TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • DSP Leaders
  • Great Telco Debate
    • |
    • Follow
    • |
    • Subscribe
  • |
  • More
  • Webcasts
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Great Telco Debate
  • |
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • |
    • Subscribe
    • |
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

News

News

Microsoft to track European spectrum usage

Jan 29, 2013

Microsoft has announced the launch of its European Spectrum Observatory, to help provide insight into how spectrum is used today and how more effective use of the spectrum can accelerate the availability of wireless broadband access. The ‘observatory’ is located at Microsoft’s Cloud and Interoperability Centre in Brussels. It joind its other observatories in the US cities of Seattle, Redmond and Washington DC.

David Tennenhouse, Corporate VP at Microsoft’s Technology Policy Group, explained that the unit was created to provide a common repository for spectrum usage data to be collected and analysed:

“With the Observatory we hope to give regulators the latest information on the usage of wireless spectrum and to help inform their decisions on which spectrum bands are the most appropriate near term targets for expanded spectrum sharing.”

According to Microsoft, current wireless networks and business models will struggle to deliver the broadband access desired by individuals, businesses. The reason, says the vendor, is the way spectrum is presently allocated. By retaining an out-moded model developed around the limitations of legacy radio technologies, it says “wide swaths of spectrum” continue to be statically dedicated to a particular use, even if they are not fully utilised.

Instead, Microsoft advocates a more dynamic approach to spectrum management, so that spectrum utilisation can be substantially increased, thereby alleviating this bottleneck to wireless broadband access. Of course, Microsoft’s prime interest at the moment (as well as being seen to play nice with the European authorities), is in White Space spectrum – frequency allocated to broadcasting services but not actually used, acting as guard bands between channels. With the switch to digital, this spectrum is becoming available for re-use.

William Webb, CTO of Microsoft’s partner Neul – a company which develops technology for M2M applications using white space spectrum – believes the TV white spaces band represents the first opportunity to utilise dynamic spectrum technologies:

“TV White Spaces a represent a creative, tested and low-cost way of extending fast broadband access to people in underserved communities, addressing the rapid proliferation of machine applications and facilitating the increasing demand for bandwidth... [this] coupled with the possibility of global harmonisation, makes it the ideal solution for innovative new applications and technologies.”

With regulators around the world taking steps toward opening the TV band white spaces for license-exempt use, Microsoft obviously sees an important new business developing. Its new observatory will record spectrum usage data through monitoring stations and then stores and processes it for visualization through its Windows Azure cloud. Tennenhouse adds:

“We are looking forward to working closely with the European Commission and national regulators to bring about the necessary regulatory changes to make this exciting technology possible.”

Last week, the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow opened its new Centre for White Space Communications, to develop and apply dynamic spectrum technology to tap into unused white space spectrum capacity. Microsoft is one of the commercial partners, together with BT and the broadcaster the BBC.

Related Topics
  • Analysis & Opinion,
  • News

More Like This

6G R&I

What’s up with… Deutsche Telekom, BT, Huawei

Jan 18, 2021

Digital Platforms & Services

The UK government and its services need a ‘digital reboot’ says report

Jan 18, 2021

Open RAN

Open RAN architectures at heart of UK 5G projects

Jan 18, 2021

Open Networking

The TelecomTV Snapshot: The Great Telco Debate 2020 - CSP Highlights

Jan 15, 2021

Security

What’s up with… Xiaomi, Bouygues Telecom, Qualcomm

Jan 15, 2021

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

1:4:29

Great Telco Debate: Live Debate – Day 2 (On-demand)

1:18:20

Great Telco Debate: Live Debate – Day 3 (On-demand)

43:08

Developing an ecosystem for vRAN

1:5:11

Great Telco Debate: Live Debate – Day 1 (On-demand)

  • TelecomTV
  • Decisive Media

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media

Menu
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
 
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About Us
Our Brands
  • TelecomTV Tracker
  • TelecomTV Perspectives
  • DSP Leaders
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • The Great Telco Debate
Get In Touch
[email protected]
+44 (0) 207 448 1070

Request a Media Pack

Follow
  • © Decisive Media Limited 2021. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Legal Notices