Goto Section: 15.709 | 15.712 | Table of Contents
FCC 15.711
Revised as of October 2, 2015
Goto Year:2014 |
2016
§ 15.711 Interference avoidance methods.
Except as provided in § 15.717, television channel availability for a TVBD is
determined based on the geo-location and database access method described in
paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.
(a) Geo-location and database access. A TVBD shall rely on the geo-location
and database access mechanism to identify available television channels
consistent with the interference protection requirements of § 15.712. Such
protection will be provided for the following authorized and unlicensed
services: digital television stations, digital and analog Class A, low
power, translator and booster stations; translator receive operations; fixed
broadcast auxiliary service links; private land mobile service/commercial
radio service (PLMRS/CMRS) operations; offshore radiotelephone service; low
power auxiliary services authorized pursuant to § § 74.801 through 74.882 of
this chapter, including wireless microphones and MVPD receive sites; and
unlicensed wireless microphones used by venues of large events and
productions/shows as provided under § 15.713(h)(8). In addition, protection
shall be provided in border areas near Canada and Mexico in accordance with
§ 15.712(g).
(b) Geo-location and database access requirements. (1) The geographic
coordinates of a fixed TVBD shall be determined to an accuracy of ±50 meters
by either an incorporated geo-location capability or a professional
installer. In the case of professional installation, the party who registers
the fixed TVBD in the database will be responsible for assuring the accuracy
of the entered coordinates. The geographic coordinates of a fixed TVBD shall
be determined at the time of installation and first activation from a
power-off condition, and this information may be stored internally in the
TVBD. If the fixed TVBD is moved to another location or if its stored
coordinates become altered, the operator shall re-establish the device's:
(i) Geographic location and store this information in the TVBD either by
means of the device's incorporated geo-location capability or through the
services of a professional installer; and
(ii) Registration with the database based on the device's new coordinates.
(2) A Mode II personal/portable device shall incorporate a geo-location
capability to determine its geographic coordinates to an accuracy of ±50
meters. A Mode II device must also re-establish its position each time it is
activated from a power-off condition and use its geo-location capability to
check its location at least once every 60 seconds while in operation, except
while in sleep mode, i.e., in a mode in which the device is inactive but is
not powered-down.
(3)(i) Fixed devices must access a TV bands database over the Internet to
determine the TV channels that are available at their geographic
coordinates, taking into consideration the fixed device's antenna height,
prior to their initial service transmission at a given location. Operation
is permitted only on channels that are indicated in the database as being
available for such TVBDs. Fixed TVBDs shall access the database at least
once a day to verify that the operating channels continue to remain
available. Operation on a channel must cease immediately if the database
indicates that the channel is no longer available. Fixed TVBD must adjust
their use of channels in accordance with channel availability schedule
information provided by their database for the 48-hour period beginning at
the time of the device last accessed the database for a list of available
channels.
(ii) Mode II personal/portable devices must access a TV bands database over
the Internet to determine the TV channels that are available at their
geographic coordinates prior to their initial service transmission at a
given location. Operation is permitted only on channels that are indicated
in the database as being available for personal/portable TVBDs. A Mode II
personal/portable device must access the database for a list of available
channels each time it is activated from a power-off condition and re-check
its location and the database for available channels if it changes location
during operation by more than 100 meters from the location at which it last
accessed the database. A Mode II personal/portable device that has been in a
powered state shall re-check its location and access the database daily to
verify that the operating channel(s) continue to be available. Mode II
personal/portable devices must adjust their use of channels in accordance
with channel availability schedule information provided by their database
for the 48-hour period beginning at the time of the device last accessed the
database for a list of available channels. A Mode II personal/portable
device may load channel availability information for multiple locations
around, i.e., in the vicinity of, its current location and use that
information in its operation. A Mode II TVBD may use such available channel
information to define a geographic area within which it can operate on the
same available channels at all locations, for example a Mode II TVBD could
calculate a bounded area in which a channel or channels are available at all
locations within the area and operate on a mobile basis within that area. A
Mode II TVBD using such channel availability information for multiple
locations must contact the database again if/when it moves beyond the
boundary of the area where the channel availability data is valid, and must
access the database daily even if it has not moved beyond that range to
verify that the operating channel(s) continue to be available. Operation
must cease immediately if the database indicates that the channel is no
longer available.
(iii) If a fixed or Mode II personal/portable TVBD fails to successfully
contact the TV bands database during any given day, it may continue to
operate until 11:59 p.m. of the following day at which time it must cease
operations until it re-establishes contact with the TV bands database and
re-verifies its list of available channels.
(iv)(A) A Mode I personal/portable TVBD may only transmit upon receiving a
list of available channels from a fixed or Mode II TVBD. A fixed or Mode II
device may provide a Mode I device with a list of available channels only
after it contacts its database, provides the database the FCC Identifier
(FCC ID) of the Mode I device requesting available channels, and receives
verification that the FCC ID is valid for operation.
(B) A Mode II device must provide a list of channels to the Mode I device
that is the same as the list of channels available to the Mode II device.
(C) A fixed device may provide a list of available channels to a Mode I
device only if the fixed device HAAT as verified by the TV bands database
does not exceed 106 meters. The fixed device must provide a list of
available channels to the Mode I device that is the same as the list of
channels available to the fixed device, except that a Mode I device may
operate only on those channels that are permissible for its use under
§ 15.707. A fixed device may also obtain from a database a separate list of
available channels that includes adjacent channels that would be available
to a Mode I personal/portable device and provide that list to the Mode I
device.
(D) To initiate contact with a fixed or Mode II device, a Mode I device may
transmit on an available channel used by the fixed or Mode II TVBD or on a
channel the fixed or Mode II TVBD indicates is available for use by a Mode I
device on a signal seeking such contacts. At least once every 60 seconds,
except when in sleep mode, i.e., a mode in which the device is inactive but
is not powered-down, a Mode I device must either receive a contact
verification signal from the Mode II or fixed device that provided its
current list of available channels or contact a Mode II or fixed device to
re-verify/re-establish channel availability. A Mode I device must cease
operation immediately if it does not receive a contact verification signal
or is not able to re-establish a list of available channels through contact
with a fixed or Mode II device on this schedule. In addition, a Mode II
device must re-check/re-establish contact with a fixed or Mode II device to
obtain a list of available channels if it loses power. Collaterally, if a
Mode II device loses power and obtains a new channel list, it must signal
all Mode I devices it is serving to acquire and use a new channel list.
(v) Device manufacturers and database administrators may implement a system
that pushes updated channel availability information from the database to
TVBDs. However, the use of such systems is not mandatory, and the
requirements for TVBDs to validate the operating channel at least daily and
to cease operation in accordance with paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section
continue to apply if such a system is used.
(vi) TV bands devices shall incorporate adequate security measures to ensure
that they are capable of communicating for purposes of obtaining lists of
available channels only with databases operated by administrators authorized
by the Commission, and to ensure that communications between TV bands
devices and databases between TV bands devices are secure to prevent
corruption or unauthorized interception of data. This requirement includes
implementing security for communications between Mode I personal portable
devices and fixed or Mode II devices for purposes of providing lists of
available channels.
(4) All geographic coordinates shall be referenced to the North American
Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).
(c) Display of available channels. A TVBD must incorporate the capability to
display a list of identified available channels and its operating channels.
(d) Identifying information. Fixed TVBDs shall transmit identifying
information. The identification signal must conform to a standard
established by a recognized industry standards setting organization. The
identification signal shall carry sufficient information to identify the
device and its geographic coordinates.
(e) Fixed devices without a direct connection to the Internet. If a fixed
TVBD does not have a direct connection to the Internet and has not yet been
initialized and registered with the TV bands database consistent with
§ 15.713, but can receive the transmissions of another fixed TVBD, the fixed
TVBD needing initialization may transmit to that other fixed TVBD on either
a channel that the other TVBD has transmitted on or on a channel which the
other TVBD indicates is available for use to access the database to register
its location and receive a list of channels that are available for it to
use. Subsequently, the newly registered TVBD must only use the television
channels that the database indicates are available for it to use. A fixed
device may not obtain lists of available channels from another fixed device
as provided by a TV bands database for such other device, i.e., a fixed
device may not simply operate on the list of available channels provided by
a TV bands database for another fixed device with which it communicates but
must contact a database to obtain a list of available channels on which it
may operate.
(f) Security. (1) For purposes of obtaining a list of available channels and
related matters, fixed and Mode II TVBDs shall only be capable of contacting
databases operated by FCC designated administrators.
(2) Communications between TV bands devices and TV bands databases are to be
transmitted using secure methods that ensure against corruption or
unauthorized modification of the data; this requirement applies to
communications of channel availability and other spectrum access information
between fixed and Mode II devices (it is not necessary for TVBDs to apply
security coding to channel availability and channel access information where
they are not the originating or terminating device and that they simply pass
through).
(3) Communications between a Mode I device and a fixed or Mode II device for
purposes of obtaining a list of available channels shall employ secure
methods that ensure against corruption or unauthorized modification of the
data. When a Mode I device makes a request to a fixed or Mode II device for
a list of available channels the receiving device shall check with the TV
bands database that the Mode I device has a valid FCC Identifier before
providing a list of available channels. Contact verification signals
transmitted for Mode I devices are to be encoded with encryption to secure
the identity of the transmitting device. Mode I devices using contact
verification signals shall accept as valid for authorization only the
signals of the device from which they obtained their list of available
channels.
(4) A TV bands database shall be protected from unauthorized data input or
alteration of stored data. To provide this protection, the administrator of
the TV bands database administrator shall establish communications
authentication procedures that allow the fixed or Mode II devices to be
assured that the data they receive is from an authorized source.
(5) Applications for certification of TV bands devices are to include a high
level operational description of the technologies and measures that are
incorporated in the device to comply with the security requirements of this
section. In addition, applications for certification of fixed and Mode II
devices are to identify at least one of the TV bands databases operated by a
designated TV bands database administrator that the device will access for
channel availability and affirm that the device will conform to the
communications security methods used by that database.
(g) A personal/portable TVBD operating in Mode I may only transmit upon
receiving the transmissions of fixed or Mode II TVBD. A personal/portable
device operating in Mode I may transmit on either an operating channel of
the fixed or Mode II TVBD or on a channel the fixed or Mode II TVBD
indicates is available for use.
[ 74 FR 7326 , Feb. 17, 2009, as amended at 75 FR 75837 , Dec. 6, 2010; 77 FR 29245 , May 17, 2012]
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Goto Section: 15.709 | 15.712
Goto Year: 2014 |
2016
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