White Space Networking: The Road A head

1. White Space Networking: The Road Ahead Ranveer Chandra Microsoft Research

2. Challenge 1: Limited Capacity due to Growing Demand 24 HOURS UPLOADED EVERY 60 SECONDS 20X - 40X OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS 50 BILLION CONNECTED DEVICES BY 2020 35X 2009 LEVELS BY 2014 • VideoUploads • Streaming VideoIncreasing Wireless Demand • Devices Proliferation* • Mobile Data Traffic** *See Ericsson Press Release, quoting its President and Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg, April 13, 2010, available at http://www.ericsson.com/thecompany/press/releases/2010/04/1403231 **. Federal Communications Commission, Staff Technical Paper, Mobile Broadband: The Benefits of Additional Spectrum, OBI Technical Paper No. 6 (Oct. 2010).

3. Challenge 2: Limited Range for Universal BB Access 2 Billion Internet Connected Consumers 555 Million Wired Broadband Subscribers 943 Million Wireless Broadband Subscribers 5 Billion Cell Phones *2010 Estimates: ITU World Telecommunications/ ICT Indicators database

4. Spectrum Policy Needs to Become More Nimble • Most Spectrum Is Not Used Most of the Time • We Are Experiencing Exponential Mobile Data Growth • We Need to Promote Technologies That Make More Efficient Use of Spectrum • Increasingly sophisticated online databases that automate spectrum allocation and use. • Wideband radios with sensing, channel notching, suppression, bonding, and other capabilities.

5. Our Ask of Policy Makers • We need policy makers to create opportunities for new technologies that are available today AND more nimble policy frameworks • We need policies that allow dynamic access to more spectrum across a range of bands, enabling complementary shorter-range and wide-area networks, and automated and adaptive solutions. • Powerful, yet inexpensive hardware and software technologies now offer new and more attractive solutions to our longstanding spectrum allocation problems (cognitive radios, online databases that automate spectrum allocation and data networks that can dynamically modulate their transmission power) • Adopting these advances will enhance the user experience by enabling literally billions of new devices as they go live over the course of the next decade on the Internet of Things. • TVWS is a FIRST STEP • TV band white spaces database access represents a version one opportunity. Greater capabilities and spectrum bands will be enabled.

6. What are TV White Spaces? • TV band white spaces are gaps left between broadcast channels • They occur in different places on different channels

7. Database Access Safeguards Incumbents from Interference – This is No Free-For-All! White Spaces Database Devices only use the TV white spaces channels specified by the database. Devices are required to re-check the database for the list of available channels. Databases are prohibited from providing devices access to the channels occupied by incumbent operators (e.g., broadcasters). Databases are required to maintain up-to-date lists of protected operators. Databases can block newly occupied channels to prevent further white spaces device access. White Spaces Base Station TV White Spaces Link White Spaces Client Device

8. TV White Spaces Access PU1 PU3 • Operation of unlicensed devices on unused channels in the TV bands • Protection for licensed services • And some others • Available channels identified via • Geo-location capability • Database access Power PU2 PU4 Frequency • Querythe availability database • Transmit in “available frequencies” • Detectif primary user appears • Move to new frequencies • Adapt bandwidth and power levels

9. Sample TV Band Channels Available for White Spaces Devices

10. UHF TV Bands Enable New Wi-Fi Opportunities

11. Sub 1 GHz: Key to Ubiquitous Access This slide shows the results of simulating the coverage that could be achieved, with 20% access point penetration, in a 1 km2 urban area, with 5K population, in Fulham, London. The simulation was repeated for each of the three bands Wi-Fi , 5 GHz Wi-Fi , 2.4 GHz TV White Spaces, 600 MHz Source: BT Innovate & Design

12. TV White Spaces Signals Travel Farther • Wi-Fi: 100 Meters • TV White Spaces: 400 Meters (with increased flexibility, could be up to 8 kms or more) Four times the distance; 16 times the area covered. Same power comparing 2.4 GHz to 600 MHz. The result is more bandwidth, lower network costs, lower power consumption.

13. TV White Spaces Signals Penetrate More Walls • In a typical home, a Wi-Fi signal can penetrate up to two walls. At the same power, a TV white spaces signal can penetrate more walls and obstacles, enabling whole home media distribution. • This will simplify and enrich in-home/in-building networking opportunities.

14. Potential TV White Spaces Use Cases • Utilizing long range characteristics • Rural broadband • Wide-coverage hotspots • Bridge among small networks • Sensor network • Wireless surveillance system • Cellular offloading • Utilizing obstacle penetration/avoidance characteristics • M2M –factory floor automation • Indoor video distribution • Device to device network

15. Greater Spectrum Sharing Opportunities Should Be Pursued Database-enabled sharing will evolve from simple look up tables to real time arbiters of spectrum access and usage (e.g., accounting for the cost of interference, filtering capabilities, power limits, geolocation and mobility, prioritization, and duration). • Today • In the Future, Additional Variables Will be Considered • Who I am. • What I am. • Where I am. • My willingness to pay/be paid for interference. • My desired power output. • My out-of-band emission mask. • My knowledge of nearby transmissions (sensing). • My geolocation accuracy. • My spectrum tuning range. • My desired quality of service. • Am I moving. • Where I am going. • When I will get there. • How long I will be there.

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17. What Is “Unlicensed” Spectrum Use? • Devices are permitted to emit radio frequency energy without a specific grant of a license. • Devices still undergo certification and are subject to regulatory oversight. • In the case of white spaces, databases operate under authority granted by the relevant regulatory authority. • Devices cannot cause harmful interference to licensed operations. • And, they must accept interference from operation of an authorized radio station. • Licensed and unlicensed uses can readily coexist. • Complementary business models • Each supports the other (think Wi-Fi in a coffee shop)

18. The Value of Unlicensed Spectrum • 20,339 unlicensed devices certified in 2.4 GHz spectrum band • Three times more than any other band • Wi-Fi devices will use more bandwidth than wired devices in 2015 • Mobile data offloaded to Wi-Fi from the networks of mobile operators • Expected to reach almost 90% by 2015 • Wi-Fi accounts for over 50% of mobile user connections to the Internet • The Internet of Things is coming …