proofRichards.qxp 24/10/08 11:36 Page 160
After Many Lean Years, New Spectrum Is on the Way for Offshore Industries
‘license-exempt’ Part 15 bands, these frequencies are quickly becoming protocol), to the lower 25MHz of the 3.65GHz band (3,650–3,675MHz).
saturated and unsuitable for mission-critical applications. Based on these Devices employing ‘unrestricted’ protocols – protocols that function to
facts, the Commission determined to license the BRS in the Gulf. prevent interference even with other, dissimilar protocols (e.g. ‘listen-
before-talk’) – will be allowed to operate on all 50MHz throughout the
As requested by the API, BRS licensees in the Gulf will generally be entire 3.65GHz band (3,650–3,700MHz).
subject to the same technical rules that apply to land-based
BRS licensees. To accommodate the interference concerns of Approximately 400 licensees have already taken the opportunity to
incumbent licensees, the FCC established the Gulf service area obtain a license in the 3.65GHz band, and various vendors are
boundary at 12 nautical miles from the shoreline, consistent with other
Commission allocations in the Gulf. The BRS spectrum will be
auctioned at some point in the future.
The next significant piece of
As part of the same proceedings, the Commission is considering
whether and how to license the 2.5GHz education broadband
spectrum may come from what
service (EBS) spectrum in the Gulf (123.5MHz). EBS is typically
is known as ‘TV white space’.
restricted to educational institutions, but such entities have no
identifiable offshore spectrum requirements.
The addition of EBS spectrum, combined with the recent BRS manufacturing equipment. The 3.65GHz band represents a
allocation, will substantially increase spectrum options for offshore potentially important spectrum allocation for private wireless
entities and provide much-needed flexibility for oil and gas licensees, including offshore users.
companies operating in the region.
TV White Space
3,650–3,700MHz Band The next significant piece of spectrum may come from what is
Another band recently released by the FCC in the past year is at known as ‘TV white space’ – unused spectrum located between
3,650–3,700MHz (‘3.65GHz’). The effective date of the FCC’s innovative areas licensed to TV broadcasters.
operational rules for the 3.65GHz band was 24 August 2007, and
licensing officially began in November 2007. The site-based 3.65GHz In an effort to provide additional spectrum for broadband devices, the
band potentially represents a unique opportunity for private wireless users FCC has recently been exploring the possibility of allowing devices to
to deploy point-to-multipoint broadband services. operate in the broadcast bands as long as such devices do not create
interference to TV broadcasters. Since the FCC’s rules require distance
The FCC’s new rules for the 3.65GHz band incorporate elements of separation between TV stations, there are a number of vacant TV channels
both licensed and license-exempt regulatory schemes under a at any given location throughout the country. Indeed, no TV licensee may
‘hybrid’ approach that permits significant flexibility while allowing be using a given channel in a particular market. Terrestrially, a handful of
higher power levels (up to 25 Watts/25MHz EIRP for base and fixed channels may become available in areas across the country. However, in
stations) than usually authorised for license-exempt services. the offshore environment, where there are no TV broadcasters, several
hundred MHz of spectrum are potentially available, representing an
Under the FCC’s approach, the 3.65GHz band is available for fixed and immense amount of bandwidth capacity.
mobile operations on a nationwide, non-exclusive and non-auctioned
Currently, spectrum on US TV channels 15, 16 and 17 may be used for
base, mobile and fixed use in the Southern Louisiana-Texas Offshore
For many years, the amount
Zone pursuant to Section 90.315 of the Commission’s rules. Most
interested parties agree that the Commission should be careful in
of spectrum available to extending TV white space operations to TV channels 14–20 due to the
offshore industries was
potential for interference to existing land mobile operations on those
frequencies. In that spirit, the FCC has already issued an Order
actually decreasing.
prohibiting personal/portable unlicensed devices from operating on TV
channels 14–20 at any location in the US, although it continues to
consider whether rules could be created to allow fixed use.
basis. New stations are required to register in a common database, and
licensees must work together to resolve interference, without rights for The Future Looks Bright(er)
‘first-in-time’ operations. Historically, private radio spectrum allocations have suffered as the
FCC has sought to introduce new and innovative technologies.
Another unique aspect of the 3.65GHz band is the required use of Typically, as new spectrum allocations have been created, private
contention-based protocols. The FCC’s rules limit the operation radio spectrum has decreased. However, recently things have started
of devices employing a ‘restricted’ contention-based protocol, defined as to look up. With more than 100MHz of spectrum already allocated,
protocols that are capable of preventing interference only with other and potentially hundreds more on the way, future opportunities look
devices incorporating the same protocol (e.g. WiMAX’s scheduling brighter for offshore wireless users. ■
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EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION – OIL & GAS REVIEW 2008 – VOLUME 6 ISSUE II
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