http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db12/DOC-311652A1.pdf

FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology Issues Public Notice to Start Operation of Spectrum Bridge’s TV White Spaces Database System and Authorization of a TV White Spaces Device

Washington, D.C. – Washington, D.C. – Today, the Federal Communications Commission issued a Public Notice announcing that the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) has approved Spectrum Bridge Inc.’s television white spaces database system, which may provide service to devices beginning January 26, 2012. OET has also approved a device by Koos Technical Services, Inc. (KTS) as the first product allowed to operate on an unlicensed basis on unused frequencies in the TV bands. The KTS device will operate in conjunction with the Spectrum Bridge TV band database.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, “With today’s approval of the first TV white spaces database and device, we are taking an important step towards enabling a new wave of wireless innovation. Unleashing white spaces spectrum has the potential to exceed even the many billions of dollars in economic benefit from Wi-Fi, the last significant release of unlicensed spectrum, and drive private investment and job creation.”

Unused spectrum between TV stations – known as “white spaces” – represents a valuable opportunity for provision of broadband data services in our changing wireless landscape. This unused TV spectrum provides a major new platform for innovation and delivery of service, with potential for both research and commercial applications. Development of unlicensed radio transmitting devices has already led to a wave of new consumer technologies, including Wi-Fi and other innovations like digital cordless phones and in-home video distribution systems that have generated billions of dollars of economic growth. This new technology will build on that track record and provide even more benefits to the U.S. economy.

Commission rules require that unlicensed TV band devices contact an authorized database system to obtain a list of channels that are available for their operation (i.e., channels not occupied by authorized radio services) at their individual locations and must operate only on those channels.

The approval granted by OET allows Spectrum Bridge to commence operational service to new devices that can take advantage of the TV spectrum to provide service over greater ranges than those of Wi-Fi devices operating on higher frequencies.

Initial operation under this approval will be limited to Wilmington, NC and the surrounding area and will expand nationwide pending completion and activation of the Commission’s facilities for processing requests for protection of unlicensed wireless microphone at event venues. Parties in the Wilmington area that wish to register wireless microphones for event venues during this period of limited operation must send a request
to OET by e-mail in accordance with the instructions provided in the Public Notice.

The new KTS TV bands device is designed and approved for fixed operations that serve any broadband data applications. The device will contact the Spectrum Bridge database to identify channels that are available for operation at its location and can provide high-speed Internet connectivity.

Read the Public Notice here:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-2043A1.doc

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/12/fcc-green-lights-first-white-space-device.ars

The ADR is a member of the KTS Wireless Agility Radio Family and the first certified white space radio. The next generation Agility Whitespace Radio (AWR) is expected to be certified and shipping in the first quarter of 2012 in both VHF and UHF models. All white space Agility radios use the Spectrum Bridge Whitespace database for channel authorization.

The Agility Radio Family provides maximum flexibility and offers user configurable data rates, channel bandwidths and operating frequency in licensed and unlicensed bands. All of the family members support seamless Ethernet transport and models are available with RS-232 serial port connections for support of legacy equipment. Please visit www.ktswireless.com for details.

KTS Wireless is offering their Agility Whitespace Radios in a 2+2 pack targeted at early white space adopters wishing to begin utilization of white space channels in their respective service areas.

“Whether our Agility Radios, used in conjunction with Spectrum Bridge’s TV white space database system, are used in bringing broadband internet to rural inhabitants for the first time, or enabling machine to machine communications, or improving the coordination and effectiveness of healthcare, we are proud to be a part of this most exciting and empowering technological development,” said Andy Mancone, Director of Sales and Marketing at KTS Wireless.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, “With today’s approval of the first TV white spaces database and device, we are taking an important step towards enabling a new wave of wireless innovation. Unleashing white spaces spectrum has the potential to exceed even the many billions of dollars in economic benefit from Wi-Fi, the last significant release of unlicensed spectrum, and drive private investment and job creation.”

About KTS Wireless
KTS Wireless is the standard products division of Koos Technical Services, Inc which has been providing wireless solutions for over 28 years. KTS Wireless manufactures the Agility Radio Family composed of the Agility Telemetry Radio (ATR), the Agility Military Radio (AMR), and the Agility Whitespace Radio (AWR). In addition, the legacy Agility Data Radio is the first radio to be certified by the FCC for use as a TV Whitespace device. The radio family emphasizes frequency, data rate, and application agility to cover a wide range of applications including broadband internet access, video surveillance, SCADA, and narrowband telemetry.