DA 18-966
Released:  September 19, 2018

OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCES THE APPROVAL OF 
NOMINET UK’S WHITE SPACE DATABASE SYSTEM FOR OPERATION
ET Docket No. 04-186

	The Commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) announces that it has granted approval for Nominet UK (Nominet) to operate its white space database system to provide service to the public.  This database system will support unlicensed radio devices that transmit on unoccupied spectrum within the broadcast television bands, the 600 MHz service band, the 600 MHz duplex gap, and in channel 37.  This unoccupied spectrum is commonly known as the white spaces. 
 
	The Commission’s Part 15 rules (47 CFR § 15.701 et seq.) require that unlicensed devices operating in the white spaces (white space devices) provide their geographic locations by means of a secure internet connection to a white space database system authorized by the Commission.  When a device provides its location to a database, the database returns a list of channels available for operation by the device at that location.  
	The FCC rules require that white space database systems protect TV broadcasting and several other services.  The necessary data and information for protection of these services will either be extracted by Nominet from the Commission’s databases or are specified in the rules. In 2015, the Commission adopted the most recent revisions to the white space rules that must be implemented by the white space database administrators.  These include changes to the channels that can be used by white space devices, higher power limits for fixed devices in less congested areas, shorter separation distances for lower power devices, fixed device operation at locations where there are fewer than three contiguous vacant channels, allowing operations in channel 37 under specified power limits and separation distances, and allowing 600 MHz band licensees to register for protection in areas where they have commenced operation.  Unlicensed Operations in the Television Bands, Repurposed 600 MHz Band, 600 MHz Guard Bands and Duplex Gap, and Channel 37, Report and Order, 30 FCC Rcd 9551 (2015).  Pending before the Commission are several petitions for reconsideration of portions of these rules.  If the Commission makes any changes to the white space rules on reconsideration, or at any later time, Nominet will be required to modify its database, if necessary, to implement such changes.
  Operators of facilities for which the requisite information is contained in the Commission’s records or provided in the rules do not need to take any further action to obtain interference protection from white space devices.
The rules provide that operators of MVPD receive sites, licensed wireless microphones users, operators of temporary BAS links, users of WMTS on channel 37, and 600 MHz band licensees that have commenced operations may register their locations/areas of operation to receive interference protection from white space devices.  As required under the rules, Nominet is providing a registration capability for these facilities.  These registration capabilities are available at: https://usa.dev-wsdb.uk/. All registrations entered with a given white space database will be communicated to the other white space database(s) so that registrations will not need to be entered in multiple databases.

Nominet’s database system was subject to a 45-day trial in which it made its channel availability calculator, as well as its procedures for registering protected facilities described above, available for testing by the public.  It has satisfactorily addressed concerns received after this trial regarding the ability of its database system to exchange certain data with other database administrators, register information on fixed devices, and provide accurate channel availability information.  OET will continue to work with Nominet and other white space database administrators to ensure that information contained in the white space databases is accurate, that the databases provide accurate lists of available channels, and that information is shared between databases as the rules require.

Questions regarding this Public Notice may be directed to Hugh L. Van Tuyl at (202) 418-7506.

By the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology.


-FCC-


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