Developing commercial uses for Whitespace spectrum will rely in part on having devices that can operate in the frequency. That is especially true if you are targeting use of the spectrum to enhance cellular capacity.
Researchers from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)in Japan have developed a model smartphone, built on Android 4.2 (Jellybean) OS, that can attach to both FDD LTE (R8) networks and LTE Whitespace (TDD) spectrum.
The smartphone can operate as TDD LTE in Whitespace spectrum from 470-710MHz, and in FDD LTE in LTE Band 1 (1920-1980 Uplink, 2110-2170 Downlink).
The devices uses two SIM slots, one for the NICT-developed LTE system (see picture) for TV whitespace and the other for commercial LTE networks. The phone selects and switches between the LTE systems in software.
The developers said that standby times are 290 hours for TV whitespace and 440 hours for normal LTE networks. The phone also features a talktime of more than 10 hours.
“By combining this smartphone with whitespace database-connected base stations (eND-B) we have already developed, we can increase LTE spectrum without causing interference with incumbent systems in the TV band, which means we can use the spectrum more efficiently and effectively,” said Dr. Hiroshi Harada, director of NICT’s Smart Wireless Laboratory.
“We believe our development of this smartphone will contribute to the global development of LTE systems that utilise TV whitespace.”
Earlier this year researchers at NCIT announced a breakthrough in the use of TV Whitespace for long range communications.
