaining formation, which nonetheless render the formation highly detectable and, thus, vulnerable to enemy monitoring. The GSI RF technology employs several techniques (including low duty cycle, low total signal energy, and high bandwidth) to render the signals difficult to detect, i.e. ‘low probability of detection’ (‘LPD’). “Operation will be in Redwood City, California on 2500 MHz.

• Aurora Flight Sciences filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to operate in support of the development of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The applicant says existing data-link systems don’t provide the necessary data rate of 10 Mbps. An auto-tracking antenna, designed for use with this system, combines a high gain directional dish, a low-gain omni-directional antenna, and associated auto-tracking hardware. The omni-directional antenna is for close-in operation of the aircraft, such as during takeoff and landing, where the angular velocity of the aircraft relative to the antenna is too great to track. The high-gain antenna is for long-range operation. “The auto-tracking antenna is provided with the GPS position of the aircraft. Tracking is accomplished using a combination of GPS and signal strength. Signal strength is used to find the aircraft when the tracking is not locked, and GPS is used to follow it thereafter.” Operation will be in Warrenton, Virginia on 4.4-4.8 GHz.

• Motorola Solutions filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to test the outdoor link performance of its RDB350 point-to-multipoint data transceiver. The intent is to test fixed and mobile outdoor data transmission for federal users. The system is based on the IEEE 802.16e standard. Operation will be in Schaumberg, Illinois on 4600-4800 MHz.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test a mobile surveillance system based on commercial off-the-shelf radar, electro-optical/ Infrared cameras, and microwave communications (i.e., the Motorola PTP 48600 wireless Ethernet bridge). The system is intended to “monitor international borders.” Operation will be near Las Cruces, New Mexico on 4720-4990 MHz. A similar application was filed for operation near McKinney, Texas.

• Miltec Corporation filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to conduct tests, as part of a U.S. Army contract, in support of the Innovative Waterside Wide-Area Tactical Coverage and Homing Sensors (IWWS) program intended to detect, track, and classify people and vessels in a maritime environment above and below the surface of the water. Operation will be in Kingsport, Tennessee and Guntersville, Alabama on 9.38-9.44 GHz.

• SAIC filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test“low-power land radar” on 10.25-10.50 GHz. The system uses the ELTA model EL/M 2112 radar, and might be used by the Department of Homeland Security. Testing will take place around the perimeter of Lake Moultrie in South Carolina.

• L-3 Communications filed an application and exhibit for special temporary authority to test a prototype high-capacity airborne networking system. The data links will be between a ground station and an aircraft, and between two aircraft. Operation will be in the vicinity of Monterey, California on 14.50-14.83 GHz and 15.15-15.35 GHz. “The RF transmissions will utilize root raised-cosine (RRC) shaped offset QPSK modulation, at various symbol rates, with shaping factor (alpha) of 0.33. All transmitted data will be encoded with a rate-7/8 turbo product code prior to transmission.” “All transmissions will use identical 9.5” parabolic dish antennas.”

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to “develop and demonstrate a mobile surveillance system based on commercial-off-the-shelf radar (SR Hawk Radar SRC-2362) and electro-optical/infrared cameras to monitor international borders.” Operation will be near McKinney, Texas on 16.21-16.50 GHz.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to “develop and demonstrate a mobile surveillance system based on commercial-off-the-shelf radar (DRS Manportable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar (MSTAR)) and electro-optical/infrared cameras to monitor international borders.” Operation will be near Las Cruces, New Mexico on 16.75-17.25 GHz.

• Samsung filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to “[f]ully characterize the radio channel at mmWave frequencies for mobile, outdoor environments to understand path loss, angular spread, delay spread, NLOS beamforming and blocking issues.” “This will help design mmWave communication systems, providing multi-Gbps data rates for wireless mobile services within new spectrum bandwidth and therefore meeting the challenges raised by the on-going mobile data explosion.” Operation will be on 27.925 GHz in Richardson, Texas.

• L-3 Communications Datron filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to conduct testing of Iridium satellite system feeder-link-terminals (FLTs) related to retrofit work.” The applicant “will retrofit the current 27 FLTs to address obsolescence and maintenance issues as well as modernizing hardware and software interfaces. As many as 12 new FLTs will also be built in the future to support the latest generation of Iridium NEXT satellites currently being planned and designed.” Operation will be in Simi Valley, California on 29.1-29.3 GHz.

• Google filed an application for special temporary authority to conduct “experiments using test vehicles equipped with automatic cruise control radars in a manner that extends the sensing range of the radars when a vehicle is not in motion.” “Each Google test vehicle contains several off-the-shelf automatic cruise control (ACC) radars certified for use in the 76.0-77.0 GHz band.” “Several ACC radars will be mounted on test vehicles and the vehicles will be driven through a variety of traffic situations, including along freeways and urban surface streets and through complex intersections. The radars will operate at a radiated power of 60 uW/cm² at 3 m (i.e., the current in-motion criterion) both while the vehicles are in motion and stationary. Because the power will not exceed the current in-motion criterion, Google believes the experiments will not increase the likelihood of harmful interference to any user.” Operation will be in the San Francisco Bay area. (The FCC has separate in-motion and not-in-motion emission limits for these vehicle radars to prevent prolonged human exposure to RF energy while the vehicle is stopped. I thus find it odd that Google links the in-motion criterion to “interference.”)

• Sierra Nevada Corporation filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to conduct ground testing of an Autonomous Landing Guidance (ALG) radar system. This is intended to allow “a fixed wing aircraft pilot to safely execute takeoff, approach, and landing maneuvers in low visibility conditions such as that caused by thick fog or blowing sand and dust.” “The ALG system is a derivative of other Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) products currently in evaluation programs that provide similar landing situational awareness for rotor wing aircraft pilots. ALG is a millimeter wave (MMW) frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar with a narrow 1.0 beamwidth that is scanned over a 25° by 10° field of regard twice per second. During the scan the radar return data is processed by computer to extract the amplitude and the range to the ground. The computer accumulates all of the range and amplitude data over the field of regard and displays a three-dimensional representation of the ground to the pilot on a flight deck display.” This ground testing is a prelude to flight testing, at which time Sierra Nevada will apply to modify its experimental license. Operation will be at several California and Nevada locations on 94 GHz.

To your point, I don’t see LTE being competitive with wired in terms of speed or reliability today or in the future. You take the hit there for the convenience of mobile or portable operation. There’s a notion that if we just add enough base stations and repurpose enough spectrum to LTE, we can replicate the home wired experience in the mobile environment, but I don’t think that’s practical. The throughput from an LTE sector is divided among all users in the sector. If everyone wants to watch the Super Bowl at once on LTE, forget it (unless the LTE broadcasting standard is implemented, which let’s everyone watch the same channel like today’s TV (cough)). On FIOS or cable, the Super Bowl is no problem.

Moreover, video streaming on LTE is and will be a pain because of the need to maintain a relatively constant bit rate in a fading radio environment. An inordinate amount of system resources go into doing that, and the tiered rate plans we are seeing being adopted are in part a response to discourage that.

A twist is Wi-Fi, which can exceed wired data rates (or, at least somewhat match the speed of the wire it’s connected to). Many smartphones have Wi-Fi and, again, the tiered plans are to encourage you to use Wi-Fi whenever possible. In a year or two I think there will be more deployment of 3GPP’s Generic Access Network standard, that allows seamless switching of the phone between LTE and Wi-Fi — the core network can’t tell, and doesn’t care, which one it’s using. When you stream Netflix, it will switch to Wi-Fi by itself if available. With most smartphone use indoors, I think most smartphone access to the operator could one day be through Wi-Fi, with LTE as a backup for when on the move.

NAB – Shortages of Capacity, Not Spectrum

The NAB report is prepared by Uzoma Onyeije, a consultant who was once Broadband Legal Advisor to the Chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. The main claims are that there is no need for an urgent and massive reallocation of spectrum, that there are numerous alternatives to spectrum that can boost network capacity, and that sources of spectrum other than TV are more readily available.

It starts by noting there wasn’t a “spectrum crisis” until the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which required the FCC to promote broadband access. The National Broadband Plan followed calling for 500 MHz of spectrum to be made available for broadband within 10 years, with 300 MHz of that for mobile within five years, and 120 MHz of that to come from television broadcasting. Seven months after concluding that 300 MHz was needed in the short term, the FCC released a Technical Paper intended to support the 300 MHz figure. In November I wrote on that Paper, pointing out several factors not considered that, had they been, would have acted to reduce the estimate of short-term spectrum requirements. Later, I questioned the appropriateness of the FCC relying on a forecast prepared by the marketing department of an equipment vendor, without critically and openly examining the assumptions that went into the forecast. Onyeije shares some of the concerns I had, and still do, with that Paper.

I expect the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act turned some spectrum wants into needs, but by all accounts mobile network data volumes are increasing significantly, fed by a volatile mixture of old flat-rate plans and new bandwidth-hungry devices, though the growth rate of those data volumes is decreasing. Getting additional spectrum is a natural option to consider for more capacity. Onyeije provides a list of non-spectrum options. Some have been mentioned here before – offloading to Wi-Fi and other technologies, adjusting rate plans so largest data users pay more, tighter software coding of applications and operating systems. I don’t think I’ve discussed channel bonding, which is a technique that uses non-contiguous spectrum – combining a sliver here and a sliver there. Support for this will be appearing in LTE-Advanced, going on the air in a few years. Backhaul is also something I haven’t focused on; how much of the current spectrum crunch is really due to backhaul bottlenecks?

Another capacity-increasing technique mentioned is sectorization – changing a non-directional transmission system to a directional one using two or more sectors at the same cell site. In the most congested urban areas in the US, antenna systems are generally configured with three sectors, with each sector 120 degrees wide. You don’t see many six-sector configurations, in which each sector is 60 degrees wide. Theoretically, that doubles capacity from the same tower. A long time ago there was more activity in six-sector antenna systems, but the sense then was it wasn’t too practical; you might end up with just a 70% capacity increase because of real-world issues such as imperfect antenna patterns. It was hard to justify the expense. These days, however, with better transmission technology, it should be looked at again. I note SK Telecom in Korea is deploying 500 six-sector sites, after good results with 20 test sites.

Onyeije looks at the spectrum warehousing issue. If an operator has spectrum that isn’t being used, but is on track to build it out, I’m fine if it is fallow for a year or so. Maybe longer if the delay is to wait for much more efficient transmission technology that is on track in the standards process. If it is just sitting there with no build-out requirement and no prospect for utilization, I’d think the operator’s investors would create pressure to sell it. If a spectrum holder has “no plans to sell, lease or use” its spectrum, to quote one in Onyeije’s report, I’m more concerned.

Aside from the warehousing issue, Onyeije identifies a few bands that have been languishing at the FCC for years and makes the point that, since they have been idle for so long, the spectrum crisis must not be so great. These are the AWS-3 spectrum at 2155-2175 MHz, H block spectrum at 1915-1920 MHz and 1995-2000 MHz and J block spectrum at 2020-2025 MHz and 2175-2180 MHz, 700 MHz D block at 758-763 MHz and 788-793 MHz. What’s the story there?

Onyeije suggests mandatory receiver standards. Receivers are already very good in mobile broadband because of vendor competition and the need to operate in a congested environment. Receiver design is proprietary and an important source of differentiation among vendors. I’d think continued improvement of receiver performance in the marketplace, in the long run, would achieve greater capacity benefit than imposed government standards.

The report calls on the FCC to complete and publicly release a comprehensive spectrum inventory, along the lines of the Snowe-Kerry RADIOS Act, which includes measurements. The FCC has made available several spectrum tools online, including LicenseView and the Spectrum Dashboard, which it says is its inventory. According to their disclaimers however, LicenseView “is not intended for analysis of spectrum utilization or spectrum holdings of licensees” and “the FCC makes no representations regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information maintained in the Spectrum Dashboard.” Regarding federal spectrum, I’d add that an inventory becomes more important in light of GAO’s report on NTIA processes that said “NTIA cannot ensure that spectrum is being used efficiently by federal agencies” in part because “NTIA’s data collection processes lack accuracy controls and do not provide assurance that data are being accurately reported by agencies.” Thus, “it is unclear whether important decisions regarding current and future spectrum needs are based on reliable data.”

CTIA , CEA, and WCAI dismiss the NAB report, saying it’s a stalling tactic and they know these things already. One of Onyeije’s points, however, is that it’s the Commission that needs to know these things, and fully investigate and quantify the impact of all capacity-generating alternatives. It has not. It tried with the Technical Report, but inadequately.

CTIA Establishes the Efficient Properties of Cellularization

The CTIA report is intended to demonstrate that US mobile wireless providers are “extremely efficient” in their use of spectrum. The report was prepared by Peter Rysavy, a consultant known in wireless circles for his series of technical reports, with many pertaining to spectrum, air-interface, and mobile device issues.

This report seems to be a response to an NAB claim, some time back, that broadcasting is a more efficient user of spectrum than wireless. I presume NAB’s claim is based on broadcasters’ DTV system transmitting about 19 Mbps in a 6 MHz bandwidth, while the wireless operators are sending about 10 Mbps in 10 MHz bandwidth. (So, TV has more bits per Hertz.) This is kind of an apples and oranges comparison, but the comparison has been made and we have this report in response. Having spent a lot of time in 3G and 4G standards battles, I have no doubt that those participating are trying wring out all the efficiency that is both possible and practical. Wireless standards groups sweat to get another tenth of a dB improvement. Of course, part of efficiency is an implementation issue and not covered by standards. I agree cellular services are more efficient at delivering unicast traffic. Broadcasters, however, can be more efficient in another way. The efficiency debate occurs in part because we have not agreed on a definition of efficiency. More on this below.

The CTIA paper starts with a section on spectral efficiency. It discusses its fundamental measures and technologies that have been used to continually improve it, including adaptive modulation and coding. (Rysavy says his list of technologies is not exhaustive, but to his list I’d add Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request as a key enabler.)

Rysavy observes that the industry’s technologies are operating close to the Shannon Bound, the theoretical limit on the spectrum efficiency that can be had for a given signal-to-noise ratio. Capacity improvements thus must come from advanced antenna techniques (such as MIMO) and topology evolution (e.g., adding picocells to a macrocell).

The report is hopeful on the prospects for Wi-Fi and femtocells to relieve traffic on the macro-cellular network. I’m somewhat more cautious on the potential of femtocells to relieve the capacity crunch.  For various reasons, including interference management, what I think may happen with femtocells is that they get pulled out of the home and put up in neighborhoods using existing structures for support. (The more-favorable pole-attachment rules recently adopted by the FCC are timely.) There are many small-cell trials underway but I haven’t seen much in the way of results.

Network evolution is discussed in a larger sense, focusing on developments in heterogeneous networks, but Rysavy says that’s not enough and that more spectrum is needed, too.

Back to the efficiency issue, the efficiency of cellular systems is compared to that of broadcast television. The point made is that if you take many small cells and place them within a larger area  covered by one transmitter (e.g., one for TV), the cellular system can deliver many times the unique bits in that area. This is true, if that is the definition of efficiency. Let’s look at it another way and compare the maximum number of users served by each scheme. As a best-case scenario, assume the cellular users are using a low-bit-rate application such as LTE VoIP. In 10 MHz we can support about 400 users. That times 3 sectors is 1,200 users per cell. That times 30 cells (as per the example in the paper) is 36,000 users that can be supported at once. In contrast, a TV  station covering the same area can support an unlimited number of users, albeit one-way, since it isn’t limited by uplink capacity nor MAC addresses. Is it a fair comparison? No. One is broadcasting and the other is cellular. Can’t cellular broadcast also? Yes, but to the extent it does the unique-bits argument becomes weaker. We can go around and around. The television example is used, along with other analysis in that section, in an attempt to persuade the reader that “cellular architectures represent a configuration that is capable of providing tremendous service capacity to its users.” I’m convinced, but I was before reading the report.

Rysavy depicts how voice minutes, message volume, and data volume have increased on cellular networks over the years. Yesm growth has been dramatic, but the growth rate is slowing.

Epilogue

Concurrent with this debate, ATSC is in the early stages of planning and developing the second DTV standard to replace the current one that’s been around for about 15 years. LTE specifications support broadcasting, which can be done in a cellular manner on the same frequency. Transmissions are synchronized so the terminal can combine energy from multiple sites. The broadcasters looked at cellularization a year ago assuming use of the current ATSC DTV standard, and rightly found it was not practical. It just wasn’t designed for that purpose. With the new LTE standards, it’s time to look at TV cellularization again but with LTE as a core technology. There could be a return path, inexpensive chips for receivers, and it might  be able to be done in less than 100 MHz, making over 200 MHz available for auction. With DTV, the broadcasters found significant deployment and operating costs with cellularization, but with LTE infrastructure would be shared; it remains to be determined if it’s a business. The technology is there; it just has to be architected by broadcasters and infrastructure vendors into suitable form.

UPDATE 5/20/2011

The FCC issued a Public Notice today seeking comment on using the 2 GHz bands identified as “languishing” by NAB. Some are listed above. 75 MHz total.

First, note that the FCC’s NPRM on changing the experimental licensing rules was published in the Federal Register on February 8. That means the comment deadlines are set. Comments are due March 10, and Reply Comments are due April 11. Consider filing comments in support of relaxed rules for industry as well as for academia. A few good comments have been filed already.  I point to the comments of Hans Schantz as exemplary.

On to the applications, which I list in order of frequency:

• BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate in Wayne, New Jersey on several frequency bands between 27 and 2003 MHz. This is to support development of a more cost-efficient and robust Ground Mobile Radio system for the Army.

• Raytheon Missile Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to conduct propagation tests in Tucson, Arizona on the following frequencies: 86, 87.5, 87.7, and 87.9 MHz (in the broadcast band). This is to aid in the development of transmission systems on those frequencies. (For a missile company, an unusual band in which to conduct experiments.)

• Michigan Technological University Aerospace Enterprise filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 145.97, 435.52, and 2400.0-2483.5 MHz to support the Oculus-ASR satellite project. The frequencies are for downlink control at 1200 bps, uplink control at 1200 bps, and downlink image data at 230 kbps, respectively. “Oculus-ASR is a nanosatellite currently being developed to aid in the advancement of U.S. Space Situational Awareness as part of the University Nanosatellite Program. The program gives students the opportunity to work with industry sponsors in an effort to construct the best nanosatellite in a nationwide competition, hosted by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).”

• Carlson Wireless Technologies filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test a TV white space system using a TV broadcaster’s tower. The intent is to show how white space and broadcasting radios can coexist without objectionable interference. Operation is requested on 174-216 MHz (TV channels 7-13) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

• Harris filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to conduct field testing of software-defined radio (SDR) equipment in Melbourne, Florida on 232.375, 300.375, and 362.250 MHz. The testing will verify line-of-sight communication capabilities of radios ultimately deployed by the military abroad. This testing precedes more stressful at Army test ranges.

• BAE Systems Unmanned Aircraft Programs Inc. filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to develop radio link equipment used in the unmanned aircraft systems operated by military branches for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance  (C4ISR) applications. More specifically, the testing will involve the testing of a Microhard Systems model MHX320 wireless modem at BAE Systems’ factory in Tucson, Arizona. The MHX320 is a 310 to 390 MHz frequency hopping modem, which can be optimized for long distance communications of over 60 miles with throughput up to 230 kbps. Testing will be on 310.0-328.6 and 335.4-390.0 MHz.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test its Aurora and Wireless IP-capable Network (WIPN) radios, which provide a Mobile Adhoc Network (MANET) data network capability able to provide effective throughput up to 11 Mbps. Operation will be on 420-450 MHz in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This may be related to DARPA’s Mobile Ad-Hoc Interoperable Network GATEway (MAINGATE) program, which was initiated to develop systems required to enable network-centric warfare among Coalition and U.S. Forces, as well as to facilitate military operations with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and first responders.

• Stark Aerospace filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test a remotely piloted aircraft for public safety and military applications.  Communications from ground to aircraft is by two uplink modes; a primary mode and a backup mode. The primary mode uses the bands 4500-4800 and 4940-4990 MHz. The backup uses the 465-510 MHz band. No information on the downlink is found.

• 4 Tech Media filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to conduct white spaces experiments in Washington DC. This work is to be done jointly with District of Columbia government and the Community College of the District of Columbia, and is to investigate the usefulness of available white space spectrum for use in home networking applications.  The network is to consist of 5 base stations and 1,200 access points.  Although the request is for frequencies that span the entire UHF portion (470-698 MHz) of the white space band, only channels permitted for use by FCC rules are to be used. From the exhibits, it appears this experiment is supported by about $30 million of government grants, most by way of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

• Motorola Solutions filed an application (with associated exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate in the 758-768 and 788-798 MHz bands to conduct tests in connection with the development of Long Term Evolution (LTE) broadband equipment. The testing will be conducted from up to three sites near the offices of Motorola Solutions in Schaumburg, Illinois. The requested frequencies encompass both the 758-763 and 788-793 MHz bands known as the upper 700 MHz D block, which has not yet been licensed for regular operation, and the 763-768 and 793-798 MHz public safety block licensed on a nationwide basis to the Public Safety Spectrum Trust.

• Florida Atlantic University filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate on 824-849, 880-915, and 1850-1910 MHz in and around Boca Raton, Florida. The intent is to support lab exercises in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Equipment to be used includes a GSM and a CDMA base station, operating at up to 100 watts effective radiated power. The University says it will coordinate with other licensees, which would include cellular and PCS operators.

• BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to conduct in-flight calibration and verification of a radio direction finding system on an unmanned aircraft at Victorville, California. Several frequency bands will be used between 880 MHz and 15.35 GHz. This test supports the company’s work for the US Air Force and DARPA.

• The University of California, Berkley, Computer Science Department filed an application for special temporary authority to operate in support of OpenBTS technology investigations. Testing would be on 890-915 and 935-960 MHz.

• DRS ICAS, LLC filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogator equipment that is being developed under a contract with the Italian Air Force. Operation will be on 1030 and 1090 MHz at Cheektowaga, New York.

• Lockheed-Martin filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test IFF systems part of a sale to the Royal Saudi Air Force. The system uses the TPS-77 transportable radar platform. Operation will be on 1030 MHz.

• Qualcomm filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on Cambridge, Massachusetts on 1915-1920 MHz.    Qualcomm is collaborating with faculty and students at MIT to further its testing, validation and application concepts around a peer-to-peer system currently under development. It appears to allow peer-to-peer communications over licensed spectrum without infrastructure support. Qualcomm says the primary objective is to explore creative application ideas which are enabled by this technology, validate system performance, and get feedback on the networking architecture from those studying the subject at MIT. There has been some press attention of this technology at this writing. For better information, a Qualcomm acquaintance has pointed me to this presentation and to this IEEE magazine article.

• Boeing filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate on 2345‐2390 MHz in air-to-ground mode at three locations in Delaware, New Jersey, and Texas.  No further details are publicly available due to a confidentiality request; flight test telemetry is a likely purpose. The Navy is not enthusiastic about the proposal, and the application has yet to be granted.

• Sportvision filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate an auto race track wireless data system that would allow television viewers to see, displayed on-screen, the real-time location of cars during a racing event. Vehicles equipped with GPS receivers and radios would provide updates every 200 milliseconds. Operation will be on 2395-2400 MHz at 23 motor speedways across the US. Modified Wi-Fi hardware will be used. The requested frequency band is just below the 2 GHz ISM band (high noise levels preclude operation there) and is allocated to the Amateur Radio Service. No interference is expected due to the short duration of operation and low power involved (1 watt). Operation will be coordinated with the ARRL.

• Florida International University filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate a WiMAX base station on 2590 MHz in Miami, Florida in support of the Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) project.

• 4-D Security Solutions filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test surveillance radar on 8.75-8.95 and 10.32-10.48 GHz at locations in New Jersey and Wisconsin. The radars to be tested are Elta Systems models EL/M-2105 and EL/M-2129. This testing is in support of the company’s development of homeland security systems intended to provide protection for sensitive installations, borders, and coastlines.

• Denso Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate nationwide on 24.125 and 25.5 GHz. Due to a confidentiality request, details of the experimental plan are not publicly available. This experiment is likely related to Denso’s ongoing work developing vehicle radar systems to detect preceding vehicles and obstacles as input to anti-crash and pre-crash systems.

• Battelle filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate an experimental point-to-point communications link operating at millimeter-wave frequencies. The link uses optical components to generate and modulate the signals, and has the capability of transmitting 10 Gbps on a 100 GHz carrier. Operation will be at three locations on 95-105 GHz. The proposed study includes investigation of candidate modulation formats at distances up to 1 km.

• ShawnTech Communications filed an experimental application about which nothing is known due to a request for confidentiality. ShawnTech provides phone and related services to the corrections industry. This may be an experiment of cell phone jamming or managed access technology to address contraband wireless devices.

Jim’s example is from the 3GPP family of technologies, of which LTE is part. Most 3GPP2 operators, such as Verizon Wireless, are also planning a migration to LTE. They migrate from a different family of technologies, those specified in 3GPP2 and which include cdma2000 developed largely by Qualcomm. In Verizon’s transition, high-speed data on cdma2000 networks, now provided by EV-DO, will migrate to LTE. Voice will stay on cdma2000 1x for several years. That’s not a problem, because that technology keeps improving. The latest version, called cdma2000 1x Advanced, has achieved a 50x increase in voice capacity over the predecessor IS-95 system launched in 1993.

Both 3GPP and 3GPP2 3G voice feature a soft-handover (make-before-break) scheme that allows for, essentially, a circuit-switched connection. Yes, you’ll be able to run Skype and other VoIP services on 4G LTE data networks, if you want. In terms of the total user experience, however, most will prefer the seamlessness of standards-based integrated voice capability.

VoIP is the future. For 4G voice, though, it’s just great in theory at this time.

• AAI/Textron Systems Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license. The company wants to test its Shadow 200, Aerosonde, Orbiter and other unmanned aircraft systems. This is related to work for the United States Marine Corp. Operation is to be on 310-390 MHz, 902-928 MHz, 1090 MHz, 1350-1390 MHz, 1700-1859 MHz, and 4400-4999 MHz. Transmitting equipment is manufactured by Microhard Systems Corporation, Free Wave Technologies, Advanced Microwave Products, Global Microwave Systems, and Microair Avionics.

FCC staff has asked for several items of information before approving the application. The FAA operates in the frequency bands 328.6-335.4 MHz, 1090 MHz, and 1215-1390 MHz; FCC staff asks for coordination of these bands with the FAA Regional Office. In addition, the frequency bands 225-328.6 MHz and 335.4-399.9 MHz are used for military purposes, and the applicant was asked to coordinate with NTIA’s Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC).

• AAI/Textron Systems Corporation also filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate on 420-450 MHz and 2000-2400 MHz for a government project apparently involving the Orbiter miniature unmanned aircraft system. There is not much information about the proposed operation, and FCC staff has asked for more details.

In correspondence to the applicant, FCC staff notes that the “Aerospace & Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council (AFTRCC) oversees the frequency bands; 1435-1525 MHz, 2310-2320 MHz, and 2345-2390 MHz. These frequency bands need to be removed or need to be prior coordinated.”

• Sportvision filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority for testing of an automobile race track wireless data system that is to provide data communications between vehicles in a race track and one or more fixed base stations installed along a track. Operation is to be on 2395-2400 MHz.

One application seen for this system is video image enhancement for television broadcasting of automobile racing events. The would allow television viewers to see, displayed on screen, the real-time location of cars during a racing event.

The vehicles would be equipped with GPS receivers and other sensors that generate a data packet every 200 milliseconds. The wireless system would collect those packets and deliver them to a control station in real time. “The radio itself is a direct sequence spread spectrum unit, using production radios for 2.4 GHz. The system may ultimately be deployed on an unlicensed basis in the 2.4 GHz band or elsewhere, but the high noise levels in that band in the test locations (commercial automobile race tracks) are unsuitable for development and testing of the product.”

“An Intersil baseband processor performs the Direct Sequence modulation and demodulation. It is part of a five-chipset developed for the 802.11b standard. It uses 1/4th of the standard 802.11 speed resulting in a narrow occupied RF bandwidth.”

The frequency band requested is allocated on a primary basis to the Amateur Radio Service, and coordination is to be performed with the ARRL. This application was granted on June 4.

• Motorola filed an application (with supporting exhibit (as amended)) for special temporary authority to “test, evaluate and demonstrate a prototype radio communications system designed to support the internal communications requirements, including public safety-related communications, of an electric power generation and transmission cooperative in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

According to Motorola, “[o]peration under this experimental STA will be conducted on a non-interference basis on a limited number of 12.5 kHz channel pairs in the 151.4725-154.5675 MHz band and the 157.1875-162.9625 MHz band.”

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license. Raytheon says it is working to build a “NetWarrior Communications System” using GSM technology. The primary use for this experimental license would be to test and evaluate this system while in development and conduct demonstrations for military and government officials.

The system is called GSMnet and is described as a unique communication solution that provides the ability to create a self-contained, privately managed mobile network based on GSM cellular standards. The enabling technology of GSMnet is said to allow military personnel to manage mobile phone access on the GSMnet communications infrastructure, delivering seamless cellular communications coverage to deployed military personnel and critical incident responders in remote or hazardous environments or when conditions have rendered existing GSM cellular networks inaccessible.

Operation is to be on 1922.6, 1927.4, 2112.6, and 2117.4 MHz. This application was granted on June 15.

• Sierra Nevada Corporation filed an application for special temporary authority to conduct flight testing of X-NET Air WiMax transceiver radio devices. The flight tests will determine the range of the data communications that can be achieved and the data throughput that can be achieved at different ranges.

As background, the C4N (Command, Control, Computers, Communications, and Networks) Division of the Sierra Nevada Corporation has developed an air-ground data communications link under contract with the USAF Rivet Joint aircraft operations as a part of the Big Safari Program. The Sierra Nevada equipment is called the X-NET Air System. It is a dual channel FDD radio link. Operation is to be on 2675 and 2685 MHz. This application was granted on June 28.

• Raysat Antenna Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate up to five Land Mobile-Satellite Service (LMSS) earth stations with the AMC-5 and AMC-6 satellites at 79° W.L. and 72° W.L., respectively. The company seeks to test and demonstrate the new SR70 earth terminal, a single-panel, Ku-band array antenna in connection with Department of Defense/Logistics Innovation Agency (DOD/LIA). Operation is requested at 14.0-14.5 MHz.

“The SR-70 antenna technology builds upon RAS’s proven antenna technology for mobile applications. The major enhancement is in the antenna panel which is capable of simultaneous Ku-band transmission and reception within the 14.0-14.5 GHz and 11.7- 12.7 GHz bands, respectively. The antenna allows tracking in three axes, azimuth, elevation and polarization.”

“The antenna consists of a single 6 inch by 6 inch panel array which is mounted on a rotatable platform. The platform rotates in azimuth to orient the panel towards the satellite. The panel also tilts to set the elevation angle. Finally, the antenna has a polarization control mechanism which sets the correct polarization angle for both transmit and receive.”

“During operation, the antenna uses a built-in GPS receiver to determine its position on the earth. It then uses the geographical position and the longitudinal position of the satellite to determine the appropriate elevation angle. Once the elevation angle is set, the antenna rotates in azimuth. During the scanning process the antenna receives Eb/No information from the modem to verify that the target satellite has been acquired. Once the satellite is acquired, the antenna dithers in both azimuth and elevation by ±2.0° to maintain peaking on the satellite and the transmission is enabled. The antenna also has internal 3-axis gyroscopes and 2-axis inclinometers to help with the tracking while the antenna is in motion.”

This application was granted on June 16.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application (with supporting exhibits) to experiment with a swept-frequency radar system operating at various frequencies between 1.0 and 15.4 GHz. The radar transmit-and-receive system will be coherently frequency step-chirped from the start frequency to the final frequency, with a pulse width of 95 ns. Other details are said to be classified; Lockheed Martin has requested confidential treatment of this application, and FCC staff has responded to the company asking for justification.

• Aircell, a provider of Wi-Fi service aboard aircraft (under the GoGo brand) filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to conduct FAA-required tests to determine the susceptibility of aircraft avionics to interference from radio frequency emissions from consumer devices operating in Wi-Fi bands. Aircell says it must demonstrate conformance to those standards to receive FAA Supplemental Type Certificates necessary for the deployment of its service aboard commercial airliners. Testing is to be on 2400.0-2483.5 MHz, 5250-5350 MHz, and 5725-5825 MHz.

Aircell says that “[p]ursuant to Documents DO-294B and DO-160 of the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RCTA), and the FAA, standards for testing the susceptibility of avionics to interference have been set. To comply with these standards, tests within an aircraft must radiate at the legal maximum power authorized for the radiating device, plus the link budget of the highest gain antenna permitted, times the number of simultaneous radiating devices. For the purpose of Aircell’s tests, the math computes a 1 watt signal into a 6 db gain antenna times three wireless access points (WAP). That comes to 30 dBm + 6 dB = 4 watts X 3 WAPs = 12 watts. Since the 12 watt signal exceeds the allowed limits for unlicensed devices, an Experimental License is required.”

• Clearwire Spectrum Holdings III filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test WiMAX IEEE 802.16m technology in the Phoenix, Arizona market. (The 802.16m standard is now being finalized in IEEE 802.) Clearwire says it is evaluating 802.16m and other 4G technologies “as a potential technology evolutionary strategy.” Clearwire is planning to test overlay 802.16e WiMAX using 10 MHz channels, Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) using 20 MHz channels, and Time Division Duplex (TDD) using 20 MHz channels. Operation is to be on 2496-2690 MHz.

Equipment from “many vendors” will be evaluated. Many tests are to be performed, including those for end-to-end system performance, mobility management, MIMO, scheduler and QoS, base-station RF characteristics, self-organizing networks, and VoIP. This application was granted on June 29.

• Flight Research, Inc. filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 2.4 GHz to send NTSC video from a small aircraft to ground. A Strain Security transmitter is to be installed in a Cessna 150 aircraft operating as a surrogate UAV. (SUAV). The SUAV is to fly locally as an academic exercise for students in a UAV flight test short course that is part of the National Test Pilot School. Students will execute tests in remotely-piloted and command-directed modes from a ground control element, collecting data employing typical flight test techniques and evaluating the system. Part of that training involves sending video from the aircraft to the ground. (Much of this information was not in the original application but was supplied by e-mail to FCC staff later.)

• Global Technical Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test an aircraft-mounted ground-penetrating radar. In the test, a metal target will be buried 6 feet underground and illuminated by the radar for 60 seconds on each pass of the aircraft, which will be flying at 10,000 feet above ground. Data will be collected for ground processing.

Correspondence between the applicant and FCC staff reveals some confusion as to the frequency of operation. It seems it will be in the 1250-1400 MHz range.

• InterDigital filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to conduct research using vacant spectrum in the television broadcast bands (the “white spaces”) for indoor testing of fixed and portable white-space devices. InterDigital says its “goal is to develop technology and enable products for efficient use of bandwidth by combining the advantages of multiple radio access technologies and frequency bands.” “InterDigital plans to test technology that provides cost effective options for wireless distribution of various data types including, for example, broadband content (video) and machine-to-machine packets.” “Another goal of the experimentation is to develop and validate cognitive radio technology.”

In correspondence to the applicant, FCC staff asks for details on how InterDigital plans to prevent interference to TV licensees. The links above are for an application for operation in Melville, New York. An essentially-identical application was also filed for operation in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

• Panasonic Avionics Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license for ground and flight testing of up to twenty aircraft earth stations (AESs) of two AES types – ten MELCO reflector terminals and ten Aura LE terminals – to further test and demonstrate the functionality of its eXConnect Ku-band Aeronautical Mobile-Satellite Service (“AMSS”) system. The company says eXConnect is to provide broadband internet access, real-time video content, voice and other services aboard commercial aircraft.

The company does not envision formal launch of the eXConnect system onboard U.S. commercial airlines in the near term. It is, however, preparing an FCC blanket license application for authority to operate eXConnect AESs on a full commercial basis. In the meantime, the company wants to conduct limited market studies. Operation is to be on 14.000-14.470 GHz.

• Virginia Tech Mobile and Portable Radio Research Group (MPRG) filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to perform experiments related to new TV band (white space) devices.

The Group intends to test prototype TV white space devices to determine how their operation will affect other co-channel and adjacent-channel users, such as wireless microphones and other professional audio equipment that is commonly operated in the television bands. Frequencies will be coordinated prior to operation by the local SBE frequency coordinator. Operation is to be on 512-608 MHz and 614-698 MHz.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test a Harris model RF-7800S-TR radio as a potential weapon data link to provide in-flight moving target location updates to a weapon to facilitate engaging moving surface targets. The objective of the test is to evaluate the affects of message rate, latency and bit-error-rate on target engagement and determine a realistic target engagement envelope. A larger goal is to demonstrate this class of radio as a viable option to improving moving target strike effectiveness and support the development of low cost, low collateral damage weapons. Operation will be on 350-450 MHz.

• GlySens Incorporated filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test implantable electronic medical devices on 433.92 MHz. The company has requested confidential processing of its application, so few other details are publicly available from the FCC. This application was granted on June 28.

This is likely related to the company’s announced development of a long-term continuous glucose monitoring system that is designed to provide an unobtrusive means to continuously track glucose levels in people with diabetes. The system is has two parts: a long-lived fully-implanted sensor and an external monitor with a display. The sensor continuously monitors glucose levels in subcutaneous tissue, which are correlated to blood glucose levels. The sensor transmits the glucose measurements wirelessly to the  external display device. This device indicates the current blood glucose level, shows a historical chart of the previous blood glucose values, provides adjustable automatic warnings of high and low blood glucose readings, and stores information for analysis.

• Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) filed an application for special temporary authority to use telemetry, ranging, and video transmitters for the second launch campaign of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The vehicle will be launched for NASA from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, under launch authorities granted by the U.S. Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration. SpaceX is under an active STA for this, but due to delays the STA will expire before launch. This application is to continue that authority, as the FCC does not grant extensions for experimental STAs.

SpaceX will utilize a telemetry and video transmitter on both the first and second stages of the vehicle, plus a C-band ranging transmitter on the vehicles second stage. The first stage will begin transmitting 15 minutes prior to launch and remain active for 2.9 minutes after launch. The second stage will continue transmitting for up to 2 hours after launch. Operation will be on 2213.5, 2221.5, 2251.5, 2273.5, and 5765.0 MHz.

In correspondence to the applicant, FCC staff says that the applicant will have to obtain an orbital debris statement from Space Exploration Technologies, Inc., in accordance with 47 CFR, Part 5.63(e) which states, in part, that “Applicants for an experimental authorization involving a satellite system must submit a description of the design and operational strategies the satellite system will use to mitigate orbital debris.”)

• Professor David Miller from MIT filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to transmit spacecraft telemetry on 2.4000-2.4836 GHz. This is in support of testing of the CASTOR (Cathode/Anode Satellite Thruster for Orbital Repositioning) satellite. Testing is to validate the performance and application of Diverging Cusped Field Thruster (DCFT) technology. This will be achieved by taking on-orbit state data to compare the degradation experienced by the DCFT to that of similar technologies such as Hall thrusters.

• RLM Communications filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license. Operation is to be on various broadcast bands from 540 kHz to 806 MHz. The company says it is “providing the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) research and development support in the areas of Joint Integration and Compatibility Development System (JCIDS) and Special Operations Forces Integration Development System (SOFCIDS) requirements development, product evaluation and systems testing and training. RLM will be providing training documentation, technical writers, training specialists, electronic technicians and other media support professionals in the upcoming Design Testing (DT), Operational Testing (OT) and new equipment training (NET) for a family of electronic broadcast systems which encompass broadcast radio in AM, FM, SW and television in UHF and VHF analog television and digital television. The nature of the activity will include erecting the antenna system several times, startup up the transmitter and increasing ERP into a dummy load and into the radiating” antennas.

On May 24 3GPP presented a seminar in Moscow, Evolving Networks to LTE – 3GPP Perspective. There were technical presentations and a panel with the main Russian operators.

The 3GPP Core Network migration path for HSPA+ and LTE was presented by Hannu Hietalahti, TSG CT chairman. The presentation reviewed the 3GPP CoreNetwork, Optimization for IP traffic, the LTE voice solution, and LTE deployment.

An update on the evolution of the  GERAN family of standards (GSM, GPRS, EDGE) was presented by Andrew Howell, TSG GERAN Chairman. He concludes that the GSM radio interface has evolved over the past few years and will continue to evolve to bring additional features and improvements.  The ongoing work within TSG GERAN continues to increase the suitability of GSM/GERAN: for standalone networks, for networks used in conjunction with other radio access technologies (UMTS, LTE…) to provide global coverage whilst allowing excellent service continuity, and as a future proof platform providing a smooth migration path towards other 3GPP based systems (UMTS, LTE).

A progress report on LTE Radio Access Networks was presented by Takehiro Nakamura, 3GPP TSG-RAN Chairman. The presentation reviewed 3GPP standardization activities, LTE Release 8, LTE Release 9, and LTE-Release 10 and beyond (LTE-Advanced).

Services evolution and the impact of IMS was reviewed by Stephen Hayes, Chair 3GPP-SA. He dispelled some myths about LTE and IMS, looked at multimedia telephony services, and looked at fixed mobile convergence.

A regulatory update on flexible use of spectrum and digital dividend was presented by Igor Minaev, ETSI Technical Officer, ETSI Standardization Projects. The digital dividend is a part of radio spectrum that is freed up as a result of more efficient spectrum use through the switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial TV.

The Impact of Femtocells on Next Generation LTE Mobile Networks was presented by Andy Germano, Vice Chairman of the Femto Forum. For LTE services, femtocells are said to have a key role in speeding launch and deployment, enabling services that encourage adoption, and delivers superior performance where needed.

A marketplace update provided facts about the Latin American market. At the end of 2009, Latin America had 509 million wireless users. Average ARPU is US $14. Data as a percentage of service revenues in Q3 2009 is 17% compared to 28% in the US. In December 2009, GSM-UMTS-HSPA had a 91% market share, up from 88% in December 2008.

A 3GPP Technology Standards Roadmap provided an overview of 3GPP and key 3GPP issues. It is a good snapshot of where 3GPP stands today.

Operators Vivo, Claro, and NTT DOCOMO presented their strategies for mobile broadband. The Vivo presentation is more market-oriented and is written in Portuguese. The Vivo and NTT DOCOMO presentations include more technical content. Vivo seems concerned about the backhaul-capacity issue.

Ericsson Brazil discussed HSPA evolution in terms of bit rate, latency, MIMO, and multicarrier; related RAN backhaul improvements were also addressed.

Deployment of mobile broadband was addressed. Nokia Siemens Networks discussed migrating from HSPA to HSPA+ and LTE, and noted it has 11 commercial LTE deals, six of which have been announced. Huawei discussed some of its products.

A presentation on spectrum policy by 3G Americas identified some Latin America issues. There is no spectrum for advanced mobile broadband services. Governments are promoting new entrants by using spectrum caps. There are high taxes for wireless services and equipment. Likely bands for 4G will be 2.5 GHz, 1.7/2.1 GHz and 700 MHz.

An analysis by 3G Americas shows that spectrum aggregation limits impose serious costs on existing providers, which are paid by consumers. In markets with constrained providers, consumers may pay twice as much for LTE if spectrum is limited to only 2×5 MHz as compared to 2×10 MHz, and four times as much as compared to 2×20 MHz.

• Clearwire filed an application for special temporary authority (with supporting exhibits) to test WiMAX equipment at various locations in California on 2502-2568 MHz. The purpose of the test is to validate the ability of equipment to operate satisfactorily in the presence of collocated equipment licensed to Sprint in the 800 and 1900 MHz bands.
• DataSoft Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license. The company says it is developing a Software Defined Radio platform featuring a configurable 400 MHz to 4000 MHz transceiver intended for markets requiring an adaptable, programmable, or cognitive radio such as TV white space, smart grid, and home networking. The experimental license is to support testing of the transceiver in a TV white space application. Due to lack of available white-space client devices, the applicant proposes using re-banded Wi-Fi equipment in the experiment. Operation is to be in Scottsdale, Arizona on 500-540 MHz.

• BAE Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test a wireless link for use by the US Army between a soldier’s night weapon sight and night vision goggles. The wireless link will utilize WiMedia MB-OFDM Ultra-wideband technology. Operation is to be on 3.168-4.752 GHz.

• Honeywell filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test integration of a direct digital radio link into small unmanned aerial vehicles. This is in support of two US Army programs and one US Navy program. The radio is manufactured by AeroVironment, Inc. Both command and control, as well as video downlink, utilize the same radio. Frequency bands requested are 1711.5-1721.5 MHz and 1755-1848 MHz. Operation will be in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

• Texas Tech University Wind Science and Engineering Research Center filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate a Ka-band mobile radar systems in support of tornado research. Operation is to be at 34.86 GHz.

• Kestrel Signal Processing filed an application for special temporary authority to allow “testing of a novel cellular network technology that is compatible with standard GSM cellular handsets.” The operation will be on the grounds of, and overlap in time with, the Burning Man event held near Gerlach, Nevada Aug. 30 – Sept. 6, 2010. Operation will be on 869-894 MHz and 1930-1945 MHz.

• CenturyTel Broadband Wireless filed an application for special temporary authority to assess the performance of equipment manufactured by IPWireless (but not yet FCC type accepted) for providing 700 MHz rural broadband service. Operation is to be at Monroe, Louisiana on 736-746 MHz.

• Inmarsat Hawaii filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to initiate a program of experimentation designed to facilitate the introduction of a new Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) user terminal type. The testing would attempt to gain knowledge with respect to link quality and to validate Inmarsat’s theoretical approach. Testing also would evaluate the interaction of the new terminal type with Inmarsat’s ground infrastructure. Inmarsat  proposes to test the terminal type in the 1626.5- 1660.5 MHz transmit band and 1525.0-1559.0 MHz receive band.

• Cobham Defense Electronic Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate in Lowell, Massachusetts on various frequencies between 902 and 5925 MHz. Apparently, this is to be experimentation in support of the DARPA program Wireless Network after Next (WNaN). As the exhibit explains, the WNaN “program goal is to develop and demonstrate technologies and system concepts enabling densely deployed networks in which distributed and adaptive network operations compensate for limitations of the physical layer of the low-cost wireless nodes that comprise these networks. WNaN networks will manage node configurations and the topology of the network to reduce the demands on the physical and link layers of the nodes. The technology created by the WNaN effort will provide reliable and highly- available battlefield communications at low system cost.”

• Radio Design Group filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test a wireless intercom system that will utilize an Amplitude Companded Side Band (ACSB) RF platform. The applicant expects this to provide a stable and robust signal that is efficient in terms of transmission bandwidth and power. The applicant also expects this system to allow for an occupied bandwidth of 15 kHz per audio path including guard band. The system will be tested on 174-216 MHz and 470-512 MHz in the vicinity of Grants Pass, Oregon.

• Release 8 includes enhancements to High Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) as well as the new Long Term Evolution (LTE) air interface and Evolved Packet Core (EPC) system architecture. (EPC is sometimes used interchangeably with System Architecture Evolution (SAE), to refer to the evolved flatter-IP core network.) The specifications for Release 8 are basically stable.

• Release 9 is nearing completion and will add features and improved performance for HSPA+ and LTE. It includes enhancements for MIMO, downlink beamforming, emergency services, location services, and more.

• Release 10 work is underway. It covers LTE-Advanced in support of ITU-R’s IMT-Advanced requirements. The IMT-Advanced process, as it relates to 3GPP, is described. The report looks at technologies for Release 10 and beyond, including enhanced uplink and downlink transmission schemes, spectrum aggregation in support of wider bandwidths, machine-to-machine communications, and enhancements to aid fixed-mobile convergence.

The report also looks at how growth in wireless data applications is driving the development of new networks.

This is helpful information for those wanting to know the state of HSPA+ and LTE today, along with associated core-network issues. Those involved more in other wireless systems might still benefit from the discussions of wireless market trends and emerging radio technologies.