Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Japan's NICT Develops White Spaces Prototype


Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) has developed a prototype wireless device that operates in the TV White Space (TVWS) spectrum (470 MHz - 710 MHz) and based on the IEEE 802.11af draft specification. 

NICT said its prototype verifies the physical (PHY) and media access control (MAC) layer design of the draft specification.

It uses a single 6 MHz TV channel to operate and is implemented with a transmission power of 20 dBm. The prototype has an interface and co-worked with White Space Data Base (WSDB) developed by NICT and the full MAC specification of the secured protocol is implemented for primary user (licensed TV broadcaster) protections. The prototype also has an interface and co-works with the Registered Location Secure Server (RLSS) that is defined in the 802.11af draft standard to avoid interference with other white space users (secondary users). 



  • In March 2012, the IEEE approved P802.22b Amendment Project for Enhanced Broadband Services and Monitoring Applications.The new amendment enhances the IEEE 802.22-2011 standard to accommodate a wide variety of applications using cognitive radio technology in Television White Spaces (TVWS). These applications include long range and regional area smart grid, critical infrastructure monitoring, triple play services like providing voice, video and data, backhaul for broadband access, offloading cellular telephony traffic, regional area public safety and homeland security networks, emergency broadband services, monitoring rain forests, monitoring livestock, and border protection etc.


Additional information on this amendment PAR can be found on the IEEE 802.22 WG webpage.
http://www.ieee.org http://www.ieee802.org/22
  • In July 2011, The IEEE published the 802.22 standard for Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRANs) using the favorable transmission characteristics of the VHF and UHF TV bands. 802.22 enables broadband wireless access over a large area up to 100 km from the transmitter. The standard specifies up to 22 Mbps per channel without interfering with reception of existing TV broadcast stations, using the so-called white spaces between the occupied TV channels.

    IEEE 802.22 incorporates advanced cognitive radio capabilities including dynamic spectrum access, incumbent database access, accurate geolocation techniques, spectrum sensing, regulatory domain dependent policies, spectrum etiquette, and coexistence for optimal use of the available spectrum.