Bandwidth allocation

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Bandwidth allocation is the process of assigning radio frequencies to different applications. The radio spectrum is a finite resource, which means there is great need for an effective allocation process. In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission or FCC has the responsibility of allocating discrete portions of the spectrum, or bands, to various industries. The FCC did this recently, when it shifted the location of television broadcasting on the spectrum in order to open up more space for mobile data.[ citation needed ] Different bands of spectrum are able to transmit more data than others, and some bands of the spectrum transmit a clearer signal than others. [1] Bands that are particularly fast or that have long range are of critical importance for companies that intend to operate a business involving wireless communications.

Contents

FCC methods

Auctions

The FCC generally uses auctions to allocate bandwidth between companies. Some economists believe based on Auction Theory, auctions are the most efficient method of allocating resources[ citation needed ]. Due to the differences in the amount of data each band can transmit and the clarity of the signal, auctions allow the more desirable bands to sell for more. [2] The United States currently auctions off bands that then become the property of purchaser. The FCC spectrum auctions have multiple rounds of bidding, as opposed to each party submitting one sealed bid. The FCC, when auctioning multiple bands, auctions them simultaneously. This allows for a more efficient bidding process, and keeps bands being auctioned at the end of the auction from being over or under valued. An example of this practice was the 700 MHz auction in 2008. While this method raises billions of dollars for the government, there is concern that smaller companies may be priced out of the market and therefore rendered unable to compete with large firms. This would reduce the number of points of view in the communications industry, which would violate one of the principles of the FCC, to protect the public interest. [3] To help mitigate this concern, the FCC often sets aside a portion of the spectrum being auctioned so that it can only be bid on by smaller industry players. [4]

Lotteries

Another method used to allocate bands of frequencies was lotteries. Lotteries were used by the FCC in the 1980s. A benefit of lotteries was that it gave all parties a chance at winning, unlike auctions which favor parties with more money. By giving all parties a chance it was believed that it served the public interest better. Some disadvantages of the lottery method was that some firm would engage in rent-seeking behavior, and try to get multiple licenses that they did not intend to use, but only intend to sell to another firm. In this situation not only were firms using rent-seeking behavior on a public resource, but the negotiations between firms could go on for years, meaning that frequencies were not being used and the public interest was not being served. [5]

Comparative hearings

A third method used to allocate bands is the administrative process, also called comparative hearings. This method was used primarily before 1982. [6] In this method all interested firms would make a presentation about why they should receive the license for that band of frequencies. Some advantages of this method are that they are flexible, meaning that FCC can use different criteria for different bands. This would allow the FCC to ensure that the public interest was acknowledged. There are also disadvantages to this method. A primary disadvantage is that the government does not raise revenue from hearing, as they would under other methods such as auctions. Along with the flexibility that the method allows for, it also can cause a lack of transparency because the criteria the decision is based on can differ from case to case. [7] Another disadvantage is that the hearings process can take a long time to come to a conclusion.

The FCC is also responsible for reallocating bands of frequencies to different allocations. As new technologies develop the demand for frequency bands changes and makes some bands more desirable than previously. [8] When this occurs, the FCC may make a decision to move an application to a different band of spectrum to make room for something else. In this case the FCC gives the existing application several years to prepare for the transition. An example of this transition when the FCC reallocated the 700mhz band from broadcast television to mobile phone applications. The FCC first voted to reallocate the band in 2002, however the broadcast television firms were not required to stop broadcasting until February 2009. [9]

Limitations of Bandwidth

The exponential increase in mobile data traffic during the decades of the 1990s and 2000s has led to the massive deployment of wireless systems. As a consequence, the limited available RF spectrum is subject to an aggressive spatial reuse and co-channel interference has become a major capacity limiting factor. [10]

Therefore, there have been many independent warnings of a looming "RF spectrum crisis" [11] as the mobile data demands continue to increase while the network spectral efficiency saturates despite newly introduced standards and great technological advancements in the field.

It is estimated that by 2017, more than 11 exabytes of data traffic will have to be transferred through mobile networks every month. [10] [12] A possible solution is the replacement of some RF-technologies, like Wi-Fi, by others that do not use RF, like Li-Fi, as proposed by the Li-Fi Consortium.

Data crunch

The radio frequency spectrum is a limited natural resource which is increasingly in demand from a large and growing number of services such as fixed, mobile, broadcasting, amateur, space research, emergency telecommunications, meteorology, global positioning systems, environmental monitoring and communication services – that ensure safety of life on land, at sea and in the skies. [13] Un-coordinated use can lead to malfunctioning of telecommunication services. ITU-R plays a key to ensure radio communications. In its capacity as the unique global radio spectrum manager, ITU-R identifies and harmonizes spectrum for use by wireless broadband systems, ensuring that these valuable frequencies are used efficiently and without interference from other radio systems. Allocates spectrum for communications (including mobile and broadcasting), satellite communications, and spectrum for advanced aeronautical communications, global maritime issues, protect frequencies for Earth-exploration satellites to monitor resources, emergencies, meteorology and climate change. Telecom services are converging and actors in the ICT world must adapt to all- IP (all data) networks. Data usage over wireless networks is rapidly increasing as more consumers surf the web, check email, and watch video on mobile devices. [14] Moreover, according to Cisco, the surging growth in global mobile data traffic is projected to rise by sixty-six times by 2013, with video accounting for the lion's share of this increase in traffic. [15] The evolution in data traffic foresees a future “data crunch”. In wireless services, this “data crunch” is putting further pressure on a more efficient use of spectrum. In the United States, according to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, "The explosive growth in mobile communications is outpacing our ability to keep up. If no proactive course is taken to update spectrum policies for the 21st century, limits will be reached. Some countries are already adapting to the impending crisis by investing in broadband and reassigning spectrum bands. [16] ITU is raising awareness to promote investment in broadband and keeps working to improve spectrum management worldwide. However, the argument about a looming bandwidth crunch is refutable according to some points of view. Former FCC official Uzoma Onyeije conducted a study that questions the existence of a broadband spectrum crisis, and further goes on to suggest alternatives to existing networks that would mitigate the need to reallocate spectrum. Onyeije argues that before claiming a “Spectrum Crisis” exists, carriers should leverage available marketplace solutions to appease the current infrastructure namely upgrading network technology, adopting fair use policies, migrating voice to internet protocol, leveraging consumer infrastructure, enhancing carrier Infrastructure, packet prioritization, caching, channel bonding and encouraging the development of bandwidth-sensitive applications and devices. [17] Alternatively, the User-in-the-loop paradigm mitigates the data crunch by shaping the demand side by involving all the users, which makes expensive over-provisioning obsolete.

Bandwidth allocation can also be used in reference to the computing industry, in scenarios such as allocating bandwidth to a web site running on a server, or allocating bandwidth to a computer on a network. Allocations in computing are often administered/enforced by terminating or temporarily suspending access once the allocated bandwidth has been utilized. Setting it to high increases download speed and the connectivity of other devices on the network.

Control of bandwidth allocation

United States

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that is responsible for allocating portions of the wireless spectrum for broadband, public safety, and the media.

Egypt

Unlike the government of the U.S., the government of Egypt does not have their own communications infrastructure, but private companies operate their own communication infrastructure. [18] This non-government controlled allocation of communications became the unprecedented issue of discussion during the Egyptian social protests on January 25, 2011. The Egyptian government shut down all forms communications, including the internet and all on-line services. [19] At first, the Egyptian government blocked the internet data usage for smart phones and black-berrys, and social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube as well. They also eventually cut off mobile phone service. This was possible even though the Egyptian government does not control communications because there are no agencies mandated to control communications. The fact is, the cooperation of the Internet service providers with the Egyptian government was necessary because they would otherwise have difficulties ethically running their business. If the government calls up the company service provider and makes a request within legal rights, then they give into the government's demands even if they are illegal according to the law. [18] They have to follow the government's requests, in order to conduct business in that country.

NTIA spectrum management & policy

Office of Spectrum Management (OSM)

The Office of Spectrum Management (OSM) is solely responsible for managing the United States Federal Government's usage of the radio frequency spectrum. OSM manages and works together with the sub-office, Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) to execute various operations for Federal Government use. OSM and the IRAC collaborate to establish and issue policy regarding allocations and regulations governing the Federal Government's spectrum usage; develop plans for the peacetime and wartime use of the spectrum; prepare for, participate in, and implementing the results of international radio conferences; assigning frequencies; assigning of government specific frequencies; and maintaining Federal agencies new telecommunications systems and certifying that spectrum will be available. Additionally, the OSM together with the IRAC provides the technical engineering expertise needed to perform specific spectrum resources assessment and automated computer capabilities needed to carry out these investigations; participate in all aspects of the Federal Government's communications related emergency readiness activities; and participate in Federal Government telecommunication automated information systems security activities. [20]

U.S. Federal Government spectrum management – Spectrum policy for 21st century

The 21st century has presented a society of wireless communications that has become a key element for a free society of information. Due to a modern need for fast and reliable information and communication the United States Federal Government has implemented the insurance of national and homeland defense, available public safety, first-responder services, and jobs revolving around research and service provision under the United States national radio communications services.

The United States and the President has additionally and personally established the position for spectrum management policies for Federal and non-Federal usage. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) continues annual regulation of spectrum bandwidth, specifically Federal usage. Additionally, an Executive Memorandum, issued directly from the President states a direct policy for continued improvements on spectrum management within the United States. [21]

Spectrum Policy Task Force

Established in June 2002, the Spectrum Policy Task Force was created to help assist the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in understanding the constant changing forces upon spectrum policy. The Spectrum Policy Task Force ultimately maximizes the public access, usage and benefits that derive from the radio spectrum.

Exact tasks of the Spectrum Task Force include the provision of specific information and recommendations to the FCC for evolving methods to the current “command and control” (C&C) approach to spectrum policy. The Spectrum Task Force also specializes in assisting the FCC in addressing spectrum issues such as: technical device/signal interference, spectrum efficiency, and effective public safety communications for domestic and international spectrum policies. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Wireless broadband is a telecommunications technology that provides high-speed wireless Internet access or computer networking access over a wide area. The term encompasses both fixed and mobile broadband.

A personal communications service (PCS) is set of communications capabilities that provide a combination of terminal mobility, personal mobility, and service profile management. This class of services comprises several types of wireless voice or wireless data communications systems, typically incorporating digital technology, providing services similar to advanced cellular mobile or paging services. In addition, PCS can also be used to provide other wireless communications services, including services that allow people to place and receive communications while away from their home or office, as well as wireless communications to homes, office buildings and other fixed locations. Described in more commercial terms, PCS is a generation of wireless cellular-phone technology, that combines a range of features and services surpassing those available in analogue- and first-generation (2G) digital-cellular phone systems, providing a user with an all-in-one wireless phone, paging, messaging, and data service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadband</span> Data transmission terminology

In telecommunications, broadband is the wide-bandwidth data transmission that exploits signals at a wide spread of frequencies or several different simultaneous frequencies, and is used in fast internet connections. The medium can be coaxial cable, optical fiber, wireless Internet (radio), twisted pair, or satellite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultra high frequency</span> Electromagnetic spectrum 300–3000 MHz

Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter. Radio waves with frequencies above the UHF band fall into the super-high frequency (SHF) or microwave frequency range. Lower frequency signals fall into the VHF or lower bands. UHF radio waves propagate mainly by line of sight; they are blocked by hills and large buildings although the transmission through building walls is strong enough for indoor reception. They are used for television broadcasting, cell phones, satellite communication including GPS, personal radio services including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, walkie-talkies, cordless phones, satellite phones, and numerous other applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Telecommunications and Information Administration</span> American government agency

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the President's principal adviser on telecommunications policies pertaining to the United States' economic and technological advancement and to regulation of the telecommunications industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telecommunications policy of the United States</span>

The telecommunications policy of the United States is a framework of law directed by government and the regulatory commissions, most notably the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Two landmark acts prevail today, the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The latter was intended to revise the first act and specifically to foster competition in the telecommunications industry.

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Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options.

The radio spectrum is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum with frequencies from 3 Hz to 3,000 GHz (3 THz). Electromagnetic waves in this frequency range, called radio waves, are widely used in modern technology, particularly in telecommunication. To prevent interference between different users, the generation and transmission of radio waves is strictly regulated by national laws, coordinated by an international body, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High-speed multimedia radio</span>

High-speed multimedia radio (HSMM) is the implementation of high-speed wireless TCP/IP data networks over amateur radio frequency allocations using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware such as 802.11 Wi-Fi access points. This is possible because the 802.11 unlicensed frequency bands partially overlap with amateur radio bands and ISM bands in many countries. Only licensed amateur radio operators may legally use amplifiers and high-gain antennas within amateur radio frequencies to increase the power and coverage of an 802.11 signal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectrum auction</span> Government auction of radio spectrum

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectrum management</span>

Spectrum management is the process of regulating the use of radio frequencies to promote efficient use and gain a net social benefit. The term radio spectrum typically refers to the full frequency range from 1 Hz to 3000 GHz that may be used for wireless communication. Increasing demand for services such as mobile telephones and many others has required changes in the philosophy of spectrum management. Demand for wireless broadband has soared due to technological innovation, such as 3G and 4G mobile services, and the rapid expansion of wireless internet services.

Cellular frequencies in the United States are allocated by the US Federal Communications Commission. As cellular mobile telephone technology has evolved over time, periodically bands of frequencies are reassigned from other radio services. Companies wishing to provide cellular services in a geographic region compete for the right to license radio spectrum in spectrum auctions. Different cellular companies in the same region may use different levels of cellular technology and different parts of the radio spectrum. In addition to radio frequencies used to connect handsets with cellular base stations, other parts of the radio spectrum are used to interconnect base stations and the wired telephone network. Some frequency bands may be vulnerable to interference by existing services in adjacent frequency bands, such as UHF television broadcasting.

The United States 700 MHz FCC wireless spectrum auction, officially known as Auction 73, was started by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on January 24, 2008 for the rights to operate the 700 MHz radio frequency band in the United States. The details of process were the subject of debate among several telecommunications companies, including Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility, as well as the Internet company Google. Much of the debate swirled around the open access requirements set down by the Second Report and Order released by the FCC determining the process and rules for the auction. All bidding was required by law to commence by January 28.

Policies promoting wireless broadband are policies, rules, and regulations supporting the "National Wireless Initiative", a plan to bring wireless broadband Internet access to 98% of Americans.


The digital dividend refers to the radio spectrum which is released in the process of digital television transition. When television broadcasters switch from analog TV to digital-only platforms, part of the electromagnetic spectrum that has been used for broadcasting will be freed-up because digital television needs less spectrum than analog television, due to lossy compression. One reason is that new digital video compression technology can transmit numerous digital subchannels using the same amount of spectrum used to transmit one analog TV channel. However, the primary reason is that digital transmissions require much less of a guard band on either side, since they are not nearly as prone to RF interference from adjacent channels. Because of this, there is no longer any need to leave empty channels to protect stations from each other, in turn allowing stations to be repacked into fewer channels, leaving more contiguous spectrum to be allocated for other wireless services.

The Spectrum Policy Task Force was established in June 2002 to assist the Federal Communications Commission in identifying and evaluating changes in spectrum policy that will increase the public benefits derived from the use of the radio spectrum.

The Pan-American television frequencies are different for terrestrial and cable television systems. Terrestrial television channels are divided into two bands: the VHF band which comprises channels 2 through 13 and occupies frequencies between 54 and 216 MHz, and the UHF band, which comprises channels 14 through 36 and occupies frequencies between 470 and 700 MHz. These bands are different enough in frequency that they often require separate antennas to receive, and separate tuning controls on the television set. The VHF band is further divided into two frequency ranges: VHF low band between 54 and 88 MHz, containing channels 2 through 6, and VHF high band between 174 and 216 MHz, containing channels 7 through 13. The wide spacing between these frequency bands is responsible for the complicated design of rooftop TV antennas. The UHF band has higher noise and greater attenuation, so higher gain antennas are often required for UHF.

The Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) band plan is a type of segmentation of the 612–806 MHz band formalized by the APT in 2022–2023 and 2008-2010 respectively and specially configured for the deployment of mobile broadband technologies. This segmentation exists in two variants, FDD and TDD, that have been standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and recommended by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as segmentations A5 and A6, respectively. The APT band plan has been designed to enable the most efficient use of available spectrum. Therefore, this plan divides the band into contiguous blocks of frequencies that are as large as possible taking account of the need to avoid interference with services in other frequency bands. As the result, the TDD option includes 100 MHz of continuous spectrum, while the FDD option comprises two large blocks, one of 45 MHz for uplink transmission in the lower part of the band and the other also of 45 MHz for downlink transmission in the upper part. As defined in the standard, both FDD and TDD schemes for the 700 MHz band include guard bands of 5 MHz and 3 MHz at their lower and upper edges, respectively. The FDD version also includes a centre gap of 10 MHz. The guard bands serve the purpose of mitigating interference with adjacent bands while the FDD centre gap is required to avoid interference between uplink and downlink transmissions. The two arrangements are shown graphically in figures 1 and 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C band (IEEE)</span> Range of radio frequencies from 4 to 8 GHz

The C band is a designation by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies ranging from 4.0 to 8.0 gigahertz (GHz). However, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission C band proceeding and auction, designated 3.7–4.2 GHz as C band. The C band is used for many satellite communications transmissions, some Wi-Fi devices, some cordless telephones, as well as some radar and weather radar systems.

References

  1. ↑ Mobile and Wireless Communications,"Gow G.& Smith R.",Open University Press, 2006
  2. ↑ Putting Economics above Ideology,"Hazlett, T",Barrons, July 12, 2010
  3. ↑ Crampton, Peter (October 1998). "Efficiency of the FCC Spectrum Auction" (PDF). Journal of Law and Economics. 41: 727–736. doi:10.1086/467410. S2CID   17936680.
  4. ↑ "FCC working on new spectrum auction rules to help small players". Totaltelecom. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  5. ↑ Salmon, Timothy (2004). Auctioning Public Assets: Analysis and Alternatives (PDF). Cambridge University Press. ISBN   0-521-83059-1.
  6. ↑ "FCC Spectrum Auction Data". Penn State University. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  7. ↑ McMillan, John. "Why Auction the Spectrum?" (PDF). Why Auction the Spectrum. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 21, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Moving Toward a Market for Spectrum". Cato Institute.
  9. ↑ Malik, Om. "700 MHz Explained in 10 Steps". GIGA.com.
  10. 1 2 "Light Fidelity (Li-Fi): Towards All-Optical Networking", D. Tsonev, S. Videv and H. Haas; Institute for Digital Communications, Li-Fi R&D Centre, The University of Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, Edinburgh, UK.
  11. ↑ Ofcom, “Study on the future UK spectrum demand for terrestrial mobile broadband applications” report, realwireless (June 2013).
  12. ↑ “Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2012-2017”,Cisco Visual Networking Index; White Paper, CISCO (Feb. 2013).
  13. ↑ Rancy, Francois. "Welcome to ITU-R". ITU. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2011.
  14. ↑ Gahran, Amy (March 22, 2011). "FCC warns of looming mobile spectrum crunch". CNN. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  15. ↑ Zhao, Houlin. "Globalizing Trend of China's Mobile Internet". ITU. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  16. ↑ Budde, Paul. "Broadband: A Platform For Progress" (PDF). Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  17. ↑ Onyeije, Uzoma. "SOLVING THE CAPACITY CRUNCH Options for Enhancing Data Capacity on Wireless Networks Onyeije" (PDF). Onyeije Consulting LLC. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  18. 1 2 "Egypt may have turned off the Internet one phone call at a time". Los Angeles Times. January 29, 2011.
  19. ↑ Johnson, Bobbie. "How Egypt Switched Off the Internet". Archived from the original on January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Office of Spectrum Management". NTIA.
  21. ↑ "Spectrum Policy Initiative for the 21st century". NTIA.
  22. ↑ "About the Spectrum Policy Task Force". FCC.
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