OSP Working Paper Number 39

Unlicensed and Unshackled:
A Joint OSP-OET White Paper on Unlicensed Devices and Their Regulatory Issues
Kenneth R. Carter, Ahmed Lahjouji, and Neal McNeil
 FCC OSP Working Paper Series 
[ News Release | Public Notice ]
 (May 2003)

Unlicensed and Unshackled


Unlicensed and Unshackled:
A Joint OSP-OET White Paper on Unlicensed Devices and Their Regulatory Issues
 FCC OSP Working Paper Series

Overseas Telecommunications Journal

Translation in the Overseas Telecommunications Journal
Published by the Research Institute of Telecommunication Economics, Japan (RITE)

Abstract

In this paper, we present a survey of the origins of unlicensed wireless devices, their governing regulation, the current technological state of the art, an overview of the market with information from publicly available sources, and an analysis of the potential regulatory issues. Unlicensed wireless devices are permitted to emit radio frequency energy, without specific authorization, registration, or grant of a license. Today, millions of unlicensed devices are already in operation in a multitude of important uses for industry, medicine, government, national defense, and in the homes. The market for unlicensed wireless communications devices is experiencing unprecedented growth into a multi-billion dollar industry – quite striking in light of the severe downturn in the U.S. telecommunications and technology sectors. Unlicensed devices advance the public interest, necessity, and convenience for the American people by enabling applications not possible with wires or that do not require the acquisition of spectrum rights through the licensing process. However, without a forward-looking approach to policy reform addressing the fundamental problem of interference and maintaining these low entry barriers to spectrum, much of the benefit and promise of unlicensed devices may be delayed, or unrealized. We conclude that the effective policy reform includes enabling more unlicensed spectrum and promulgating rules to encourage technological and market-based solutions to optimize efficient use and sharing of spectrum.

Citations
Law Journals 
  1. Stuart Minor Benjamin, Spectrum Abundance and the Choice Between Private and Public Control.  78 NYU L. Rev. 2007, 2071. (2003)

 

  1. Reza Dibadj, Regulatory Givings and the Anticommons.  64 Ohio St. L. J. 1041, 1080.  (2003).

 

  1. Michele Farquhar.  21st Annual Institute on Telecommunications Policy & Regulation.  Telecommunications Future. 773 PLI/Pat 237 at 239.  (2003).

 

  1. Ellen P. Goodman, Spectrum Rights in the Telecosm to Come, 41 S.D. L. Rev. 269, 274 (quoting) (2004).

 

  1. Thomas W. Hazlett, Spectrum Tragedies.  22 Yale J. on Reg. 242, 274.  (2005)      

 

  1. Thomas W. Hazlett and Matthew L. Spitzer.  Advanced Wireless Technologies and Public Policy.  79 S. Cal. L. Rev. 595, 622.  (2006).

 

  1. Tom Lookabaugh, et al., A Model for Emergency Service of VoIP Through Certification and Labeling.  58 Fed. Comm. L.J. 115, 135.  (2006).

 

  1. Patrick S. Ryan, Application of the Public-Trust Doctrine and Principles of Natural Resource Management to Electromagnetic Spectrum, 10 Mich. Telecomm. Tech. L. Rev. 285, 296.  (2004).

 

  1. Catherine Wang, A Review of Wireless Developments: October 2003-September 2004. 813 PLI/Pat 103 at 136.  (2004).

 

  1. Philip J. Weiser and Dale N. Hatfield, Market Regulation and Innovation: Policing The Spectrum Commons, 74 Fordham L. Rev. 663, 663.  (2005).

 

  1. Kevin Werbach, The Federal Computer Commission.  84 N.C.L. Rev. 1, 33.  (2005).

 

  1. Kevin Werbach, Supercommons: Toward a Unified Theory of Wireless Communication, 82 Tex. L. Rev. 863, 879.  (2004).

 

  1. Connected & On the Go, Broadband Goes Wireless: A Report by the Wireless Broadband Access Task Force, Federal Communications Commission.  853 PLI/Pat 269 at 307.  (2005),

 

 

Other Journals

 

  1. Johannes M. Bauer, Governing the Networks of the Information Society: Prospects and Limits of Policy in a Complex Technical System, (Quello Center for Telecommunication Management and Law Working Paper 01-04, 2004) available at quello.msu.edu/wp/wp-04-01.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Douglas Cummings and Steven Moore.  Justifications for a Common Signal Mode (CSM), Pulse~LINK, Inc., available at www.pulselink.net/pdf/Justifications%20for%20Common%20Signaling%20Mode.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Scott Graham and P.R. Kumar, The Convergence of Control, Communication, and Computation. Working Paper, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Coordinated Science Laboratory, Univ. of Ill. At Urbana-Champaign available at http://decision.csl.uiuc.edu/~prkumar/ps_files/PWC2003.pdf

 

  1. James Miller, The “Ham and SDR Sandwich”: Innovation and Enforcement Issues for Free and Open-Source Software on Software-Defined Radio Devices.  Available at web.si.umich.edu/tprc/papers/2005/480/SDR-HAM-JamesMiller.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Isabel Neto et al., License-Exempt Wireless Policy: Results of an African Survey, Information Technologies and International Development (MIT), Vol.2, No.3 at 88.  (Spring 2005), available at www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/1544752054782475 (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Philip J. Weiser and Dale N. Hatfield, Policing The Spectrum Commons, TPRC (2004)

 

  1. Kiyotaka Yuguchi, License-exempted Spectrum Use: A Theoretical Essay, Sagami Women’s University, Tokyo, Japan, (免許不要の電 波利用(スペクトラム・コモンズ)に関する理論的考察 相模女子大学学芸学部 講師 湧口 清隆), available at http://www.jotsugakkai.or.jp/2006/PDF/6-25/25-H-yuguchi.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

 

Press/Internet Sources

 

  1. Sherrie Conroy, FCC: An Unshackled View of Unlicensed Spectrum, Compliance Engineering (quoting) (July/August).

 

  1. Mary Greczyn, Market Growth Touted: FCC Staff Urges Agency to Balance Unlicensed Band Interests, Communications Daily.  Vol. 23, No. 99 at 2 (quoting) (May 22, 2003).

 

  1. Tim Horan, FCC Staff Urges Balancing Unlicensed Spectrum Interest, CIBC World Markets DATATIMES (quoting) (May 23, 2003).

 

  1. Paul Kirby, Wireless Industry Still Wary of Use of Spectrum `Underlays', TRDaily (August 25, 2003).

 

  1. Sarah Lai Stirland, Beyond WiFi: Airwaves used in creative, lucrative — and unregulated — ways, The Seattle Times (quoting) (Monday, June 9, 2003).

 

  1. Jack Loo, US study concludes unlicensed wireless devices represent growing and vital market, eBizAsiaLink (Friday, May 30, 2003).

 

  1. Kurt Mackie, FCC Releases Unlicensed Spectrum White Paper, Broadband Wireless Online (May 21, 2003) available at http://www.shorecliffcommunications.com/magazine/news.asp?news=1779 (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Susan Moore, Managing the Radio Spectrum: Hands-On or Back-Off?, IT Pro (March/April 2004), available at http://ieeexplore.org.ie15/6294/28563/01278866pdf?acnumber=127866 (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. D. Murali, All About Spectrum. Business Line (May 30, 2005).

 

  1. Industry Developments: FCC Builds Case for More Rural Unlicensed Wireless Services White Paper Suggests Ways to Lower Urban Interference and Raise Rural Coverage NRTC Update, Vol. 1, No 21 at 4 – 6 (quoting) (Wednesday, May 28, 2003).

 

  1. Wireless Communications Association International, FCC White Paper Prompts Commentary, Weekly Bulletin (September 4, 2003).

 

  1. Unlicensed Spectrum Represents Growing Market.  Broadcast Engineering.  (May 23, 2003) available at www.broadcastengineering.com/news/broadcasting­­_unlicensed_spectrum_represents/index.html (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Wireless Communication Technologies-“Wireless 101”, e-Austin.org, available at http://www.e-austin.org/articles/wireless101.htm (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Communications Advisory, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC, (May 2004) available at www.mintz.com/images/dyn/publications/CommunicationsAdvisory.0504.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

FCC/Government

 

  1. Federal Communications Commission, Report and Order, In the matter of Revision of Parts 2 and 15 of the Commission’s Rules to Permit Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices in the 5 GHz band, ET Docket No. 03-122 (November 12, 2003).

 

  1. Federal Comminications Commission, In the Matter of Implementation of Section 6002(b) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 Annual Report and Analysis of Competitive Market Conditions With Respect to Commercial Mobile Services Eighth Report, WT Docket No. 02-379, at 79-80 ( July 14, 2003).

 

  1. Federal Communications Commission, In the Matter of In the Matter of Revision of Parts 2 and 15 of the Commission’s Rules to Permit Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices in the 5 GHz band, ET Docket No. 03 122  RM   10371 __  FCC Rcd. __ (June 4, 2003).

 

  1. Comments of the New American Foundation et al., In the Matter of Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Bands, ET Docket No. 04-186.  In the Matter of Additional Spectrum for Unlicensed Devices Below 900 MHz and in the 3 GHz Band, ET Docket No. 02-380.  (Nov. 30, 2004) available at http://www.mediaaccess.org/programs/broadband/BcstBandsFINALforNAF.pdf (last visited July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Comments of Ambient Corporation, In the Matter if Carrier Current Systems Including Broadband Over Power Line Systems, ET Docket No.03-105.  In the Matter of Amendment of Part 15 Regarding New Requirements and Measurement Guidelines for Access Broadband Over Power Line Systems, ET Docket No. 04-37.  available at www.columbia.edu/~alan/bpl/ambient-nprm-comments.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Comments of Microsoft Corporation, In the Matter of Interference Immunity Performance Specifications for Radio Recievers, ET. Docket No. 03-05.  (July 2003) available at http://www.harriswiltshire.com/harriswiltshire/backoffice/upload/documents/030721%20=%20Reciever%20Performance%20NOI%20Comments.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Comments of the Brennan Center for Justice et al., In the Matter of Broadcast Localism, MB Docket No. 04-233 (Nov. 2004) available at http://www.fcpproject.org/courtbriefs/fcclocalism.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Reply Comments of The New America Foundation et al., In the Matter of Amendment to Parts 1, 21, 73, 74 and 101 of the Commissioner’s Rules to Facilitate the Provision of Fixed and Mobile Broadband Access, Educational and Other Advanced Services in the 2150-2162 ans 2500-2690 MHz Bands, WT Docket No 03-66 (Oct. 2003) available at http://www.mediaacess.org/NAF_IFTS_REPLY_COMMENTS_FILED10_23.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Ex Parte Comments of Prometheus Radio Project, et al., In the matter of Establishment of an Interference Temperature Metric to Quantify and Manage Interference and to Expand Available Unlicensed Operation in Certain Fixed, Mobile and Satellite Frequency Bands, ET Docket No. 03-237 (June 18, 2004).

 

  1. Industrial Telecommunications Association, In the Matter of Petition for a Declaratory Ruling Concerning Legality of Limitations or Restrictions Placed Upon Airport Tenants to Operate a Wireless System (March 17, 2004).

 

  1. Congress of the United States- Congressional Budget Office.  Does the Residential Broadband Market Need Fixing?,  (CBO Paper, Dec. 2003) available at www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=4868&sequence=1 (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

 

International

 

  1. Ministerio De Comunicaciones (Republica de Colombia), Tecnológicas WiFi Badas Radioeléctricas sin licencia (Serie de Cuardanos de Política No.1, Sept. 2003) available at http://www.dgroups.org/groups/ica/wifi-publico/docs/COL_-_Politica_de_WiFi_.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Ministry of Public Administration & Information-Telecommunications Division (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago), Free Spectrum For All: Policy on License Exemption of Systems in the 2.4 GHz and 5.8GHz Bands, (Draft Proposal, April 2004) available at http://www.fastfoward.tt/files/cms/Policy_on_License_Exemptions.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. OFCOM, Spectrum Framwork Review, at 28, note 18 (June 28, 2005).

 

  1. OFCOM, Spectrum Framwork Review, at 25, note 15 (November 25, 2004).

 

  1. Robert Horvtiz, Some Possibly Useful Heresies, Workshop on “Legal, Economic & Technological Aspects of ‘Collective Use’ of Spectrum in the European Community.” (Brussels, BEL April 27, 2006) available at http://europa.eu.int/information_society/policy/radio_spectrum/docs/workshop_collective_use/2c_some_possibly_heresies_open%20spectrum.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

  1. Robert Horvitz, Media Licensing, Convergence and Globalization, Conference-“RE:Activism: Re-drawing the Boundaries of Activism in a New Media Environmemnt,” (Budapest, HUN October 14-15, 2005) available at www.volweb.cz/horvitz/os-info/reactivism-horvitz.pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

 

Taylor Reynolds, Background Paper: Advanced Wireless Technologies and Spectrum Management, International Telecommunications Union, Workshop- Radio Spectrum Management for a Converging World (Geneva, SUI Feb. 16-18, 2994) available at www.itu.int/org/spu/ni/spectrum/RSM-AWT/pdf (last viewed July 7, 2006).

Comments Filed in ET Docket No. 03-126:

8 Record(s) Found For Proceeding:03-126

Proceeding: 03-126 Type Code: NC Date Received/Adopted: 06/02/04 Date Released/Denied:
  Document Type: CH ADDRESS Total Pages: 2
File Number/Community: DA/FCC Number:
Filed on Behalf of: Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association
Filed By:
Attorney/Author Name: Michael Altschul Document Date:
Complete Mailing Address:
1400 16th St., N.W.
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
View
Proceeding: 03-126 Type Code: NO Date Received/Adopted: 01/14/04 Date Released/Denied:
  Document Type: NOTICE Total Pages: 1
File Number/Community: DA/FCC Number:
Filed on Behalf of: Callipso
Filed By:
Attorney/Author Name: Kathleen Wallman Document Date:
Complete Mailing Address:
9332 Ramey Lane

Great Falls, VA 22066
COMMENT
Proceeding: 03-126 Type Code: CO Date Received/Adopted: 08/21/03 Date Released/Denied:
  Document Type: COMMENT Total Pages: 7
File Number/Community: DA/FCC Number:
Filed on Behalf of: Itron, Inc.
Filed By: Goldberg Godles Wiener & Wright
Attorney/Author Name: Joseph A. Godles, Esq. Document Date:
Complete Mailing Address:
1229 19th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036 -2413
COMMENT
Proceeding: 03-126 Type Code: CO Date Received/Adopted: 08/21/03 Date Released/Denied:
  Document Type: COMMENT Total Pages: 9
File Number/Community: DA/FCC Number:
Filed on Behalf of: Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association
Filed By:
Attorney/Author Name: Document Date:
Complete Mailing Address:
1250 Connecticut Ave, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
COMMENT COMMENT
Proceeding: 03-126 Type Code: CO Date Received/Adopted: 08/21/03 Date Released/Denied:
  Document Type: COMMENT Total Pages: 7
File Number/Community: DA/FCC Number:
Filed on Behalf of: AT&T Wireless
Filed By:
Attorney/Author Name: Douglas Brandon Document Date:
Complete Mailing Address:
1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20036
COMMENT
Proceeding: 03-126 Type Code: CO Date Received/Adopted: 08/21/03 Date Released/Denied:
  Document Type: COMMENT Total Pages: 10
File Number/Community: DA/FCC Number:
Filed on Behalf of: Cingular Wireless LLC
Filed By:
Attorney/Author Name: David G. Richards Document Date:
Complete Mailing Address:
5565 Glenridge Connector
Suite 1700
Atlanta, GA 30342
COMMENT
Proceeding: 03-126 Type Code: CO Date Received/Adopted: 08/21/03 Date Released/Denied:
  Document Type: COMMENT Total Pages: 15
File Number/Community: DA/FCC Number:
Filed on Behalf of: WebLink Wireless I, L.P.
Filed By: Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson, P.C.
Attorney/Author Name: Audrey P. Rasmussen Document Date:
Complete Mailing Address:
1120 20th Street, N.W., Suite 700 North

Washington, DC 20036 -3406
COMMENT
Proceeding: 03-126 Type Code: CO Date Received/Adopted: 07/18/03 Date Released/Denied:
  Document Type: COMMENT Total Pages: 2
File Number/Community: DA/FCC Number:
Filed on Behalf of: Reza Dibadj, Assistant Professor
Filed By: University of Miami
Attorney/Author Name: Document Date:
Complete Mailing Address:
321 Jenkins Building

Coral Gables, FL 33124
COMMENT

Presentation

Disclaimer


The FCC Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis’ Working Paper Series presents staff analysis and research in various states. This working paper series is a successor to and builds on the Office of Plans and Policy’s working paper series. These papers are intended to stimulate discussion and critical comment within the FCC, as well as outside the agency, on issues in communications policy. Titles may include preliminary work and progress reports, as well as completed research. The analyses and conclusions in the Working Paper Series are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of other members of the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, other Commission Staff, or any Commissioner. Given the preliminary character of some titles, it is advisable to check with authors before quoting or referenc ing these working papers in other publications. This document is available on the FCC’s World Wide Web site at www.fcc.gov/osp/workingp.html.



Back to Top

Back to Vita

Home Page



All materials Copyright © 2003-2006 Kenneth Carter.
No part may be reproduced with out the express written consent of the Author.