FCC Adopts White Spaces Order

As the Federal Communications Commission continues taking steps to sustain and spur growth within the white space ecosystem, we adopt three orders addressing pending issues associated with white space devices. These actions will provide additional certainty to white space device users and manufacturers to enable unlicensed white space devices to operate efficiently while protecting other spectrum users. In the Report and Order we adopt rules specifying the database re-check interval for the new categories of mobile and narrowband white space devices established in 2020. In the Order on Reconsideration, we dismiss in part and, on alternative and independent grounds, deny a petition for reconsideration of two rule changes for white space devices operating in the broadcast television (TV) bands. In the Memorandum Opinion and Order, we decline to modify the rules to permit white space databases to use more complex terrain-based models to determine the available frequencies for white space devices and will instead continue to rely on the simpler established model that has worked reliably to prevent interference to TV and other protected services.