Experimentation Description

0662-EX-CN-2017 Text Documents

Microsoft Corporation

2017-08-08ELS_196404

                                                                                             Microso Corpora on
                                                                                                Form     Exhibit
                                                                                         File No.    ‐EX‐CN‐

                                            Experiment Descrip on

        Microso in partnership with Allband Communica ons, a coopera ve Internet service provider

serving rural northeast Michigan, seek to evaluate new ways of using TVWS technology to expanding

access to high‐speed Internet access for America’s students, especially in rural and underserved areas.1

Today, an es mated       % of teachers assign homework that requires access to broadband,2 even as

million American students go home at the end of each school day to a household that lacks a high‐speed

Internet connec on.3 The proposed deployment would help to address this unmet need in rural Hillman,

MI by providing high‐speed wireless Internet access on school buses as they complete their morning and

a ernoon routes. This will allow students without broadband connec on at home to complete

assignments that require broadband Internet access while they are on their way to and from school.

        Each school bus would be equipped with a TVWS radio, which would communicate with fixed

TVWS base sta ons for both Internet backhaul, and acquisi on of channel availability informa on as

provided under      U.S.C.    .   (e)( ). Each bus‐resident device would obtain geoloca on data

automa cally and con nuously from an external GPS device mounted on each school bus, and use this

geoloca on informa on to obtain updated channel availability informa on once every five seconds.

        Because of the significant coverage needs of this experimental deployment, however, it is

necessary for Microso and Allband to use a modified fixed white‐space device4 at a power level slightly

higher than permi ed for personal/portable devices under the Commission’s rules. Microso and

Allband will, however, prevent any harmful interference by ) adhering to the separa on distances that

ordinarily apply to fixed devices of the same transmit power, ) obtaining updated channel availability



1
  Microsoft Corporation files this application jointly with Allband Communication’s application for an experimental
  license, with file number     -EX-CN-        .
2
  http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/contributors/       / / /internet-broadband-access/         /
3
  http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/      / / /digital-divide-persists-even-as-lower-income-americans-make-
  gains-in-tech-adoption/
4
  FCC ID AASTGWS-           -


                                                                                      Microso Corpora on
                                                                                         Form     Exhibit
                                                                                  File No.    ‐EX‐CN‐

informa on once every five seconds, and ) ensuring that bus‐resident devices will not operate unless

they are able to connect to one of a pre‐programmed list of fixed base‐sta on devices to be deployed in

Hillman, MI and receive updated channel availability informa on. The device will cease opera ng if it

has not been able to obtain updated channel availability informa on within the last five seconds. This

ensures that the bus‐resident white‐space devices are geofenced, and will not operate if a bus is driven

outside of the intended area of opera on or if there is any other loss of connec vity. A map depic ng

the bus route as well as loca on and coverage area of each fixed base sta on, outside of which the bus‐

resident devices will be unable to operate, is a ached.

        As they complete their routes the school buses will periodically transi on from the coverage

areas of one white‐space base sta on to another. This experimental deployment will therefore also

facilitate technical research regarding hand‐off of a moving white‐space device from one white‐space

network to another.



Document Created: 2017-08-08 13:39:09
Document Modified: 2017-08-08 13:39:09

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