31.8.2012

The first trial licence in Europe for a cognitive radio system based on geolocation granted for TUAS

TV White Space frequencies – taking unused TV distribution network frequencies to trial use

The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority, Ficora, has granted Turku University of Applied Sciences a trial licence for a cognitive radio system on TV White Space frequencies. In the future, the unused frequency range of 470–790 MHz in the terrestrial TV distribution network can be used in an area of about 40 km x 40 km surrounding Turku. Almost 300 000 people live in the area defined in the trial licence. The licence is the first in Europe and requires using a geolocation database, based on location information, in steering telecommunications devices.

The radio licence will be used in the WISE project, which is funded by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, Tekes. The project partners are Nokia, Digita, Fairspectrum, Ficora, Turku University of Applied Sciences, the University of Turku and Aalto University.

The R&D&I group at the radio and EMC laboratory in TUAS’s faculty of Telecommunication and eBusiness, in the Degree Programme in Electronics, participates in the WISE project’s research activities by conducting laboratory and field measurements together with the other project partners. The radio laboratory manages and uses a wireless telecommunications test network intended for research, testing and educational purposes in the Turku area. One of the antennae is located on the roof of ICT House. The trial licence granted for the network enables the field testing and research on commercial applications of the first cognitive radio devices on the market that are at the product development stage.

A testbed for spectrum sharing – the goal is to increase data rates and coverage area and to improve cost efficiency

Spectrum sharing is a global solution for matching the increasing wireless data communication and limited frequency resources. TV White Space frequencies are a real test environment for spectrum sharing. TV White Space may improve the existing wireless data communications services by increasing data rates and coverage area, it may improve the cost efficiency of the services and new services can be developed based on it. Spectrum sharing is managed in the cognitive radio system with a geolocation database. It controls the frequencies and transmission levels of TVWS devices thus that the devices do not interfere with other wireless communications systems, such as terrestrial TV transmissions or radio microphones.

Fairspectrum provides the geolocation database for the Turku test network communication system according to the Ficora licence. The Fairspectrum database applies geometric computation in spectrum sharing. Thanks to geometric computation, the geolocation database is efficient, fast and easily adaptable to various environments and regulations. Rules based on geometric computation can be explicitly communicated between operators, authorities and other users of the shared spectrum.

 

WISE White Space Test Environment for Broadcast Frequencies is a Finnish research project funded by Tekes, and it is a part of Tekes’ Trial research programme. WISE studies the efficient use of TV band frequencies by using cognitive radio technologies and a geolocation database. The Trial research programme attracts international experts and investments to utilise a unique trial environment for cognitive radio and networks.

For more information, please visit: http://wise.turkuamk.fi and http://www.tekes.fi/ohjelmat/trial

Fairspectrum Oy is a Finnish startup applying Internet services and computational geometry in the field of radio spectrum sharing. For more information, please visit http://www.fairspectrum.com

The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (Ficora) is a state authority in electronic communications and information society services. For more information, please visit www.ficora.fi

More information:

Reijo Ekman, Manager of the Radio and EMC Laboratory, Principal Lecturer in Radio Engineering