FCC Votes to Repurpose TV Spectrum; Impact on WMTS Remains Unclear
Washington, DC—The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously today to begin an incentive auction process intended to repurpose broadcast television spectrum for mobile broadband use. The move has potentially major ramifications for hospitals in the United States, as TV channel 37 is currently designated as half of the radio spectrum available for the Wireless Medical Telemetry Service (WMTS). The repurposing of broadcast television spectrum could result in a reallocation of channel 37.
FCC voted 5-0 to approve the Incentive Auction Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM) during today’s meeting, which was attended by AAMI staff. However, the FCC commissioners who voted to approve the NPRM expressed a wide range of concerns and asked that stakeholders submit comments on a number of topics. In fact, FCC Commissioner Avit Pai noted that the plan will bring about “the most complicated incentive auction in world history.”
The impetus for the repurposing of broadcast spectrum is the desire to allocate additional spectrum to mobile devices—the use of which has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. During today’s meeting, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski compared the global bandwidth race to the space race.
A reallocation of TV channel 37 would likely have a major impact on the long-term strategies for wireless healthcare for hospitals that operate their WMTS on channel 37. WMTS is used to remotely monitor patient health.
Today’s vote opens the NPRM to public comment. It is not yet clear how long the public comment period will be on this particular NPRM. A typical NPRM contains proposed changes to the FCC’s rules, and seeks public comment on those proposals.
The full, official NPRM from FCC should be released in the coming days. In the meantime, FCC has offered a glimpse at some of the TV channel 37-related issues about which it is seeking comment:
- 600 MHz Band Plan. We seek comment on a band plan for reclaimed broadcast television spectrum using 5 megahertz blocks, in which the uplink band would begin at channel 51 (698 MHz) and expand downward toward channel 37 based on the amount of reclaimed spectrum, and the downlink band would begin at channel 36 (608 MHz) and likewise expand downward. We seek comment on establishing 6 megahertz guard bands between mobile broadband use and broadcast use, , and propose to make this spectrum available for unlicensed use. In addition, we seek comment on a number of alternative band plan approaches.
- Channel 37. We invite comment on whether or not to relocate the Radio Astronomy Service and wireless medical telemetry systems now operating on channel 37, and on whether and how to address the post-auction availability of UHF band spectrum for fixed broadcast auxiliary stations, low power auxiliary stations, and unlicensed wireless microphones.
- Unlicensed Use of Spectrum. We invite comment on measures that would make a substantial amount of spectrum available for unlicensed uses, including a significant portion that would be available on a uniform nationwide basis for the first time. Television white spaces will continue to be available for unlicensed use in the repacked television band. In addition, we seek comment on making the guard bands spectrum in the 600 MHz band plan available for unlicensed use, making channel 37 available for such use, and making two channels currently designated for wireless microphone use available for white space devices.
AAMI and ECRI Institute are working with the American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) on a joint white paper to help educate the FCC on the implications of any potential change to TV channel 37. Additionally, AAMI and ECRI Institute plan to hold a joint webinar this fall to provide guidance to hospital staff who want to plan for the potential change. The date for the AAMI/ECRI webinar will be announced.
For additional background, see this AAMI News article from Sept. 2012. Additionally, Rick Hampton, wireless manager for Partners Healthcare, addressed the issue here in the AAMIBlog.
Posted: September 28, 2012