Damn the Torpedoes!  Broadband Ahead!

By most accounts the FCC is all set to make new policy decisions which will allow broadband wireless services in unused broadcast TV spectrum (White Spaces Devices, or WSDs) and a TDD broadband wireless service in the yet-to-be-auctioned AWS-3 spectrum.  In theory, we have nothing against either action since it will free up spectrum that is not being used today.  In practice, we believe that the FCC could end up ignoring or largely discounting an abundance of seemingly accurate information which suggests it is also opening up a Pandora’s Box of issues which could impact the airwaves for years to come.

Specific issues that we discuss include the following:

WSDs and active TV channels.  The 141 page FCC report provides a very clear picture (no pun intended) on the current capabilities of WSDs in a lab and field environment with various underlying real-world conditions.  In some cases a few of the WSDs performed quite well, but in other equally realistic cases….

WSDs and active wireless microphone.  For some reason the summary of the test results do not include much about the tests conducted with wireless microphones present.  However, it is possible to pour through the test results and determine how reliable today’s solutions are.

What if a WSD goes rogue?  If a WSD erroneously begins transmitting on an active channel the impact could be minor or it could be disastrous, at least according to the two sides of the debate.  Only one side is right and the FCC test results make it very apparent. 

AWS-3 Background.  Based on a thorough review of FCC documents and company filings going back to 2006, we discuss why the future of the AWS-3 spectrum is so contentious and how the industry got to where it is today.

The arguments and counterarguments.  The traditional cellular industry is very vocal in its seemingly unanimous disagreement with the AWS-3 policies that the FCC is currently considering.  In some cases the incumbent operators and their suppliers raise valid points while in other cases we are less certain.

To interfere or not to interfere.  Without question, the real issue at the crux of the AWS-3 matter is the potential for interference with the AWS-1 spectrum holders, most notably T-Mobile’s F Block.  We reviewed the FCC’s test results, company filings, and other documents cited in the debate, including Ofcom’s analysis of TDD/FDD coexistence.  While it is true that there are lies, damn lies, and statistics, we believe that many of the assumptions used in doing the tests favor one side of the debate over the other side.  

Deep [six] in the heart of Texas.  We discuss the implications of recent announcements from Freescale and Texas Instruments to greatly reduce (TI) or largely withdraw (FSL) from the wireless IC market for cellular devices.  We take a shot at predicting who the potential acquirers might be and why, who benefits from their departure, and what this all means for the future of the wireless IC industry.