<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">The full Press Notice by OFCOM dated 6 July is:<div><br></div><div><div class="hero hero-3">
<h1>Ofcom considers future of FM radio band</h1><p>July 6, 2011</p>
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<div class="body"><div>Ofcom today proposed an innovative new use for the airwaves that will
be freed up following the UK’s switch from analogue to digital radio.</div><p>Speaking at the Radio Centre members’ conference today, Ofcom Chief
Executive, Ed Richards, identified White Space Devices as potential new
users of the freed up FM radio airwaves. These devices could use these
frequencies to deliver innovative applications such as mobile broadband
in very sparsely populated areas.</p><p>The technology works by identifying unoccupied radio waves called “white spaces” to transmit and receive wireless signals.</p><p>Compared with other forms of wireless technology, such as Bluetooth
and Wi-Fi, White Space Devices are being designed to use a much wider
range of frequencies, including the lower frequencies that have
traditionally been reserved for TV and radio.</p><p>Ofcom has been leading the way in Europe to develop a system that
would allow these devices to work without interfering with other users
of spectrum. To date, this has focused on using the white spaces between
digital TV channels. However, in practice this technology could also
work in the FM radio band.</p><p>Signals at these frequencies travel further and more easily through walls.</p><p>Ed Richards said: “We believe that any release of new spectrum has
great potential to enable innovation and growth in new applications and
services.”</p><p> “Spectrum is a resource that is in huge demand, fuelled by the
recent explosion in smart phones and other wireless technologies.
However there is only a limited amount of it to go around, which means
we need to start thinking more creatively about how it is used. White
Space Devices could offer an effective solution.”</p><p><strong>Digital radio switchover</strong></p><p>It is anticipated that all large scale radio stations will migrate to
digital and eventually cease to broadcast on analogue FM radio. Smaller
stations are expected to remain on FM.</p><p>This is expected to free up as much as 50% of the capacity currently
used to deliver FM radio services and has raised questions as to what
this capacity will be used for.</p><p>“Our first principle has to be that any future use of the FM band is an efficient use of radio spectrum,” said Ed Richards.</p><p>“There must be certainty for smaller and community stations, that do
not move across to DAB. These will continue to play their important
role, and FM is an appropriate technology for the scale at which they
operate.”</p><p><strong>Protecting the radio industry</strong></p><p>Ed Richards explained that White Space Devices offered a solution
that could safeguard the interests of the radio industry by making it
less likely that it was backfilled with new commercial and pirate radio
stations.</p><p>“White Space Devices offer a creative solution that would not only
use spectrum to its full capacity, but would also work along side
existing smaller FM radio stations. This could be done without causing
interference and without any commercial conflict.” </p><p>“This approach not only would spur on technological innovation but it
could also further restrict the opportunity for pirates to fill in the
gaps caused by careful spectrum planning.”</p><p><strong>White space technology</strong></p><p>On 9 November 2010, Ofcom launched a consultation on the processes
needed to successfully launch the technology and how new devices will be
made available to consumers without the need for a licence. This was
based on using white spaces between digital TV channels, however it
could also be extended to use white spaces in the FM radio band. Ofcom
expects to publish a statement concluding its thinking in the area of
digital TV white spaces shortly.</p><p><strong>White space database</strong></p><p>It is important that white space devices do not interfere with other
wireless technologies that share these frequencies. The solution is for
devices to do this by consulting a “geolocation database” that contains
live information about which frequencies are free to use at their
current location.</p><p>Ofcom expects to make it possible for interested companies to host such databases.</p><p><strong>How the technology will work</strong></p><p>Some white space applications will work in a similar way to Wi-Fi,
which uses a wireless router to send and receive information to other
wireless devices. A key difference is that the white space router or
base station will first need to consult a list of databases hosted
online. It will describe its location and device characteristics to one
of these databases on a regular basis. The database will then return
details of the frequencies and power levels the router is allowed to use
so that it does not interfere with other devices operating in its
vicinity.</p></div></div></div></div></body></html>